October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month where organizations across the country including the City of Highland Park join together to "STOMP Out Bullying" by raising awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying and cyber-bullying on children of all ages.
It is the perfect time to pause and educate your family on specific ways to help stop bullying.
According to Stomp Out Bullying, kids can have an enormous impact on the bullying crisis. Whether they know the person being bullied or not, kids can stop standing by and STAND UP! To safely support a victim:
1. Don't laugh
2. Don't encourage the bully in any way
3. Stay at a safe distance and help the target get away
4. Don't become an "audience" for the bully
5. Reach out in friendship to a bullying victim
6. Help the victim in any way you can
7. Support the victim in private
8. If you notice someone being isolated from others, invite them to join you
9. Include the victim in some of your activities
10. Tell an adult if you see bullying or are bullied
11. Encourage your school to participate in bullying and cyber-bullying prevention
12. Start a peer mentoring group at school
13. Raise awareness of bullying and cyberbullying prevention in your community
14. Teach friends about being tolerant
15. Ask your school to set up a private ballot box where kids who are being bullied can report it anonymously
16. Get someone to sponsor a conflict resolution team
17. Encourage school administrators to adopt Internet-use policies that address online hate and harassment
18. Create events in your school and community to raise bullying prevention awareness
19. Create bullying and cyberbullying prevention posters
20. Stand up and do something when you hear someone making jokes or comments about someone's sexual identity, family member, weight, choice of dress, skin color, accent, or disability.