Back to School: Show Your Support to Prevent Bullying This Year at School

It's around the corner!  Schools will be opening.  Parents are already collecting school supplies and getting ready for their child to be back on schedule.

Most know that bullies and cyberbullies never take a break.  While the school yard bullies may have been in the backyard - they will be back at school shortly.

With that let's start school this year with a remind to all our kids that they need to be upstanders! 

Order your STOMP Out Bullying wristbands today and encourage your friends and community to do the same.

Bullying is a choice.  Kindness is also a choice.  Choose to be kind.

STOMP Out Bullying™ focuses on reducing and preventing bullying, cyberbullying, sexting and other digital abuse, educating against homophobia, racism and hatred, decreasing school absenteeism, and deterring violence in schools, online and in communities across the country.

STOMP Out Bullying is a fantastic organization that continues to help thousands of children and families and this is an opportunity be part of their mission in making our world a better place for everyone.

To order your wristbands click here.

October 1st is BLUE SHIRT DAY - World Day of Bullying Prevention

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and to signify its importance, STOMP Out Bullying™ created BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

Join them in this fourth annual grassroots effort. Someone you know could be bullied. Someone you know might be a bully. Join them in solidarity on Monday, October1st! Make a statement against bullying and cyberbullying and STOMP Out Bullying™! Specifically the first Monday of every October -- this year on Monday 10-1-12  we’re asking kids, teens and adults to participate in BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION by wearing a BLUE SHIRT in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying™.

GO BLUE
Our new "limited edition" 2012 Blue Shirt are on sale NOW!! Whether you order a "Limited Edition" Blue Shirt™ from STOMP Out Bullying™ or wear your own blue shirt, you’ll be sending a message to everyone to end bullying and cyberbullying.


GET YOUR SCHOOL INVOLVED
Ask your school to participate on 10-1-12 by having the entire school -- students and faculty -- GO BLUE and wear a Blue Shirt! Thousands of schools across the country are participating. We want to see every school in a SEA OF BLUE across the country and throughout the world!  

If your school wants to participate all you need to do is COMPLETE THIS FORM giving us the name of your school, it’s city and state and we'll add your school's name to our BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION supporter list on our website.

Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ -WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

Order your shirts today!

Love Our Children USA announced today the Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION to kickoff National Bullying Prevention Awareness month during October. The Blue Shirt Day™- World Day of Bullying Prevention is an initiative of STOMP Out Bullying™ to combat bullying and cyberbullying.

This time of year should be an exciting time for students returning to school …learning, seeing old friends and making new ones; but the reality for many is often very different. They're the victims of bullying at school, on playgrounds and online. They’re afraid to go to school for fear of being bullied.

To signify the importance of National Bullying Prevention Awareness month, STOMP Out Bullying™, a signature program of Love Our Children USA™, created Blue Shirt Day™- World Day of Bullying Prevention which is observed on the first Monday of October. On this day, we ask kids and adults alike to make Monday, October 3rd, the day that bullying prevention is heard around the world by wearing a Blue Shirt in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying.

With the new school year beginning, this is a call to action for students, schools and workplaces across the country. Hundreds of schools across the country have agreed to participate and many more are expected to join.
This year’s campaign not only offers a newly designed “limited edition” blue shirt, it will create an even greater awareness with a PSA. The PSA will air on major TV and cable networks, as well as online.
Ross Ellis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of STOMP Out Bullying™ said: "Kids who are intimidated, threatened, or harmed by bullies and cyberbullies often experience low self-esteem and depression. Some take their lives as an alternative. Many do not understand how extreme bullying can get. Parents, teachers and school administrators must use sensitivity in handling these issues. They must also work to make the victims more resilient, as well as working to help change the behavior of the bully. Schools can no longer sweep the issue under the rug."

STOMP Out Bullying™ offers students a safe haven. From information and resources, to an online area where youths can talk about the issue, to getting involved in social media efforts, signing a petition, raising awareness, Blue Shirt Day and celebrity PSAs and a HelpChat Line for kids and teens who are bullied, cyberbullied and at-risk for suicide, and a soon to be launched area where students can upload videos about their experiences with bullying and why they want to end bullying.

We ask kids, teens and adults to participate BLUE SHIRT DAY™- WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION by wearing the STOMP Out Bullying™ “limited edition” blue shirt or wear their own blue shirt.
And from September 29th – October 19th the biggest celebrities will participate in the Fourth Annual STOMP Out Bullying Auction on charitybuzz.com. Some of last year’s celebrities include: Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bill Joel, Bette Midler, Ellen Degeneres, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Dancing With the Stars and Tom Bergeron, American Idol and a host of other very notable stars.

Ellis said: "We are so grateful to all of our partners joining us in this fight to STOMP Out Bullying. Bullying can be so painful and clearly has played a role in recent suicides across the country. And cyberbullying is in full force with the use of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and other sites popular with kids and teens. This social online cruelty is used by individuals or groups intending to harm our youth. Bullying starts as early as kindergarten. We have to look at prevention as a community issue. It’s up to parents, schools, law enforcement and the students to work together to educate and prevent – putting an end to the violence and to the suicides.”

The parents of Scott Walz, Sladjana Vidovic, Phoebe Prince, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, Jesse Logan, Hope Witsell (Florida), Ryan Halligan and all of the others who took their lives know only too well, because they their kids could no longer take the daily torment.

They might be here today if their schools had listened and taken a stand against all forms of bullying.Students should be educated about the harmful effects of bullying and cyberbullying. They can begin by observing and participating in National Bullying Prevention Awareness month and BLUE SHIRT DAY™- WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

Recent Statistics Show:

• 1 out of 4 kids is Bullied.
• Approximately 160000 kids stay home from school each day due to the fear of being bullied
• 43% of teens, 97% of middle schoolers and 47% of older teens 18-24 are cyberbullied
• 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school

Join me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter for more information and educational articles on parenting today's teenagers.

Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ -WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

Order yours today!

Go BLUE - Mark your calendars and get your schools ready for October 3, 2011!

Help STOMP Out Bullying™ across our nation!

Thousands of schools across the country are participating.

Ask your school to participate on 10-3-11 by having the entire school -- students and faculty --GO BLUE and wear a Blue Shirt!

Whether it's our "Limited Edition" Shirt as seen below or your own Blue Shirt we want to see every school in a sea of Blue across the country and throughout the world!

EMAIL us the name and location of your school and we'll add your school's name to our  BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION supporter list on our website.

Take photos of everyone at school wearing blue!

EMAIL Jpegs to art.stompoutbullying@gmail.com and we'll post your photos on our web site.

Join us in solidarity on Monday, October 3rd! Make a statement against bullying and cyberbullying and STOMP Out Bullying™!

Make October 3rd the day that bullying and cyberbullying prevention are heard around the world by wearing a BLUE SHIRT in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying™!

To signify the importance of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, STOMP Out Bullying™ created BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

Specifically the first Monday of every October -- this year on Monday, October 3rd we’re asking kids, teens and adults to participate in BLUE SHIRT DAY™ by wearing a BLUE SHIRT to STOMP Out Bullying™.

Whether you order a "Limited Edition" Blue Shirt™ from STOMP Out Bullying™ or wear your own blue shirt,  you’ll be sending a message to everyone to end bullying and cyberbullying. 

Please join this third annual grassroots effort. Someone you know could be bullied. Someone you know might be a bully.

Visit www.StompOutBullying.org for more information.

Sue Scheff: STOMP OUT BULLYING - Cati Cares

Check out Cati Grant, founder of Cati Cares and helping promote STOMP OUT BULLYING.

Cati successfully had over 2500 kids wearing a Blue Shirt for October 5th in bringing awareness to bullying and it has to stop.

Read more about Cati Grant in her recent interview with me. Click here.

Sue Scheff: STOMP OUT BULLYING!

Love Our Children USA

The Issue of BullyingBullying is a problem that affects millions of students of all races and classes. 1 out of 4 kids is bullied and 42% of kids have been bullied while online. Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the kids on its receiving end, but the parents, teachers and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get. Love Our Children USA is working aggressively to prevent these issues and to help the kids and teens affected by it.

Some feel that bullying is a normal right of passage in growing up. It isn’t!! There will always be conflicts between kids, but bullying is intentional cruelty, harassment, and emotional, physical and sometimes sexual abuse. This behavior can set the tone for a lifetime of intentional cruelty or worse. And the consequences to the victim can seriously affect them for the rest of their lives.

Read more: http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/StompOutBullying/index.php

Sue Scheff: Bullying - Free Webinar by Education.com

Bullying is part of your child’s life – find out how to reduce it in your neighborhood, at school, and online.

Education.com and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) invite all parents to participate in a powerful and free web seminar that will reveal common myths surrounding bullying, the real facts, and actions parents can take to reduce bullying. The web seminar will be delivered by renowned bullying expert Dr. Shelly Hymel, PhD who will present a highly interactive session with plenty of time devoted to answering participants’ questions. Don’t miss this event – chances are your child is experiencing bullying. This is your chance to find out how you can help.

When: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PST

Sue Scheff: STOMP Out Bullying

Source: Love Our Children USA

The Issue of Bullying

Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students of all races and classes. 1 out of 4 kids is bullied and 42% of kids have been bullied while online. Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the kids on its receiving end, but the parents, teachers and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get. Love Our Children USA is working aggressively to prevent these issues and to help the kids and teens affected by it.

What Is Bullying?
Bullying is when someone hurts or scares another person repeatedly and is never appropriate. The innocent one being bullied feels alone, depressed and scared and feels they have nowhere to turn.

• Spreading bad rumors about someone

• Being mean and teasing someone

• Punching, shoving and hurt someone physically

• Not including someone is a group

• Getting certain kids or teens to "gang up" on others


Bullying also can happen on-line or electronically. Cyberbullying is when kids or teens bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This can include:

• Sending mean text, e-mail, or instant messages;

• Posting nasty pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Web sites;

• Using someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone.

• Stealing someone's password and spreading rumors about someone else making it seem like that person is the Cyberbully.


Forms of Bullying

It's not always easy to determine bullying behavior. How do you know if you're the victim of good-natured ribbing or bullying? Hostility and aggression directed towards a victim who is physically or emotionally weaker than the bully are more obvious signs of bullying. This behavior causes pain and distress for the victim. Bullying comes In various forms:

Physical bullying is the most obvious form of intimidation and can consist of kicking, hitting, biting, pinching, hair pulling, and making threats. A bully may threaten to punch you if you don't give up your money, your lunch, etc.

Verbal bullying often accompanies physical behavior. This can include name calling, spreading rumors, and persistent teasing.

Emotional intimidation is closely related to these two types of bullying. A bully may deliberately exclude you from a group activity such as a party or school outing.

Racist bullying can take many forms: making racial slurs, spray painting graffiti, mocking the victim's cultural customs, and making offensive gestures.

Sexual bullying is unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.

Cyberbullying is one or a group of kids or teens using electronic means via computers and mobile phones (emails, Web sites, chat rooms and texting) to torment, threaten, harass, humiliate, embarrass or target another kid or teen.


Why Do Kids Bully?

Bullies don't need a reason to hurt others. When asked, some replied:

• Because it makes me feel, stronger, smarter, or better than the person I'm bullying

• Because I'm bullied at home

• Because it's what you do if you want to hang out with the right crowd

• Because I see others doing it

• Because it's one of the best ways to keep others from bullying me

Whatever the reason, bullying is not cool. It's mean!

Whether we've done it ourselves, or we know others who are doing it ... it is important for us to understand that bullying is serious and has harmful effects on the lives of our youth.

Maybe it's not happening to you ... but it could. Join Love Our Children USA and help to STOMP Out Bullying.


Are You A Bully?

You've spread nasty rumors about someone verbally, in a note or through email or texting
You've been mean and teased someone, called them names, or made fun of the way they look, dress, act or talk
You've hurt someone you don't like
You've pushed, shoved or punched someone repeatedly—just because
You and your friends exclude others from your group
You're part of a group who is mean to others and who've done these things just to be popular
If you're guilty of any of these very mean behaviors, you are a bully. But you don't have to be

Learn how to treat others with kindness and compassion. You can learn how to be COOL in a good way!


Effects of Bullying

Some people think bullying is "just a fact of life" and don't take it seriously... until someone they know is hurt by bullying.

• 1 out of 4 kids is bullied and 42% of kids have been bullied while online. Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high.

• Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them.

• It can mess up a kid's future. Bullies are more likely to skip school, drop out of school, smoke, drink alcohol, get into fights and be arrested at some point in their life. 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24.

• As many as 160,000 students may stay home on any given day because they're afraid of their bullies and/or they just can't take the pain anymore


Have You Witnessed Bullying?

If you see others being bullied, you can help stop it. Help to STOMP Out Bullying and get involved! It might be easier to just watch or ignore bullying, but every one of us needs to feel safe! How would you feel if you were being bullied? How do you think the person you are watching who is being bullied feels?


You Can STOMP Out Bullying

Report Bullying

Don't be afraid to tell an adult. Telling isn't tattling! You are helping someone.

Who should you tell? You could tell your parents, teacher, school counselor, school nurse, coach or any adult you trust. Be sure to tell exactly what happened ... who was bullied, who the bully was, where and when it happened. Even if you suspect a kid is being bullied, it's a good idea to report that, too. Most adults really do care about bullying and will be glad that you told them about it.

If you tell an adult and you don't think they are doing anything about the bullying or if the situation isn't improving, tell another adult. Keep telling adults until someone does something to help.

Be A Friend To Someone Who Is Being Bullied

When someone is down they need a friend. Be there for the person who is being bullied. Be a buddy on school grounds, get together after school, include them in activities, Walk home with them, sit with them on the bus. Being an understanding and supportive friend means so much. Show a kid who is being bullied that you care about them.

Stand Up To The Bully

If you feel safe and comfortable, tell the bully that what they are doing is mean and wrong. It's not cool and they should stop. Keep it simple. Do not bully them back. If you are not comfortable standing up to the bully, tell an adult.

Join Love Our Children USA, JoJo and others spreading the word to STOMP Out Bullying.


Learn Who The Bullies Are At Your School

• When and where does bullying happen in school?

• Where do you see kids bullying other kids?

• When and where does it happen in out-of-school places?

• Who is involved - kids who bully, their followers, kids who are bullied, and possible defenders?

• Are there adults around who can help?

Has your school taken a NO TOLERANCE stand when it comes to bullying?
Does your school enforce a No Bullying policy?

If YES, talk with your teachers, counselors and principal and start a group where you and other students can get involved. Start a student advisory group that can meet during student "club" or "activity" times. Share information from this web site with students and adults at your school.

If the answer is NO, talk with a teacher, school counselor, or your principal about starting a program at your school. Show them Love Our Children USA's web site. Invite Love Our Children USA to speak at your school.

You can STOMP Out Bullying in your community too!

Click Here To Learn What Adults Can Do

STOMP Out Bullying is an initiative of Love Our Children USA, the national nonprofit leader that honors, respects and protects children. Its mission is to break the cycle of violence against children. Celebrating its 9th year as 'the Go-To' prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U.S.