Unity Day Guide: A New Resource to Combat Bullying
As a child growing up with cerebral palsy, I remember what it was like to be bullied. Classmates pointed and stared at my awkward gate. Children and parents, whether out of fear or misunderstanding, said deeply hurtful things to me. It’s hard—being different.
I persevered for one reason: because of my friends—a core support system of classmates, coaches and teachers who were empathetic to the challenges I faced, who got to know me for me, and not for the surface physical differences between us.
October is National Bullying Awareness Month—and that’s good. Because we, as educators and community leaders, are in desperate need of some introspection on the topic. Across the country, students are struggling to overcome the sting and hurt of mental and physical abuse.
Our schools are supposed to be sanctuaries, safe havens where children are empowered to learn and grow and achieve uncommon success in spite of personal struggle. But when statistics tell us that nearly one in four children has been bullied in school or that 64 percent of schoolchildren who are bullied do not report the incident to a parent or educator out of fear, we know our schools are in need of a serious course correction.
Time to make change
That work starts with teaching students and parents and teachers to be kind to one another. As Rob Ellis, founder and chief executive of the national advocacy group Stomp Out Bullying poignantly reminds us, “If children are not taught empathy, then bullying will continue to be pervasive in our schools.”
To help in the fight against bullying, we recently released The School Leader’s Definitive Guide to Bullying Prevention.
In this brief guide, you’ll learn:
- How school districts in states such as New York and South Carolina are amplifying student voice and feedback to beat back bullying in their local communities.
- Signs to watch for when students feel threatened or are at risk of being bullied.
- Practical solutions to help you systematically eradicate the plague of physical and verbal abuse in your schools.
It’s no coincidence that we chose to release the guide on Unity Day 2016. On this day, schools across the country stand together (in orange) to conquer bullying with kindness and inclusion. We hope this guide helps in that fight.
Let’s band to together to stop bullying this day—and every day. Are you with me?
Get The School Leader’s Definitive Guide to Bullying Prevention.