October is National Bullying Prevention Month

October was first declared National Bullying Prevention Month in 2006 to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.   

The US Department of Health and Human Services defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying can be verbal, social, physical, or cyber and can lead to school avoidance, loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression.  The National Child Traumatic Stress Network reports that 1 in 5 high school students are bullied in the United States. The NCTSN also provides facts on the relationship between trauma and bullying indicating the importance of addressing both bullying and trauma.  

October 2, 2023, is World Day of Bullying Prevention!  Stomp Out Bullying encourages us to join in solidarity to stop bullying and cyberbullying by wearing blue that day and throughout the month. They are offering an "Unapologetically Kind" blue shirt for purchase or you can just wear your own blue shirt. 

The Pacer Center provides a 4-week activity kit that can be used in K-12 classrooms to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying. There are weekly themes and you can download guides, activity books, and posters to engage students. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools implemented the "Say Something" Anonymous Reporting System. Say Something is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise (SHP). This system is designed for use by students in grades 6-12 and provides three reporting platforms (mobile app, website, 24/7 phone hotline) to submit tips, and a crisis center to examine and triage those tips.  

Students can submit a tip through the online Say Something system by visiting www.saysomething.net directly, or navigate from the district and schools' website homepages by clicking the W-S/FCS Say Something page.  The free app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store. Students can also submit tips through the hotline by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW (1-844-572-9669).

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will continue to operate the Bully Patrol anonymous reporting system for elementary students. The phone number and electronic reporting system information can be found on elementary school websites. 

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