The theme of Bullying Awareness Week is Stand Up! (to bullying) and Be A Friend! These two messages, so simple, yet so powerful, have the ability to instill courage in a child being tormented at school or encourage a by-stander to step up and help. These messages can easily be shared in school, at a local playground or even in a work environment. It is through education and awareness that Bill Belsey, the founder of Bullying Awareness Week, believes we can begin to lower the numbers of those being bullied and help guide those who do the bullying to lead a better, more productive life.
Do you know that over 15% of the average school’s population or workplace environment are involved in bullying in some manner? That means that 85% of people are just standing by, keeping silent. Bullying Awareness Week aims to inform and enlighten this 85% so they can “be the change” and reverse the attitude for this, and for future generations to come, that bullying is an acceptable and normal part of growing up. It is a lofty goal, but so worthwhile and definitely achievable.
In order to keep the focus going for the entire week the Bullying Awareness Week website has daily ideas that we, as individuals, or groups like schools can do to promote the message to Stand Up! and Be A Friend. These suggestions range from having school assemblies with special guest speakers, like older kids who have been bullied and want to share their stories, to community leaders whose goal is to wipe out bullying in all of a town’s schools. Invite a police officer to share the dangers of cyber bullying or a local celebrity to show kids how they can celebrate their differences and not disparage others because of them. So much can be learned by listening to others.
I think my favorite suggestion from the Bullying Awareness Week website is to send, on Wednesday, November 19th, a text message to everyone you know with the following words, “Everyone has the right to be respected and the responsibility to respect others, in person AND online!” As someone who works in social media I know this message is not heard enough. For the sake of our children, who will never know what life was like without social media, we need this message to be shouted from the rooftops. Bullying via social media has almost eclipsed the traditional form of schoolyard bullying. As the generation responsible for the growth of social media we owe it to our children and future generations to come, to stop cyber bullying now.
Family.ca is also a huge advocate for Bullying Awareness Week and they are highlighting the issue by showing special programs all week. On the website you can watch the music video for “I’m Ready (Stand Up Edit)” the new Stand Up anthem by the band Eleven Past One! Family even has tip sheets that can be printed off and shared. The tips are geared towards kids, parents and teachers and share ideas on how to recognize and prevent bullying and actively Stand Up against it.
No matter what you do to celebrate Bullying Awareness Week nothing is too small. I am so proud to share that my eleven year old daughter Emily has been involved in Bullying Awareness for awhile now. Emily started the ABC (Anti-Bullying Club) in her school last year and has been working to keep it going. Emily, and several classmates, will be leading the school in prayers this week and sharing special announcements each day that emphasize the importance of being a good friend.
For inspiration on how you can get involved in Bullying Awareness Week check out their website or visit Family.ca. It’s time for us all to Stand Up! and Be A Friend. 🙂
FT&PD
Suz
I am so glad this subject is getting so much attention these days. Hopefully the awareness will help us stop this damaging behaviour.
As a former high school teacher, Bullying Awareness Week is very important to me. Especially in high school, it can be hard as a teacher to intervene appropriately because so much of the bullying takes place outside of school (online, particularly).
That is the big different nowadays Lindsay, the cyber stuff. It is so scary to see the damage it can do, literally under our noses, but almost undetectable until it is too late.
Good write up Suzanne and I only hope that I would know when to get involved if ever the need arrives. Good Luck to Emily for her part this week in helping to “Stand Up and Be A Friend”
Thanks Mom 😉
I think it’s good to raise awareness so people can get the guts to step in and stop it. Every one goes through a little teasing every once in a while but when things get violent or extremely hurtful that is enough. People need to realize the line and stand up.
Awareness is the key to encouraging by standers to take a stand..
Bullying is something that I have always felt extremely strong about… even as a kid in elementary, I would have the grade 1 students come up to me and tell me when someone was bullying team (I was in grade 6). I wouldn’t bully back I would simply just tell them to leave the other alone and it usually worked. I hate seeing someone have to feel bad about themselves because of what another person says or does. We are all human and we all have feelings, unfortunately some lose sight of this.
Bullying is sad Amanda, I agree. Through the experiences of my daughter I can see how damaging little things can be because they build up and slowly eat us alive. It is horrible.
Yes this is an important issue! A lot of people suffer in silence, not able to gain solidarity with others who are victims as well. I agree with Maman Loup, cyber bullying also requires much attention.
Cyber bulling is the new way of sneaking around, not getting caught and it can be so damaging..
Bullies are the weakest of people because they need to feel people down just to feel strong. This is great as a lot of bullies and victims of bullying needs help.
As far as awareness goes, it is great. However, if the bullying is done silently/quietly/away from witnesses, raising awareness isn’t going to do anything.
I was bullied throughout school, but I suffered in silence. It wasn’t done openly but more through whispers in my ear, flicks, ‘accidental’ pushes. One girl slammed her chair into mine trapping my fingers.
It was all ‘accidental’.
That being said, the awareness of bullying needs to be kept at the forefront of everybody’s mind.
I am sorry that you had to endure that as a child Beth and you are so right. If nothing is know that awareness will not do much. But, i think if parents and caregivers are alert to the signs they will be able to spot a child in need and at least try to help. Awareness is never a bad thing.
If only our country has this program that caters to bullying in schools then, bullying cases can be minimized. I like the theme “Stand up! (to bullying) and Be a Friend! As if students are egged to reach out to someone and make friendship prosper.
Awesome attitude!
I do not know why bullies do what they do. Some kids really suffer physically and emotionally because of their cruel schoolmates. Sad reality that should make them stronger to face adversity in life, but sometimes it makes them more withdrawn.
Yes, it may make them stronger in the long run, but what a tough way to learn a lesson.
I am fortunate to have been surrounded by kind-hearted people back in my childhood days. And I do discourage bullying in the class. I do not support bullying because I can’t stand looking at a sad face of a kid.
This bullying subject should be taught at schools of all levels. And, the whole world must be aware of this topic to eradicate in our societies.
Schools can not lose site of how bullying can happen quickly, right under their noses.
Inspirational post! I was bullied when I was in high school so this is a topic thats very close to heart.
Thanks for reading Gillian 🙂
This post speaks right to my heart. I was bullied in elementary and high school and strive hard to speak to my kids and ensure they understand the effects of bullying.
thanks for reading Fariha. As tough as it is your kiddos will benefit from your experiences and so will their friends.
I have experienced bullying myself and it’s a sad experience I can still even recall how those days were. But I’m glad I have come to where I am right now at least when I’ll meet those bullies again, I could tell them I never allowed them to crush my spirit.
Excellent attitude Enzo, good for you!
Bullying is an important problem that needs to be addressed especially at the school level so that children learn to differentiate between right and wrong. This is a great initiative dear. 🙂
Thank you 😉
I have heard of different movements or initiatives to stop bullying but instead of lessening, for some reason, it has been growing. I guess we all need to unite to stop this act of cruelty. We need to help not only those victims but also those bullies because they might be acting such for a reason like family problem, etc. Though it’s not right to take it out on other people but kids are not matured enough to know that so focus groups and other community would be a big help to resolve this issue.
Louise I think it is growing because of social media. And since social media is here to stay we need to find ways to combat cyber bullying now, before it gets completely out of control.
It’s so important to being awareness on this subject. The damage done on a child because of bullying can leave him/ her scarred for life. I am glad a week has been dedicated to this.
Sometimes bullying are not just physical but psychological too… I was once ostracized by the whole class for the most ridiculous reason… It got me so depressed that I couldn’t sleep and cry all day!
Oh Tiffany, that is horrible! But you are right, the damage is instant in situations like this. I am glad to see you have not let it direct the rest of your life.
I was just having a conversation with my kid on this one. There was a boy in his class, always taunted by the GIRLS – to the point that the boys in the class felt a need to gather video proof of their mis-behaviour and report to the teachers. Certainly, awareness on tho subject is most important.
It shocks me how rotten girls can be to other girls. You would think they would ban together to help one another. Smart thinking on the boys part though to video tape them.
It really is terrifying at how much trauma bullying can inflict and I’m so glad there are events like this that try to address the issue.
As a parent, I can’t stress it enough that we must be advocates for our kids. Waiting for others to act is a dangerous game.
Thank you for your post! Bullying is horrid and we all need to take a stand against it!
I think bullies at school have become an universal problem. My daughter has also been bullied at school so I know what it is like and welcome the idea of the bullying awareness week.
I’m still bullied to this day, people don’t change! Kids maybe don’t know what they’re doing some times, but adults should definitely know better.
I cannot tahan bullies either.. Hope with the awareness week, everyone will aware about this problem!
Great information – too many kids are bullied, sometimes literally to death. So sad
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Thank you for this. My niece was bullied in her elementary school and instead of the principal standing up for her she was told to go to another school. I try so hard to teach my daughter about the effects of bullying and to stand up to one for herself or her friends or anyone she might see being bullied. I have also taught her that by standing around watching and doing nothing is just as bad as the bullies.
…I also know she loves your daughter and will always stick up for her cause that’s what friends are for.
It does seem like bullying is becoming a bigger issue, doesn’t it? Social media can have such devastating consequences…
This is such an Excellent Post, I am beyond Grateful that the whole image around “Bullying” is out there for everyone to read/hear about..It definitely Needs to be talked about with the kids in their classrooms more often than not..For me personally it’s Extremely hard to watch my youngest daughter always feel like she is left out of activities with all of the other kids in her classroom..And it’s all because she is a really, really Shy little girl..She has been that way ever since attending School,..To this day she hasn’t ever been invited out for a playdate or a sleepover at any of the kids’s homes ( she is tooo shy and feels embarrassed to ask anyone to come over to our home) I should probably mention that my youngest is 7.5 yrs old, so it’s not like this has been going on for a short period of time…Which is quite puzzling to us, as her two older sisters have been invited out for playdates & sleepovers at their friends homes plenty of times since they started School..I feel so saddened for her, and I have promised myself that if I ever find out that she is getting bullied that I won’t be sitting around and let it happen, I would go straight to the School to set-up a meeting between the teacher and the principal of the School….I am just really glad to see a few different people Blog’s that actually have a topic or two on Bullying and what to do about it if it is happening to you or your children. 🙂
Hello Amber, thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I know that it is very hard to talk about bullying because we don’t ever want to see our children suffer. I want you to know that you are not alone. The fact that you see what your daughter is going through already means you are on the ball. I pray she is not being bullied, but it is best to keep the lines of communication open as much as possible. My daughter has had these issues, on and off for a couple of years now. I am sure the school has my name on a list of parents who are a pain, but quite frankly, I don’t care. We are our childern’s best advocates and I would move heaven and earth to protect my kids. Good luck mama!