Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, a month where communities can band together to talk about and take action against bullying. Find out more about Bullying Prevention Awareness Month!

Bullying shouldn't be considered "a rite of passage."

The documentary 'Bully' showed how hurtful bullying can be

Wear orange on Unity Day, October 10th!
Courtesy of PACER

How It Got Started

National Bullying Prevention Month was started in 2006 by the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center to raise awareness about this important issue and what people can do about it. Communities, schools and individuals are encouraged to participate in understanding this problem and getting involved in outreach efforts and educating people. Businesses and organizations like Facebook, Yahoo!Kids and CNN have gotten involved to get the word out.

PACER was inspired to create the month as a way of showing people that bullying isn’t just a “rite of passage” for every kid, for some it can lead to terrible emotional, psychological and physical pain that no one should endure.

Unity Day

“Make it Orange and Make it End,” is the Unity Day slogan. This year Unity Day is on October 10^th, people are encouraged to wear the color orange on this day to show their solidarity with the bullying prevention cause, even Ellen DeGeneres got involved last year by wearing an orange anti-bullying shirt on her show! You can also hand out “unity” ribbons and buttons at your school or write “unity” on your binders to create awareness.

What Can I Do?

If you want to get involved with National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month you should let your parents, school and classmates know. There are lots of activities available via the Bullying Prevention Center, as well as group activities and discussions that you could easily organize in your class and among friends. Here are a few ideas for supporting the cause:

• Add you name to the digital "The End of Bullying Begins With Me" petition
• Wear orange on Unity Day
• Get people involved like friends and parents, try organizing an event (a Unity Dance, a bake sale for bullying charity, anything!)
• Encourage a discussion in your classroom
• Spread the word on your Facebook or Twitter

Have Your Say

Will you be doing anything for bullying prevention awareness week? Let us know in the comments section below.