Key Messages and Talking Points

Everyone can share their voice to prevent bullying. Whether you’re a student, educator, parent, or community member, here are important points to know and emphasize when you conduct an interview, speak in front of a group, lead a class discussion, or talk with peers about bullying prevention.

Key Messages

National Bullying Prevention Month is a time for everyone to:

• UNITE: It is important to amplify the unified message that no one deserves to be bullied and all students deserve to feel safe and supported and to inspire everyone to act with kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
• RAISE AWARENESS: Talking about bullying prevention helps build understanding. All schools, organizations, and communities are encouraged to widely share and post information about how to prevent bullying in their communities. Partners will be listed on PACER’s bullying prevention website and will have access to resources to get involved at their schools or in their community.
• LEARN: It’s empowering to know what to do when you see or experience bullying. Everyone can access the free web-based resources that can be used by schools, parents, and students to better understand opportunities to prevent bullying. Educational opportunities include interactive websites, classroom toolkits, and contests.
• TAKE ACTION: Actions have impact. Educators can access and share the free toolkits for student-led activities and downloadable posters and other visual displays, as well as bookmarks and other promotional items. Parents can visit PACER’s bullying prevention websites with their children. Communities can participate in Unity Day or Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying events.

Talking Points

• More than one out of every five students will be bullied this year, chances are this is happening to someone you know and care about.
• Bullying is a community-wide issue that must no longer be ignored or thought of as a rite of passage.
• Every child has the right to feel safe and supported. Every state has bullying prevention legislation and most schools have bullying prevention policies.
• Bullying directly affects a student’s ability to learn. Students who are bullied often do not want to go to school. They may find it difficult to concentrate, show a decline in grades, and lose self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.
• Students who are bullied report more physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches, and mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, than other students.
• A focus on preventing bullying is important, as is promoting positive actions such as kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
• Bullying can be a factor leading to school violence and self-harm.
• Bullying affects witnesses as well as targets. Those who witness bullying often report feeling unsafe, helpless, and afraid that they will be the next target.
• Students who bully others can also be negatively affected by the behavior with higher rates of physical and emotional health issues.
• Bullying is not only devastating while it’s happening; research shows that the negative effects can last a lifetime.
• Students can be especially effective in bullying intervention. It’s important for adults to encourage youth to be supportive of anyone experiencing bullying and to educate youth on how to advocate for themselves and for others.
• Silence is not an acceptable response to bullying. Ignoring it won’t work. Everyone needs to be empowered with options for responding to bullying situations.
• Everyone’s actions matter; we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. Our message to others is stronger when we are united by the common principle that bullying is never acceptable.