National Stop Bullying Day – October 12, 2022, history, significance
National Stop Bullying Day, which falls on the second Wednesday in October, schoolchildren, their teachers and their parents spend time learning about bullying and recognizing how they can prevent it. It calls on schools and organizations to bring together children, educators, and parents for the sake of preventing bullying situations.
Bullying can come in many forms, and victims can feel helpless or unsure of how to stop the situation. While bystander intervention is an effective way to stop bullying in real-time, understanding how it can be prevented can be even more important.
History of Day Of Bullying Prevention
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Bullying has existed probably as long as humans have, but in 2007 two young men by the names of David Shepherd and Travis Price decided that they’d simply had enough. On the first day of school, a day like any other as you may imagine, a student by the name of Jadrien Cota had made a vital error for a young boy starting off a school year. This mistake?
He’d worn a pink shirt. It took almost no time at all for a group of bullies to notice the color of his shirt, and they immediately started giving him a hard time about it. Observing this, David and Travis decided to take a stand. They went home and purchased 50 pink shirts and handed them out at school the next day, encouraging everyone to take a stand against bullying.
It didn’t take long for this practice to catch on and start to spread around the world, in 2008 Gordon Campbell, the Premier of British Columbia, proclaimed a provincial anti-bullying day. It continued to spread until 2012, when the United Nations took this celebration and pushed it one step further, turning it into an Anti-Bullying campaign on a global scale.
NATIONAL STOP BULLYING DAY TIMELINE
1970
First Bullying Research
The first systematic bullying research was conducted by Dr Olweus in 1970.
2005
STOMP Program Created
Created in 2005, the STOMP program is dedicated to eradicating cyberbullying. It also raises awareness of homophobia, racism, and more.
2006
Federal Guidance on Harassment
While not explicitly a cyberbullying law, the federal law passed in 2006 made it a crime to abuse or harass someone online.
2008
California’s Law Against Cyberbullying
In 2008, California passed the nation’s first law against the emerging threat of cyberbullying.
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5 IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BULLYING
1 in 5 students have been bullied
Of schoolchildren between 12 and 18, 1 in 5 reported being bullied in school.
It heavily affects 6th graders
The grade in which children more commonly report bullying is 6th grade – 31%.
Bullying is less likely to be reported in high school
Less than 40% of high schoolers told an adult about incidences of bullying at any time.
It has caused kids to skip school
According to one shocking statistic, around 160,000 teens have skipped school due to bullying.
Bystanders absolutely can end bullying
When a peer bystander intervenes, the bullying situation ends in over half of the cases.
How to celebrate World Day of Bullying Prevention
Taking a stand against bullying is, in part, an act of vigilance that starts at home. Think about the behaviors you engage in and the light-hearted teasing you do with your co-workers, classmates, and friends. Is it possible that what you see as harmless is in fact being perceived as a damaging and malicious act?
Do you observe bullying going on around you? Stand up and tell the offender to stop and be a champion for the person being bullied. Spread information about what can happen as a result of bullying and be sure to really listen to your kids and friends if they’re complaining about how they’re treated in school. Bullying is a serious problem, and World Day of Bullying Prevention is our opportunity to take a stand against it and stomp it out.