Encourage Community Members to Tackle Bullying During October

In today's digital age, bullying has become a pervasive issue that affects many students. To support your patrons in navigating this challenge, it's essential to connect with your local Health and Wellness sales representative. They can provide you with trusted, stigma-free resources to help your students understand bullying and emotional health.

Our company, Health and Wellness, offers a curated collection of reader-friendly resources designed to help families comprehend what bullying looks like, its effects on emotional well-being, and how to respond.

Bullying is not just a single incident but a pattern of behaviour where someone intentionally harms, intimidates, or tries to control another person through repeated mistreatment. It thrives on an imbalance of power. Signs of bullying behaviour include admission to feeling bad after interactions, repeated mistreatment of a particular peer through online or in-person comments, exclusion of others, a defensive or dismissive attitude when called out on hurtful behaviour, and justification of unkind actions by calling them "jokes" or "drama".

On the other hand, signs of someone experiencing bullying include a pattern of losing or damaging personal belongings with vague or inconsistent explanations, unexplained drops in grades or participation, unexplained physical complaints, mental health concerns, sudden changes in friend groups or frequent isolation during group activities, a noticeable drop in self-confidence, reluctance to share online activity, and reluctance to go to school.

Addressing bullying requires a compassionate and empathetic approach. Adults should approach students who exhibit signs of bullying behaviour with reassurance, empathy, and a desire to understand their perspective. The role is to listen, not to accuse, to encourage the student to open up for a collaborative discussion.

Modeling self-compassion is crucial in helping students develop the ability to respond to their own pain with patience and care. Self-compassionate language includes responses like "That really hurt my feelings, but it doesn't mean I did something wrong."

Emphasizing accountability and the potential for change is also essential. Remind students that growth is possible and that you're willing to help them figure out what to do next.

Helping students build a sense of resilience is essential when prevention of bullying fails. This involves helping them stay grounded in who they are, even when others try to shame or isolate them. In the aftermath of sustained bullying, kids need proof that their experience isn't rare or permanent. Libraries and schools can make stories of navigating adversity easily accessible to reinforce the message: you are not alone.

October marks National Bullying Prevention Month, encouraging educators, caregivers, and parents to take a closer look at how bullying patterns show up in classrooms and online. The organization behind the "Raising Awareness of Bullying Behaviors" campaign is StopBullying.gov. Schools and public libraries can use this campaign by accessing educational materials and resources provided on their platform to promote anti-bullying awareness and prevention programs.

By working together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for all students. Let's stand united against bullying.