National Bullying Prevention Month (NBPM) is an important time to elevate the conversation about addressing and preventing bullying among K-12 grade children and youth. PACER founded NBPM in 2006 as a week-long event; it became a month-long one in 2010.
Park Elementary students will observe Kindness Week October 2-6
Bullying is the aggressive use of power, targeting another person or group of people with repeated, unwanted words or actions, hurting them emotionally or physically. Bullying impacts the education, health, and safety of K-12 youth.
“The negative effects of bullying can last a lifetime,” said Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “Calling out bullying behavior and supporting those who are bullied can make a big difference for those who experience bullying.”
Unity Day, started by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center as the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month continues to grow every year as a tangible representation of the universal message that our society wants to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying.
On the third Wednesday of October, plan to support the event by participating in the simple call to action—wear and share the color orange.
Why unity? For years, bullying was justified with expressions such as, “Bullying is a natural part of childhood,” “Bullying makes kids tougher,” or “Bullying is a rite of passage.” The goal of Unity Day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community
Why the color orange? Unity Day is celebrated in October, and orange is a color commonly identified with the month and the autumn season. It is also a color that is associated with safety and visibility. It is a color described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement.
Why just a day? The event provides a catalyst for everyone to come together with a visual statement that our actions matter not only on one day but every day.
One young student shared that he wished Unity Day could be every day. When asked why he replied: “So that every day everyone would be nicer to me and to each other.”
What you need to know:
- Bullying is a common form of violence for youth. One in five students report they have been bullied; chances are, this is happening to a young person you know and care about. The issue affects not only the youth who are bullied, but those who witness it say the behavior impacts them as well. Witnesses to bullying report feeling less safe, helpless to stop it, and intimidated. Plus, youth who bully are at a greater risk for adverse physical or emotional health or issues with the legal system.
- Laws and policies govern bullying prevention and intervention. Every state has bullying prevention legislation and most schools have bullying prevention policies.
- Bullying can happen anywhere. It not just a school issue; bullying can happen wherever youth come together: youth groups, athletic and academic competitions, neighborhoods, and online.
- Ignoring bullying will not make it go away. Silence and inaction are not acceptable responses to bullying. Everyone needs to be empowered with options for responding to bullying situations.
- A unified message helps amplify the conversation. It is important to reinforce the message that all students deserve to feel safe and supported and to promote acting with kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
- Everyone’s actions matter: we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. It’s vital for adults to know how to respond, to be there for those involved in bullying situations, to hold youth accountable for bullying behavior, and to support and educate youth about how to advocate for themselves and for others.
National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to:
- Encourage our nation to take action at the local level to create safe and supportive schools, communities, and online environments
- Offer information and education, with tangible steps to address and prevent bullying
- Provide a platform to host school and community events
- Share bullying prevention information through news media, social media, videos, and print publications
- Speak with education and public policy leaders about their role 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 promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to help prevent bullying
- Help create a world without bullying
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers age-appropriate resources to help students, parents, educators, and community members address bullying. The message is stronger when united by the common belief that bullying is wrong and shouldn’t happen to anyone. Opportunities to get involved include:
- Be informed. Watch the video overview of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month, created in 2021 by Medha, a student from Virginia.
- Take action. Learn ways you can get involved through activities, conversation or education.
- Inspire youth. Use the four-week student activity kit featuring theme weeks and classroom projects to promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion
- Share information. Color our virtual world with a collection of downloadable promotional images
- Celebrate Unity Day, the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, with a simple call to action to wear and share the color orange to send a universal message that bullying is never acceptable. Order a free Unity Day poster or purchase the official Unity Day t-shirt.
For more information about National Bullying Prevention Month, visit our innovative websites for parents and professionals, middle and high school students, and elementary students.