October is National Bullying Prevention month, with this year’s message as “The end of bullying begins with me”. This annual campaign started in 2006 by the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER), and has now turned into a month-long event that encourages students to mark the end of bullying. According to PACER, nearly  one in every three students have admitted to being bullied during the school year, and almost 64% of students who were bullied did not report it. October is our chance to stand against bullying, by acknowledging the issue and then making plans for intervention.

According to the National Education Association, ways to prevent bullying include paying attention to students who are in need of help and not ignoring what could be an instance of bullying. It’s important to avoid being a bystander, or a silent witness to bullying, by taking reasonable action against the bully. Reporting the issue to a teacher, or another trusted adult whenever you see an occurrence of bullying is one way to not be a bystander according to the National Education Association.

Students at Panther Creek believe that bullying is a problem that this generation should attempt to fix. “Many believe that bullying has decreased because there (are fewer) physical altercations,” says senior Fumi Agboola, “However, [modern] technology allows people to hide behind a computer screen or phone, causing significant roles in bullying, and has been considered even more harmful than physical bullying.”

Many students have also noticed the increase in cyberbullying. “It worries me that most people don’t know how far bullying can go,” says Senior Anne Wong, “they don’t understand that the things we say on social media can cause pain for some people.”

It’s clear to say that bullying has evolved to the point where it’s hard to distinguish a hurtful comment as intentional or unintentional. It has become common for most students to ignore the issue as a whole and resort to sayings like “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” When truth is that words can hurt, and sometimes the damage is even greater than with sticks or stones.

Every student, teacher, and parent has the power to take charge and see the end to bullying. In the video presented above, Panther Creek students explain why they’re participating in National Bullying Prevention month, and why the entire community should take part in the movement to end bullying for good.