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History - National Bullying Prevention Month

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

National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to:

  • Encourage the nation to take action at the local level to create safe and supportive schools
  • Offer information and education about how everyone can prevent bullying
  • Provide a platform to hold school and community events
  • Share information about the issue through news media, social media, videos, and print publications
  • Speak with education and public policy leaders about their roles in bullying prevention
  • Promote dialogue between educators, parents, and students on their roles in addressing and preventing bullying
  • Invite organizations to share information about their bullying prevention resources
  • Inspire everyone to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion
  • Help create a world without bullying

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

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

Materials and Merchandise

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

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

Materials and Merchandise

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

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

Materials and Merchandise

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:

Social Media Reach:

October 2019 | National Bullying Prevention Month

October 2018 | National Bullying Prevention Month

October 2017 | National Bullying Prevention Month

October 2016 | National Bullying Prevention Month