History - National Bullying Prevention Month

A month long event to prevent childhood bullying—and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

National Bullying Prevention Month is a campaign in the United States founded in 2006 by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Initially held the first week in October, the event was expanded in 2010 to the entire month.

PACER developed the initial campaign, National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week, to raise awareness about bullying. Historically, bullying had been viewed as “a childhood rite of passage” that “made kids tougher,” but the reality has always been that bullying can leave devastating and often long-term effects such as a loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression for those involved. PACER reached out to the community through partnerships with education-based organizations such as the National PTA, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association to provide schools, parents and students with the educational resources and support to better respond to bullying behavior. The National Bullying Prevention Center laid the groundwork so that National Bullying Prevention Month is now a nationwide call to action around educating communities as to their roles in bullying prevention. This initiative has helped shift thinking away from bullying as “rite of passage” and toward the knowledge that bullying can be prevented and stopped through education and awareness.

National Bullying Prevention Month is recognized in communities across the United States, with hundreds of schools and organizations signing on as partners. Facebook, Disney, Instagram, CNN, TLC and Yahoo! Kids and many others have supported the month through media outreach and dissemination.

History of National Bullying Prevention Month | PACERTalks About Bullying: Season 3, Ep. 4

History

October 2023 | National Bullying Prevention Month

With many students and educators returning to school, most participated in person.

Special Event

• NBPC staff held a webinar attended by 200 individuals

PACER’s NBPC featured materials for National Bullying Prevention Month including:

• New! Build CommUNITY Kit, which contains interactive and visually appealing resources designed to engage participants to respond to the question, “how can you help build COMMUNITY?”

Materials and Merchandise

• 10K Unity Day T-shirts
• 13K Unity Day posters ordered

October 2022 | National Bullying Prevention Month

During a time of transition from remote classroom to in-person classes; students, educators and community members participated both in person and online.

Special Events

• NBPC staff presented keynote address at Palm Spring, CA event
• Cartoon Network’s Stop Bullying, Speak Up partners to on the Redraw Your World Without Bullying campaign

PACER’s NBPC featured materials for National Bullying Prevention Month including:

• New Unity Day poster
• Four-week Student Activity Kit
• Share Your Opinion polls released twice a week

Materials and Merchandise

• 9.5K Unity Day T-shirts
• 11K Unity Day posters ordered

October 2021 | National Bullying Prevention Month

During the time of COVID-19, distance learning, and social separation students, educators and community members participated both in person and online.

Online Reach

• 1.34B Potential outreach during October 2021
• 584K Facebook impressions; 17K Twitter impressions; 26K Instagram impressions
• 280K Number of visits to PACER.org/Bullying
• 14.8K Individual signatures to PACER’s pledge
• 17.5M Google results for National Bullying Prevention Month
• 1.9M Google results for PACER

PACER’s NBPC released new materials for National Bullying Prevention Month including:

• Animated, student-created PSA (21K views in October)
• Four-week Student Activity Kit
• Share Your Opinion polls released twice a week
• Daily prompt reflection questions
• New episode of Carmen’s Corner focused on Unity

Materials and Merchandise

• 8.7K Unity Day T-shirts
• 10.2K Unity Day posters ordered

October 2020 | National Bullying Prevention Month

During the time of COVID-19, distance learning, and social separation students, educators and community members participated both in person and online.

Searches:

• 16M Google results for National Bullying Prevention Month
• 1.4M Google results for PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month
• 11.3K Queries for Unity Day and #UnityDay2020 directed to Unity Day module

Social Media Reach:

• 720K Facebook impressions
• 75K Twitter impressions
• 9K Instagram reach

October 2019 | National Bullying Prevention Month

• Cartoon Network’s Stop Bullying, Speak Up partners to offer the interactive Include Someone, Make A Difference website, along with the official Include Someone Kit, with materials for up to 50 elementary students to encourage inclusive acts
• Planet Fitness’s Judgement Free Generation partners to offer Students with Solutions initiative to help educators creatively engage their students in bullying prevention through art, writing, videos, graphic design, and photos
• The official “Choose Kindness, Acceptance, & Inclusion” t-shirt is revealed with sales reaching 10,000
• Instagram partners to create a new Teen Poster Series bringing to life creative ideas from Instagram’s Teen Bullying Prevention Design Workshop
• The NBPM Poster Series is launched

October 2018 | National Bullying Prevention Month

• Cartoonists with King Features Syndicate (a division of Hearst Publishing) united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Kings Features and Popeye.
• Anne Arundel County School District in Maryland is sent a powerful message of unity, with the entire district celebrating Unity Day together using NBPC’s resources, including 900 NBPC Unity Day posters to display in its 128 schools!
• Almost 2000 posts to #UnityDay2018 on Instagram
• Many celebrities including Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripka, Ginger Zee, cast members of “The Rookie” and “A Million Little Things,” and performer Elliana Walmsley supported by wearing orange.
• The cast of “The View” spoke about Unity Day, everyone wore orange including shoes, earrings and blazers!
• Disney showed a special screening of the Disney/Pixar animated short “Lou”. It was featured on Disney.com and available to watch for free on Unity Day.

October 2017 | National Bullying Prevention Month

• Disney created a new PSA, called Judy’s Journey As Told By Emoji, which is focused on choosing Kindness and features Zootopia characters.
• Disney talent wore orange on Unity Day, including cast members on the View, Felicity Huffman, Forrest Wheeler and cast from Fresh Off the Boat, cast from General Hospital, and more.
• Babble, an online magazine and blog network courtesy of Disney, shared three new blog posts in October focused on bullying, in partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
• TLC partners with PACER for the Give A Little TLC campaign. As part of this, TLC created a nationally aired PSA with ‘The Little Couple’ talking about bullying prevention and featuring PACER’s information.
• Clarisonic partners with PACER to launch #CleanTheMean campaign, focused on uncovering personal confidence and building it within others can help everyone prevent bullying and spread positivity.
• Wonder’s official “Choose Kind” shirt is sold through Omaze with every shirt sold benefitting PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
• StopBullying.gov, the federal government website on bullying prevention, shared a newsletter with more information on National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day.

October 2016 | National Bullying Prevention Month

• Celebrating 10 year (2006-2016) anniversary!

• StopBullying.gov celebrates 10 years with an anniversary blog.
• OH MY DISNEY celebrates #ChooseKindness with this video featuring clips from favorite Disney moments to the tune of “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.”
• Miami Dolphins host Hometown Huddle in partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
• Loserville and cast celebrate Unity Day!

October 2015 | National Bullying Prevention Month

PACER partners with:

• Disney to produce a public service announcement titled “You are Braver, Stronger and Smarter Than You Think.”
• TLC on Unity Day, which turned its logo orange and TLC celebrity talent spoke out about bullying prevention.
• YouTube sensation Bethany Mota for a media tour and event at Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minn.

October 2014 | National Bullying Prevention Month

PACER partners with:

• Disney’s “Choose Kindness” campaign. “Choose Kindness” was a bullying prevention campaign created by Disney ABC Television Group's efforts to encourage children and parents across the nation to help put an end to bullying by choosing kindness.
• Nick Vujicic on raising awareness about bullying through PSA’s and social media.
•  Facebook and Instagram to create a guide to help parents talk with their 13-year-old about online safety.
• TLC on Unity Day, which turned its logo orange and TLC celebrity talent spoke out about bullying prevention.

See More 2014 Highlights

October 2013 | National Bullying Prevention Month

PACER partners with:

• Green Giant to RAISE A GIANT, an open letter writing campaign for parents and to develop the student centric movement, THE WE WILL GENERATION
• Disney and ABC Family on nationally aired PSA's.
• Facebook Safety to promote events and resources

October 2012 | National Bullying Prevention Month

PACER partners with:

• Disney at event at Mall of America featuring "Next Big Thing"
• Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper recognize UNITY Day by going orange
• Stopbullying.gov, the federal government’s bullying prevention website, explores the history of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Month
• Hollywood Teens Bring PACER Message to Shine from Yahoo!

October 2011 | National Bullying Prevention Month

National partners included PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, National PTA, American Federation for Teachers, National School Climate Center (Bully Bust), National Education Association - NEA, National Association of State Directors of Special Education and many more!

Special events included:

• PACER's second annual Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying. Other organizations around the country hold their own Run, Walk, Rolls using PACER's free online toolkit.
• UNITY DAY With a call to action to "Make it orange, make it end, unite against bullying". Ellen DeGeneres wears orange to show her support.
• UNITY DANCE DAY Students around the country participate in PACER's first UNITY DANCE DAY, using music and dance to show support of those who are bullied.

October 2010 | National Bullying Prevention Month

The fifth annual event grows from a week to a month with October designated National Bullying Prevention Month which unites communities nationwide to raise awareness of bullying prevention. The event is expanded to include free, downloadable activities, education, and awareness building for the entire month and the message is realigned to engage, educate and inspire other to join the movement. Educators, students, families, and individuals who care about students access the tools to address bullying in their school, recreational program, and community organizations. Over 700 partners and champions joined PACER Center against bullying join the cause. Yahoo! Kids features the campaign on their site for the third year and Facebook, Demi Lovato and PACER partner to reach millions on a cyberbullying prevention message. The month is featured on CNN's Anderson Coopers Town Hall meetings. Ellen DeGeneres lists PACER Center as a bullying prevention resource on her website along with several other national media resources, such as CNN.com.

2009, Oct. 4 -10 | National Bullying Prevention Week

The fourth annual National Bullying Prevention Week was held Oct. 4 - 10, 2009. The campaign title is condensed and retitled to "National Bullying Prevention Week". The mission of the week is realigned to encourage children, teens, adults, schools, and communities across the country to partner with PACER Center to prevent bullying. The movement is being given a boost with the launch of—a relevant, edgy Website created by and for teens. In addition to videos, stories, blogs, and social networking, the site features a toolbox of things teens and schools can do to address bullying—from creating their own videos to performing role plays for younger students. Teen sensation, Demi Lovato, also becomes the spokesperson for PACER and the cause. A free, downloadable classroom toolkit is added to the campaign, along with interactive role plays. Over 300 partners sign for the event. Yahoo! Kids features the campaign on their site for the second year.

2008, Oct. 5 -11 | National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week

The third annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week was held Oct. 5 - 11, 2008. It was sponsored by PACER Center's National Center for Bullying Prevention. Cosponsors were the National PTA, National Education Association, American Federation for Teachers, National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, and School Social Work Association of America. Yahoo! Kids features the week long campaign on their website. Over 100 partners join the cause online.

2007, Oct. 21 - 27 | National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week

The second annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week was held Oct. 21 - 27, 2007. It was sponsored by PACER Center's National Center for Bullying Prevention. Cosponsors were the National PTA, National Education Association, American Federation for Teachers, National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, and School Social Work Association of America. Teachers, parents, and children nationwide are encouraged to increase community awareness about the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children. Activities and materials such as contests, toolkits, and online bullying prevention training are available.

2006, Oct. 22 - 28 | National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Empowers Schools, Parents to End Childhood Harassment

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week was held Oct. 22 - 28, 2006. It is sponsored by PACER Center and cosponsored by National PTA, National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, and National Education Association. Teachers, parents, and children nationwide were encouraged to use bullying prevention activities and materials at PACER's interactive, animated website for elementary school students to help end bullying.

"Childhood bullying is a significant problem nationwide," said Paula F. Goldberg, executive director of PACER, a national parent center located in Minnesota. "It can cause school absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and, in some cases, school violence. Statistics show that 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day as a result of being bullied. That's not acceptable. Teachers and parents can play a critical role in creating a climate where bullying is not tolerated. When adults and children stand together, bullying ends," Goldberg said.