In the U.S., October is Anti-Bullying Month. Of course, it’s important to stand up to bullies during all months of the year and all around the world. But this month, in the U.S., there’s a special focus on it. According to Stop Bullying .gov, bullying is “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.” People can be verbally, socially, and physically bullied. 22% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 in the U.S. experience bullying. 15% of students in the U.S. between the ages of 12 and 18 experience cyber bullying. Kids can be bullied in different ways. They can be physically hurt. They could receive mean messages, or be the subject of rumors or lies. They could be excluded from groups or threatened. If someone is bullied, it’s not enough to avoid the bully. You need to stand up. Be an upstander, not a bystander.
Drawings are by me, @Dragon_Riding_Girl , made on Procreate. Information is from Stop Bullying .gov
