Allie Wenskoski, Junior
Though October is National Bullying Prevention Month, it is important to have awareness of this issue all year long. The goal this year was to encourage schools, communities, and organizations to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying, and put an end to hatred and racism by increasing awareness of the impact of all forms of bullying. The World Day of Bullying Prevention this year was October 5, with #BlueUp being this year’s hashtag for awareness. The rest of the month would be categorized into weeks. The week of October 12th was Stand Up for Others Week. The week of October 19th was the Week of Inclusion. All week long was supported with #NoOneEatsAlone and #HereForYou. Finally, to end the month of awareness was Conversation Week on the week of October 26.
What is bullying? It is important to recognize what the problem is, before it can be corrected. Bullying is an aggressive behavior against someone that creates a severe unbalance of power. Usually bullying is repeated over and over again. Bullying can include threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or mentally, and exclusion. Bullying that occurs over technology is called cyberbullying.
How can you show your support to National Bullying Prevention Month? It is never too late. You can share information about the issue through social media, inspire kindness and inclusion in your day-to-day life, and sign the “Together Against Bullying” pledge. To help your school become more aware of the issue at hand, register your school as a Champion Against Bullying. Orange is also the color of National Bullying Prevention Month, so just wearing the color would show your support too.
Little steps can lead to big change. As the holidays come up and everyone is together, don’t forget to show your support to bullying prevention.
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