October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a decade-old initiative designed to stomp out the bullying that impacts an estimated one in four children. Created in 2006 by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, National Bullying Prevention Month began as a week-long awareness campaign. During the past decade, as research continues to show the negative psychological, academic and physical consequences of bullying, National Bullying Prevention Month has grown into a month-long initiative that is recognized in schools and communities around the world and supported by celebrities and major corporate sponsors.
Schools are encouraged to recognize National Bullying Prevention Month through community-wide awareness events, school-wide initiatives, and classroom instruction. Ideas include:
In 2016, October 19th is designated as Unity Day, when students - along with individuals throughout the community - can be encouraged to wear orange as a symbol of being unified against bullying. Along with wearing orange, students and adults can show their support by speaking out on social media platforms with the hashtag #UnityDay2016.
PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center provides toolkits and planning guides for schools or organizations that want to hold National Bullying Prevention Month events. These may include school- or community-wide Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying events, parent-teacher conferences or open houses. Support resources, including buttons, posters and handouts, may be accessed on PACER's website (pacer.org).
Because peer intervention derails a majority bullying incidents, involving and empowering students to stand up against bullying is critical to eliminating it. PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, therefore, has created the We Will Generation program, in which students pledge to stand up against bullying, and are provided with empowerment tools to do so. National Bullying Prevention Month is the perfect opportunity to promote this program and generate interest among students. Information, resources and a student-led curriculum program may be found on PACER's website.
Popular National Bullying Prevention Month activities for schools and youth organizations include creating unity banners or other artistic expressions of anti-bullying sentiments, and forming book clubs. Ideas and guides for both are available on the PACER website.
National Bullying Prevention Month is a great time to introduce and emphasize anti-bullying messages and lessons in the classroom. To help educators do so, Study.com offers resources such as lesson plans, ideas for in-class discussion and role-playing, and strategies for teachers to stop bullying among students. See, for example:
The PACER website, meanwhile, offers additional lesson plans, activities, and discussion points for teachers of early learners and elementary, middle, and high school students.
