October has been a busy month for domestic violence victims, advocates, and supporters. Not only is it Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but it is also National Bully Prevention Month. In 2006, PACER’s National Bully Prevention Center founded National Bully Prevention Month, and has worked hard every since to get as many people as possible involved to stop bullying all over the world. Their goal is to involve the nation to take action at the local level to create safe and supportive schools, give information on how to prevent bullying, and overall help create a world without bullying.
They work to inspire students to include everyone in the things they do at school, always choose kindness, and not be afraid to speak out against bullying. They also work to promote dialogue with teachers, students, and parents in hopes of preventing bully incidents from falling through the cracks and handling all situations appropriately. They have created T-shirts to wear, pledges for students to sign, and posters to be plastered at the schools so that everyone can know bullying is not tolerated and that it is simply not necessary.
National Today suggests that National Bully Prevention Month is so important because students feel safer at schools. This means parents don’t have to worry as much about how their student is being treated at school and teachers have more time to focus on teaching and not always having to stop bullying when they see it.
It also gives kids a sense of teamwork. Students, teachers, parents, and school administrators all get together (especially during this month) and do what they can to prevent bullying. The kids see not only how important it is to stop bullying, but also what can be accomplished when working together. Finally, it also gives back-to-school a whole new meaning. In October, the school year is still new (new friends, new classes), and National Bully Prevention Month really sets the tone to have a great bully-free year!
If you and your student want to participate in this, it is not too late. National Today suggests having your student practice empathy:
- Have them reach out to new students this month or kids who look like they are struggling.
- Have them invite them to have lunch with them or play at recess; any simple act of kindness can go a long way.
- And of course, if your student sees or experiences bullying, have them report it right away. The more students that come together, the less likely bullying will continue; the more the word gets out, the better everyone will be.
If you or anyone you know is bullied, called the Child Advocate at The Safe Place at 501-354-1884. You can also call the Crisis Line at 1-888-554-2501 or the Perryville location at 501-889-2030.
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