If your school does not have a bullying prevention program, you can start one. Find some friends who are also interested in doing this, and together you can meet with your teacher, counselor, Student Council, or principal and ask them to help you create one.
In addition to asking these people to use some of the ideas in the "What Schools Can Do About Bullying" report in this website, there are lots of other fun things you can do in a school to reduce bullying and promote tolerance. Although you need help from adults in order to do most of these activities, there are also some things that you can try to organize yourself or with a few of your friends.
Some of the ways that you can "take action" against bullying in your school include:
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Start a "Student Respect Group" or "Stop Bullying Council" that can help carry out bullying programs in your school. |
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Give teachers and administrators fact sheets from the "Stop Bullying Now" campaign. |
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Read daily P.A. announcements about bullying. The National Crime Prevention Council publishes a "Bullying Tool Kit" with McGruff the Crime Dog and it has 3 weeks of P.A. announcements that you can use.
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Make a school "Problem Box" where kids can write down bullying problems that have been happening, ideas they have for combating bullying, etc. |
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Hold a school-wide poster contest or bookmark contest about bullying. |
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Make badges, pins, or stickers that say that you won't tolerate bullying. You can also purchase or make anti-bullying wristbands. |
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Show some of the P.S.A. announcements and Webisodes about bullying from the "Stop Bullying Now" Campaign. |
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Have class meetings to discuss bullying incidents in the classroom or around the school. |
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Ask your school's Parent/Teacher Organization to have a meeting about bullying. You could also bring in a speaker to give a presentation about bullying. |
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Give out "Act of Kindness" rewards to students who show respectful behavior to others. |
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Organize a special week about bullying and tolerance. During this week, you can do many fun and creative things to increase the awareness of bullying and what to do about it. Make up a catchy name for this week. |
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Write articles about bullying for your school newspaper or newsletter. |
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Write bully-proofing messages with sidewalk chalk on your school's playground. |
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Hold various all-school "Spirit Days," such as a "White Out Day" when everyone wears white to stand for peace, or a "Unity Day" when everyone wears the school's colors, etc. |
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Make a "Hands Around Violence" display where each student and staff member makes a paper cut-out of their hand. Write a positive message on the hand, such as ''I will use my hands for helping, not hurting." |
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Have a school-wide bullying prevention carnival. Activities could include decorating a t-shirt or hat with anti-bullying messages, making beaded jewelry with positive messages, having information booths, and playing games and giving out prizes. |
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Create a graffiti mural with anti-bullying slogans. |
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Make a pledge wall where everyone signs their name, promising not to bully others and to stand up when they witness bullying. |
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Have older kids in the school present skits for younger students about bullying. Younger kids look up to older kids and can learn a lot from them. |
