How you can help put an end to bullying- both in person and online- now during the month of October: National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.
It’s an all-too-common experience shared amongst kids these days: bullying. Whether at school, in after-school activities or online, bullying is happening both in front of our faces and behind our backs. In fact, according to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, one in every five students reports being bullied.
That’s 20% of kids who are feeling belittled, demoralized and downright sad about what their peers are saying (and sometimes physically doing) to them. That statistic is simply heartbreaking.
1 in ever 5 students reports being bullied.
Thanks to the internet, bullying has gone from bad to worse. Kids who feel tormented at school by bullies who say and do things to them in person can now receive hateful messages online. Now, while they are at home, a place that is supposed to be a safe haven from things like school and drama, they are experiencing bullying.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is rapidly becoming a massive concern as more and more kids get phones and take to the internet. According to DoSomething.org, 37% of kids ages 12-17 report being harassed online. Let those numbers sink in.
37% of kids ages 12-17 report being harassed online.
Put simply, the kids are not okay. They are facing bullying on multiple fronts, and we can see the effect it’s having on our youth by the rise in depression. According to the CDC, almost 40% of youths ages 12-17 have reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” with 15% having had a major depressive episode.
October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. The time to act is now.
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
Fortunately, the internet makes it easier than ever to get involved and help lead the change in your community. With a few clicks, you can have an entire arsenal full of tips and tools that can help you create a plan of action to fight for change in your schools, your community, your state and so forth. There are tools to help with both in person and online bullying that vary in degree of involvement and time commitment. But anything and everything helps. Our kids need us!
Here are a few places that have great plans of action to start taking a stand against bullying:
- Pacer.org- This website provides multiple ways you can get involved and help create change. From buying t-shirts to show your support to hosting an event in your community, there is no shortage of ways to get involved when you start your journey to end bullying on Pacer.org.
- StopBullying.gov- Take steps to learn what is bullying and what is not and what you can do about. This website is filled with great info for parents, educators, community leaders and beyond. The more you know!
- DoSomething.org- Get your kids involved to be activists for a better tomorrow. This website is stocked full of ways that kids and teens can engage in meaningful activities and events that seek to end bullying. Your kids are never too young to help make a difference in their community.
- The Kindness Campaign– I got to watch as this program launched at my girls’ school last year and it was a total game changer. This company provides resources for teachers, parents and community leaders to create an environment where kids are built up instead of torn down. The results we saw at our school were absolutely incredible. Totally recommend this program highly!
- StompOutBullying.org-This site offers numerous ways you can get involved, including becoming a youth leader and advocating for programs to come to your school that can help educate kids on what bullying is and how to help put an end to it. There are always ways to donate to support the cause.
No contribution to the fight against bullying and cyberbullying is too small. Whether you have time or money to give, you should absolutely seek out ways to lead the change you want to see in your community. It is up to all of us to provide a safe space for our kids to blossom and grow into wonderful, impactful adults.