Young contestant advocates against bullying

St Mary's Primary School student Linda Brown is using the Duavata Northern Crime Prevention Carnival in Labasa to promote kindness, respect and anti-bullying awareness.

Linda who is participating in the princess category said participating in the carnival had always been her dream.

She said her advocacy focuses on addressing bullying, which she believes is becoming increasingly common among young people.

"The reason why I chose this topic is because there's plenty of bullying going on right now, especially among youths," Linda said.

Recent data shows that 61.44 per cent of women and 38.56 per cent of men in Fiji experienced cyberbullying in 2024, according to Acting Commissioner of the Online Safety Commission Tajeshwari Devi during Safer Internet Day.

Linda said she hoped to use her platform to raise awareness and encourage positive behaviour among children.

"I really want to bring about change in my community, especially among children my age," she said.

She said reports of bullying and negative experiences had influenced her decision to speak out.

"I have been hearing a lot of things in the news and this is why I chose this topic, to make a change in my society," she said.

Linda said children needed to be supported and encouraged to stand up against bullying.

She added that promoting kindness, respect and confidence among peers was important in reducing harmful behaviour.

"I am grateful to Almighty God and my parents for their support," she said.