October seems to be the month of awareness, most noticeably, it is currently Breast Cancer Awareness Month. When you look around, all you seem to see is pink for Breast Cancer, however, it is not October’s only worthy cause. This week I will bring you a few causes that have designated October their awareness month. These issues impact our children, yet have been overlooked across the country. The first of such October causes is National Bullying Prevention Month.
National Bullying Prevention Month is dedicated to promoting awareness of the depth of the problem across the United States and bring an end to the needless suffering and abuse of children and teens. According to 2010’s bullying statistics, around 2.7 million students are bullied each year by about 2.1 million students.
“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 conceived and organizes the month-long campaign.
Bullying is not just a domestic problem, but a global problem, and one that plagues both boys and girls at disheartening levels. Bullying often leads to the extreme case of suicide, as I have recently written in the posts Mother Pushes Congresswoman to Denounce Anti-Gay Bullying and Bullying is Abuse. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents around the world. Reporting on a wide range of developing countries, the WHO’s Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study: international report from 2001/2002 survey found that between 20% and 65 % of school-aged children reported having been verbally or physically bullied in the past 30 days.
World Health Organization Health Behavior in School-aged Children 2001/2002 survey data for bullying in 13 year old girls and boys
(a) Percentage of children who bullied others 2 or more times in previous months
All month across the U.S. a PSA featuring National Bullying Prevention Month’s official “Spokes-Pumpkin” will be shown at movie theaters, on local television, and on the web to encourage kids who encounter bullying to “SPEAK UP, REACH OUT, AND BE A FRIEND.”
Spookley the Square Pumpkin the movie, in conjunction with Kidtoons, will also be screened in more than 185 theaters in 35 states, as well as children’s museums across the United States and Canada, from October 1st – October 31st. To find a theater near you and show times, please visit www.kidtoonfilms.com.
Please also see my previous posts, Cyber Bullying and Bring an End to Cyber Bullying.
If you are a child or teen facing bulling please do not be afraid and report the abuse to a trusted adult right away or contact one of the following Crisis Hotlines for help.
Please also see the following resources and lists: Stopping Bullies: Cyber bullying and Digital Citizenship for Classrooms, Books for Children and Parents of Victims of Abuse and Links for Abused Children and Parents
