Kids can be cruel, and in the digital age, that cruelty can escalate to a whole new level with devastating consequences as children use not just physical force or ugly words, but also social media and cell phones in a negative way. October is PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month and today, Wednesday, October 9th, is Unity Day, where we wear the color orange and say “Make it Orange, and Make it End! Unite against bullying!” Looking away, ignoring the problem, and silence are not the answer; awareness is.
Did you know that more than 160,000 U.S. students stay home from school each day out of fear of being bullied? Bullying directly affects a student’s ability to learn and contributes to a decline in grades, self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth – all issues with lifelong consequences. Bullied students often complain of things like headaches, stomachaches, depression, anxiety and more. If communities of parents, students, and teachers lead by example and discussion, working together to raise awareness, we can stamp out bullying, so no child will feel alone, unsafe, or threatened.
Parents may find books like Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer’s Raising Confident Boys: 100 Tips for Parents and Teachers and Raising Confident Girls: 100 Tips for Parents and Teachers useful tools to help give their children what they need as they navigate decisions about their behavior and how to conduct themselves in combination with their hormones and growing sense of self. The Museum of Tolerance in New York City also offers anti-bullying programs, which you can read more about HERE.
We have the power to effect change. Every child should be smiling. Spread the word today.
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