October is National Bullying Prevention Month

Join the movement!

Communities nationwide are urged to plan for National Bullying Prevention Month, held in Oactober, and take an active role in the movement against bullying by using PACER resources. PACER created the campaign in 2006, when it was a one week event in October and in 2010 evolved to the entire month of October.

During the event—and throughout the year—you are encouraged to use the creative resources here to engage, educate, and inspire others to join the movement.

New events in 2011 included:

Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying - PACER hosted the second annual Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying on Oct. 1 in Minnesota. Individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations also held their own Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying event in their communities using PACER’s free toolkit. The toolkit shows how to plan a Run, Walk, Roll in five easy steps and includes tips, ideas, and resources.

Unity Day: “Make it Orange and Make it End” - Thousands joined the movement this year to “Make it orange and make it end!” and unite against bullying. Students united against bullying on Unity Day by wearing the color orange, using PACER resources, handing out orange “UNITY” ribbons at school, or writing the word “UNITY” on their hands or binders. Facebook partnered with PACER by posting information about PACER activities on its safety, educator, and privacy pages during October.

Unity Dance Day - Students across the nation came together in song and dance to raise awareness for bullying prevention by organizing a Unity Dance Day. Schools and community organizations used the Unity Dance Day in PACER’s online toolkit. The toolkit includes the designated song for the dance, the choreographed dance moves, and additional materials and resources.

Other exciting opportunities:

Whether you are an educator, student, family, or individual you can take an active role during the month, ideas include:

• Sign up as a National Partner (national organizations) or Champion Against Bullying(schools, local organizations)
• Add your name to the digital “The End of Bullying Begins With Me” petition
• Talk with your local media about bullying prevention and the activities happening in your own community
• Order bullying prevention bookmarks
• Share your story, poem, artwork or video
• Hold a community event
• Tell why “you care about bullying prevention”
• Spread the word on social media
• Use PACER’s creative classroom toolkits to raise awareness
• Visit the ACT section of TeensAgainstBullying

“The culture of bullying won’t end until people across the country take action and show children and teens that they care,” says Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, which sponsors the month.

“This is a very real and painful issue that kids are facing,” Hertzog says. “But they don’t have to face it alone, and bullying can be prevented if we all work together to change the culture.”

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center provides creative and interactive resources that are designed to benefit all students, including students with disabilities. Middle and high school students can visit PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org and elementary school students PACERKidsAgainstBullying.org for additional ideas on how they can take action against bullying.