Youth from around the country and those overseas in U.S. Department of Defense schools, aged 13 to 18 years, took our challenge and submitted almost 900 entries for the 2012 StopBullying.gov Video Challenge!

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention have worked our way through all the creative videos and screened them for eligibility based on the challenge rules. We ranked each of the eligible videos according to the published criteria, and considered feedback from our technical advisors:

Participants at the Grand Forks Defending Childhood Site learn more about bullying intervention strategies.

In 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder launched the Defending Childhood initiative to address children’s exposure—as victims and as witnesses—to violence. He hopes to change our perceptions of violence and abuse, make the topic an issue on the national level, and address how abuse and violence affect children. He understands that violence can follow and wound children throughout their lives. We need to address abuse and Continue Reading

From a very early age, we pick up on important social cues that benefit us throughout school, and even into our working lives. These cues include standing at an appropriate distance, not touching the person in front of you, and even using the right volume when speaking. These basic skills are essential for functioning socially. Children with autism often do not pick up on the same cues as other children can, which can make them vulnerable to bullying.

Recently, children with autism have caught national attention because of the bullying that happens to them. A 2012 study... Continue Reading

At just 14 years old, Georgia teen Allison Waters Albert has become an ambassador for anti-bullying within her community. Earning respect and admiration from peers for her willingness to share her own story, Allison has inspired several teens across her school district to take a stand against bullying. Through extensive work with 4-H, one of the largest youth development programs in the world, and numerous speaking engagements at area schools, Allison’s efforts have spearheaded the campaign for bullying prevention in her Georgia hometown.

Once a victim of bullying herself, Allison says she became involved with anti-bullying efforts through her 4-H membership. 4-H has been very committed to educating youth on all facets of bullying, helping to empower those who have suffered as victims and inspiring... Continue Reading

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention are looking for informative and entertaining videos that send a positive message to youth about the importance of being “more than a bystander” to bullying in their schools and communities.

In August, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, called on America’s youth to take the Stop Bullying Video Challenge. This contest gives young people another way to create a more positive and healthy environment in their schools and communities. Students are asked to submit videos answering the question: “How have you been more than a bystander?”

Encourage the youth in your life to submit original PSAs, 30 to 60 seconds in length, that show ways... Continue Reading

At the third Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit, attendees asked for ways to easily access and understand the latest research on bullying. In an effort to respond to this request, the StopBullying.gov blog will from time-to-time feature briefs of recent research reports published in some of the top-tier research journals.

Many factors place students at risk for being bullied. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that kids and teens from poor families are more likely to be bullied than others. The study, which surveyed over 160,000 students from nearly 6,000 schools in Europe and North America, also concluded that schools with the largest economic inequality (or a big difference... Continue Reading

Scott Hannah, 17, and Tyler Gregory, 18, know all too well the impact that bullying can have. As a result, they are both taking a stand against bullying in their community. Originally intending to simply raise awareness about bullying at their local South Charleston high school in Ohio, Scott and Tyler ended up leaving a much more significant impact on their community. After their local campaign at their high school peaked in success, the teens were inspired to expand their involvement with the anti-bullying movement and participate in the “Great American No BULL challenge,” an... Continue Reading

What would happen if students took it upon themselves to improve their schools and communities? That’s the question that Brandon Greene, currently a rising sophomore at Burrillville High School in Rhode Island, asked himself a few years ago.

As part of a 6th grade school project, Greene created a small committee to give back to his school and community and spread an anti-bullying message. Continue Reading

When federal leaders began a major effort to raise awareness about bullying prevention, it seemed that for every parent, teacher and community advocate who supported our mission, there was another to insist that bullying was either a normal part of growing up or “kids just being kids.”

Eleven years later, a lot has changed.

At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), we’ve done our part by connecting leaders on the ground with the resources they need to educate the public about the effects of bullying behavior and how to prevent it in schools and communities.

This summer, we continue our work.

Through a partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA), we are supplying free bullying prevention materials to more than 100 of ACA’s Explore 30 Camps. Explore 30 is a new ACA program designed to address the threat that children who are not engaged in challenging, interesting, and fun activities in the summertime will return to school in the fall having forgotten much of what they learned in the previous academic year.

To support... Continue Reading