To begin to foster a society of caring, respect, and awareness starts with a few steps that are simple but can make the biggest change possible.
1. Increasing Your Own Awareness
Recognizing when bullying is taking place is an important first step in finding solutions. By understanding the reason and roots of the problem, you will begin to form an idea of how to start proactively working to address bullying. This includes teasing, name-calling, shunning, and physical intimidation or assault. Does your school, sports club, or youth group create a culture of respect, caring, and safety for everyone? Are children supervised appropriately during recess, lunch and before and after school? Do educators and staff have adequate support and training for addressing bullying and recognize the different forms that bullying can appear as?
2. Respond To Situations Forcefully but Respectfully
When you see bullying taking place or hear about it, remember that your reactions provide a framework for how the kids involved will respond to and understand the situation. Children need to see adults being powerful and respectful in reacting to problems. If adults in charge get upset and overreact, children are more likely to imitate adult actions and might even avoid telling adults about future situations. Staying calm, respectful, and persistent will make you more effective in talking to children in bullying situations.
3. Teach Your Kids Defensive Skills
Positive peer to peer relationship skills help to put a stop to bullying. Teach children that they have the confidence and power to walk away from any situation. They can make safe choices like stepping out of a line or changing seats. Sometimes all that is needed to make bullying problem stop. Ensure that your child is active in getting help and is prepared to continue to ask for help even if an adult does not respond immediately to the situation.
4. Become Involved
Keep yourself informed as to what other parents and adults in your community are doing to stop bullying. Insist that your child’s school and school district has a mandatory district-wide anti-bullying policy and that they educate their staff on how to stop bullying and recognizing all forms and types of youth bullying. Write to your county- and state-level officials and tell them of the seriousness of bullying and demand they make it a top priority in their campaigns.
“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be a evil somebody.” 
― Abraham Lincoln
For more information about how you can help call us at 866-459-7225 or visit our website at http://simpleacts.org