The Diana Award and WCRS Attempt to Redefine the Word ‘Bully’ for Anti-Bullying Week

New YouGov research shows 72% of GB children, aged 13-17yrs, agree the definition of the word ‘bully’ should be updated. 

So as part of anti-bullying week, The Diana Award and WCRS today unveil their new campaign to redefine the word ‘bully’. The current definition:

bully n. a person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.

The Diana Award have encouraged dictionary companies to remove the word ‘weak’ from their definitions. The charity feels passionately that people who are bullied should not be stereotyped as weak. One of the key ways to change this is by removing any reference of strong or weak from the definition. Collins Dictionary and Dictionary.com have agreed to review their definitions.  The Diana Award are calling on others to review (Cambridge Words, Oxford Words, Mac Dictionary, Merriam Webster & Google’s dictionary).

Throughout this week, The Diana Award will be releasing video content from school children that reveals their perceptions of the current definition, as well as an exclusive Snapchat filter encouraging others to get involved in raising awareness of the campaign. The charity hope that by removing weak from the definition they can instil confidence in those who have or are still experiencing bullying.

The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign is encouraging the public to help persuade dictionaries to change the definition by tweeting and using the #IAMNOTWEAK @CambridgeWords @OxfordWords @OED @MacDictionary @MerriamWebster @Google. Supporters can also share the campaign video assets/jpegs from the charity’s social media channels: @DianaAward @AntiBullyingPro

 

WCRS Creative Director Orlando Warner said: “Bullies aren’t strong, and those who are bullied aren’t weak. The current definition doesn’t accurately represent its true meaning, or even how the word ‘bully’ is used. We felt it was time to redefine the word, because how can you end bullying if the starting point is wrong?”

 

Alex Holmes, Head of The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign said: “We’re delighted to be working with WCRS on this important campaign. Our ground breaking peer-led Anti-Bullying programme has trained over 27,000 young people across the UK and Ireland (and internationally) to act as Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.  A core part of our work is to educate young people that a bully is not strong and being a victim of bullying is not weak.  Through this campaign we are urging the dictionary companies to make this change and help future generations understand better bullying behaviour.”

A year 6 pupil from Sacred Heart Primary School in Luton, said: “I am angry at the dictionary calling me weak because I was confident enough to tell someone about me being bullied and that makes me strong.”