October 4, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Elm | 952-838-9000 or [email protected]
NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH CELEBRATES 18 YEARS THIS OCTOBER
MINNEAPOLIS: National Bullying Prevention Month, established in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC), returns this October to unite communities nationwide to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Over the past 18 years, this campaign has empowered millions to take action at the local level to hold school and community events that make a lasting impact on students, families, and educators.
“National Bullying Prevention Month is more than an awareness campaign, it’s a call to action,” said Lisa Elm, director of social inclusion programs at PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “Each October, we come together to shine a light on the serious issue of bullying, engage with communities, and offer valuable resources to help create safer environments for children. Bullying has long-term effects on a child’s education, health, and overall well-being, but together, we can change this narrative,” she added.
Facts about bullying
- Bullying is widespread: One in five students report being bullied, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and action.
- Bullying affects learning: Students who are bullied often struggle academically, experience lower self-esteem, and may face long-term mental and physical health issues.
- Bullying happens everywhere: Bullying can happen wherever youth come together, including at school, online, in youth groups, at athletic and academic competitions, and in neighborhoods.
- Bullying is a behavior, not an identity: It’s important to focus on actions rather than labeling children as bullies or victims. Labels can make children feel trapped in the bullying dynamic, hindering the possibility of change.
- Effective prevention requires a community approach: Getting students, parents, educators, and community members such as law enforcement, faith organizations, and action groups involved can help address the broader issues contributing to bullying.
Get involved this October
Community involvement is essential to the success of National Bullying Prevention Month. PACER’s NBPC provides a wide range of age-appropriate resources to help students, parents, educators, and community members prevent bullying. “Bullying affects everyone—it’s not just a school issue but a community issue,” Lisa said. “Sharing information through the news and social media and accessing NBPC’s online and print resources can mobilize audiences of all ages to learn about bullying and take actionable steps to prevent it.”
National Bullying Prevention Month offers many opportunities to take action:
- Access free resources: Find extensive online resources to engage children, teens, and adults in bullying prevention activities, in the classroom or in the community, at PACER.org/bullying.
- Celebrate Unity Day: Join the signature event of the month on Wednesday, October 16, by wearing and sharing the color orange as a symbol of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Order a free Unity Day poster to show your support and post your photos to #UnityEveryDay.
- Support the cause: Purchase the official orange signature Unity Day T-shirt or donate directly by visiting PACER.org/bullying. Your support matters! Thank you for making a difference in creating safer environments for all students.
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