Dear Editor,
Since 2010, October has been dedicated as National Bullying Prevention Month. According to PACER Center, one out of five students report they’ve been bullied. Bullying can happen to anyone at any time, and it can be recurring or a one-off. There are multiple ways people can be bullied. Verbal, physical, and cyberbullying (online) tend to be the most common forms.
Cyberbullying has increased, in part, because of the perceived anonymity that can accompany harassment, threats, humiliation, or torment directed at a peer. Some of these accounts are anonymous, but not all. Sometimes, private messages, comments, and posts are made by someone who isn’t afraid to share their identity.
The CDC recognizes bullying as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), commonly referred to as ACEs. It also recognizes that bullying has a broader impact than solely the victim but also the perpetrators and bystanders are negatively affected. In its report “The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools,” the CDC states that while bullying does not cause suicide, it is closely linked to suicidal behaviors. The report found that youth who report any connections to bullying are more likely to report suicidal behavior than their peers who do not claim to be impacted by bullying.
If you know someone who is or has been bullied and want to learn more about suicide prevention and awareness, The Jason Foundation, Inc., is a valuable resource. The Jason Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth and young adult suicide through education. Its website, www.jasonfoundation.com, offers resources, training, materials, a list of warning signs and risk factors, as well as a tool to find the closest Jason Foundation Affiliate Office to you. It is important to be educated so that you can recognize when someone may be struggling and help them get the support they need.
Mallory Wire, MPA
Division Director
The Jason Foundation, Inc.
