NPS Recognizes National Bullying Prevention Month 2024

The Norwalk Board of Education is proud to recognize the month of October as National Bullying Prevention Month.

National Bullying Prevention Month (NBPM) is an important time to elevate the conversation about addressing and preventing bullying of K-12 children and youth. PACER founded NBPM in 2006 as a week-long event. Four years later, it became a month-long event.

PACER defines bullying as the aggressive use of power, targeting another person or group of people with repeated, unwanted words or action, hurting them emotionally or physically. Bullying impacts the education, health, and safety of K-12 youth.

To bring further awareness to bullying prevention, Norwalk Public Schools will celebrate Unity Day on Oct. 16. Students and staff are encouraged to wear and share the color orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying.

Bullying is a common form of violence for youth. One in five students nationally report they have been bullied. The issue affects not only the youth who are bullied, but those who witness it who say the behavior impacts them as well. Witnesses to bullying report feeling less safe, helpless to stop it, and intimidated. Plus, youth who bully are at a greater risk for adverse physical or emotional health or issues with the legal system.

Bullying can happen anywhere. It is not just a school issue. Bullying can happen wherever youth come together such as at youth groups, athletic and academic competitions, neighborhoods, and online.

Ignoring bullying will not make it go away. Silence and inaction are not acceptable responses to bullying. Everyone needs to be empowered with options for responding to bullying situations.

The Norwalk Board of Education is committed to creating an educational environment that is physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe and thus free from bullying, teen dating violence, harassment and discrimination.

By declaring this Bully Prevention Month, the Board of Education acknowledges that everyone’s actions matter and we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. Now more than ever, it is crucial to join together in creating a world that is kinder, more accepting, and more inclusive.