Bullying Prevention: Fostering Safe and Supportive Communities for All Children

Bullying can happen anytime, anywhere, at any age. For children, it can happen before, during, or after school hours, in the classroom, on the playground, on the school bus, and through text messages and social media platforms. Bullying impacts physical and emotional health, compromises safety and well-being, and negatively impacts learning.

According to StopBullying.gov, which provides information from various government agencies on bullying, cyberbullying, warning signs, risk factors, prevention, and response,“Bullying affects all youth, including those who are bullied, those who bully others, and those who witness bullying.”

Bullying is an adverse childhood experience, and the effects of bullying may continue into adulthood.

So, what is bullying, and how can we prevent it?

The American Psychological Association defines bullying as "a form of aggressive behavior—physical contact, words, or more subtle actions—in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort."

Bullying does not discriminate. There is not a single profile of a young person involved in bullying. Those who bully can be either socially connected or marginalized, and they may be bullied or have experienced being bullied by others as well. 

There are three types of bullying:

1. Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions, including hitting, kicking, pinching, spitting, tripping, pushing, taking or breaking someone’s things, and making mean or rude hand gestures.
2. Verbal bullying, either in person or online, involves saying or writing mean things, including teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, and threatening to cause harm.
3. Social bullying, also known as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships, including leaving someone out on purpose, telling others not to be friends with someone, spreading rumors about someone, and embarrassing someone in public.

How to Prevent Bullying

Both at home and at school, caring and trusted adults can play a significant role in preventing bullying and fostering environments and communities that are safe and supportive for all children. Some strategies for parents, teachers, counselors, and coaches include:

• Helping children understand bullying and how to stand up to it safely;
• Keeping the lines of communication open by checking in with children often, listening to them, knowing their friends, asking about school, and understanding their concerns;
• Encouraging children to do what they love, such as special activities, interests, and hobbies, so they can build confidence, make friends, and protect themselves from bullying behavior; and
• Modeling how to treat others with empathy, kindness, and respect.

Proactive behaviors, such as self-reflection, positive affirmations, pausing to think before speaking or acting, and offering compliments to others, can help minimize the occurrence of bullying. For bullying that is already occurring, a bystander can make a positive impact by becoming an upstander, someone who intervenes, interrupts, or speaks up to stop the bullying.

National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a month-long National Bullying Prevention Center campaign to unite children, parents, teachers, businesses, organizations, and community members in taking action against bullying and promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in school, online, and in the community.

The Howard School participates in Unity Day, the signature annual event of National Bullying Prevention Month, which takes place in October. On Unity Day, community members come together in a giant message of hope and support, proudly wearing and sharing (through social media) orange to color our nation, and even the world, to visibly show that our society believes no child should ever experience bullying.

“At The Howard School, we practice kindness and respect, seek a spirit of partnership, honor our humanity, and celebrate our differences,” explains Howard's Middle and High School counselors, Kyri Harris, M.S., LPC, NCC, and Ashley Zomalt, M.A., PPSC.

“The counseling team plays a vital role in supporting students and families impacted by bullying. Using a variety of school-based strategies, we empower students to speak up and report bullying to trusted adults, encouraging open communication and self-advocacy, and help students reflect upon their own behavior, promoting empathy and accountability.”

Unity Day is one of the many school-wide activities and traditions at The Howard School to promote bullying prevention, conflict resolution, and social-emotional skill development. Throughout the year, the counseling team partners with the broader school community to assess feelings of safety, security, and belonging, while also working to ensure that effective, evidence-based policies, practices, and procedures are in place. Counselors also offer individual counseling to students who may require more personalized support.

These efforts aim to create a safer, kinder, and more inclusive environment where every student can thrive.

Additional Resources on Bullying

• www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts
• www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm
• www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day
• www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/about-bullying.html
• www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-is-bullying

The Howard School is a private K-12 school in Atlanta serving students with one or more of the following learning differences: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, auditory processing disorder, executive functioning challenges and attention deficit disorder.

To learn more about whether The Howard School is a good fit for your child, complete our inquiry form. Our team will reach out to connect with you and schedule a guided tour of campus.