National Bullying Prevention Month: The End of Bullying Begins with You
October is best known for being Breast Cancer Awareness month, and what an important cause to support this month. But did you know that October marks another very important month - Bullying Prevention Month.
So alongside my "Go Pink" bracelet I also have my "Choose Orange" bracelet to support Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center, because bullying happens everyday, and not just in our schools. We hear of bullying happening to children at schools and over the internet, but bullying is even going on amongst adults at the workplace.
Unfortunately, recent bullying statistics show that bullying is on the rise among young adults, teens, and children. Because of the wide-spread amount of bullying it is important for parents and teachers to check in with their children often. This means teachers, parents, siblings, friends, and community members getting involved. Everyone can become more active in your community by becoming involved in raising awareness. Here are some ideas on how to engage your community to spread the word about bullying awareness.
Sign up your school or organization as a Champion Against Bullying - Add your name to “The End of Bullying Begins With Me” petition
- Talk with your local media about bullying prevention and the activities happening in your own community
- Hold a community event
- Spread the word on social media
- Visit the ACT section of TeensAgainstBullying
We can create change by acting as role models to our children. Advise them to speak up if they see bullying going on at school. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable and make sure your children know how to get help. Encouraging children to get involved in special activities, and hobbies that can boost their confidence and help protect them from bullying behavior. Making a choice to prevent bullying through kindness, compassion and positivity can make a big difference in our children's lives.
"The culture of bullying wont end until people across the country take action and show kids that they care, national Bullying Prevention Month is a great opportunity to do that. This is a very real and painful issue that kids are facing but they don't have to face it alone. Bullying can be prevented if we all work together to change the culture," says Julie Hetzog, director of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, and I couldn't agree more.
PACER'S National Bulling Prevention message is: The End of Bulling Begins with You. Everyone has a voice, so lets use it to raise awareness and to help stop this terrible epidemic from growing.
You can learn more about bullying prevention and on how to become more involved in spreading bullying awareness by visiting these sites: StopBullying.gov -- Pacer.org
Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.