“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.“

We have all heard this childhood rhyme in defiance of abusive language. But the truth of the matter is that name-calling hurts.

Today is the start of No Name-Calling Week, a commemoration started several years to draw attention to the harm of name-calling and insults. Words are powerful and can cause damage if not used conscientiously.

Many of our residents are no strangers to name calling and the hurt it causes. People have been called unpleasant names for their appearance, disabilities, and other things they have little control over. This abuse can impact their self-esteem and confidence, and manifest itself in social isolation and poor performance in various aspects of their lives.

At Flatrock, our stance this week, and every week, is “zero tolerance” for name-calling and abusive language meant to demean or insult another.