Stand for the Silent, an organization helping to stop bullying
is preparing kids for the new school year.
OKLAHOMA
CITY, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Many parents are already considering what they need to do to
prepare their children for the new school year that is just around
the corner. While what they will wear and do after school is
essential, ensuring they know what to do about back-to-school
bullies should be at the top of every parent's priority list.
Bullies will head back to school as well, and they will be ready to
start picking on kids from day one.
Summer is a great time to get kids ready
for the new school year, including with how to win against bullies,
says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of
Stand for the Silent. Addressing it now will ensure the school year
will be smooth and bully-free.
"Summer is a great time to get kids ready for the new school
year, including with how to win against bullies," says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the
Silent. "Addressing it now will ensure the school year will be
smooth and bully-free."
Over the summer, parents can do a lot to raise awareness about
bullying in their home and community. Making it a priority may help
reduce the incidents of bullying in school and in the community.
Proactive communities can make people more aware of the issue,
which can help reduce the incidents.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a few risk
factors may make people more vulnerable to being bullied. These
include a kid being seen as different from their peers, being seen
as weak or unable to defend themselves, having low self-esteem,
being less popular, not socializing well with others, and suffering
from disabilities.
Here are tips for preparing kids now for back-to-school
bullies:
Discuss bullying now. Discuss bullying, including what it is and
what to do about it. Talk about the different types of bullying,
how to address it, and what to do if they see someone else being
bullied.
Role-play. Act out some bullying scenes with the kids so they
can practice responding to them. This will help put them more at
ease if the real situation ever comes up.
Get others involved. Parents can start anti-bullying groups now,
which will get more kids involved in helping to keep bullying out
of the school. Kids can get together to discuss the issue and ways
to respond.
Contact the school. Most schools have staff working over the
summer. Contact the child's school to inquire about having an
anti-bullying campaign kick off when school starts. Help them bring
in a speaker, such as Stand for the Silent, and get together a
group of kids for the anti-bullying task force.
Teach self-defense. It's never a good idea to encourage your
child to fight, but there are some self-defense moves that they can
learn to protect themselves should it get physical. Bullies tend to
pick on those they feel won't stand up for themselves. Teach kids
self-defense over the summer, such as enrolling them in karate.
When kids are confident, they are more likely to stand up to a
bully, and then the bully loses interest in that person.
"This school year, we are going to be rewarding students who
help with anti-bullying at their school," added Smalley. "We want
to encourage students to set the example and help create a kinder,
more accepting school atmosphere."
Stand for the Silent is launching a program called Student Stand
Out this school year. Teachers can nominate students who they feel
stand out by being kind, addressing bullying, being a positive role
model, having good leadership, having respect and integrity, and
demonstrating actions that show initiative to end bullying at the
school. Each week through the school year, one nominee will be
chosen to receive a $50 Visa gift
card, and at the end of each semester, one person will be selected
to win a $100 gift card. The
nomination period runs from August 1 to
December 1 and then from January 1 to
April 1. For more information about the program, visit the
site at: https://standforthesilent.org/schools/standout
Stand for the Silent travels the country, providing seminars and
talks for communities and schools. They also offer helpful
materials online to help people with bullying issues. Each year,
they also give scholarships to students who help address bullying
at their schools. To get more information on how to have the
organization do a presentation or how to start a local chapter,
visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
Smalley and his wife, Laura, started the organization following
their 11-year-old son, ending his own life due to bullying. They
turned their pain and loss into a mission of helping others. He
travels the country giving presentations about bullying to schools,
providing bullying prevention, giving out scholarships, offering
intervention strategies, and more. Those interested in getting
involved can start a chapter of the group in their area, obtain a
free K-2 bullying prevention curriculum or cyberbullying handbook
for parents, host a presentation at their school, introduce the How
All Started video, and donate to help support the cause. To get
more information, visit the site at:
https://standforthesilent.org/
About Stand for the Silent
Started in 2010, Stand for the Silent is an organization on a
mission to help eliminate bullying nationwide. Kirk and Laura Smalley founded the group after
their child took his own life due to bullying. They offer free
resources for parents and educators and travel to schools to host
presentations. They have been to over 6,025 schools and spoken with
more than 4.15 million students. To get more information, visit the
site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
Sources:
National Institutes of Health. Bullying.
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/bullying
Media Contact
Cher Murphy, Stand For The
Silent, 571.263.2128, cher@chermurphypr.com,
https://standforthesilent.org/
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SOURCE Stand For The Silent