National Bullying Prevention Month

Bullying was once dismissed as a simple rite of passage, something every kid just had to endure. National Bullying Prevention Month exists to say, gently and firmly, that this was never true. Founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, the observance has helped shift the national conversation toward a hopeful truth: bullying is not inevitable, and education and awareness can prevent it and stop it. What began as a single week in October grew into a full month in 2010, because the message deserved more than seven days.

PACER, the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights, is a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of children, youth, and young adults with disabilities, and its National Bullying Prevention Center was created under the leadership of PACER co-founder and Executive Director Paula Goldberg. The center has built a comprehensive library of educational and interactive resources for elementary, middle, and high school students, along with tools for parents, educators, and schools. It even offers help by phone and email to students and families navigating bullying-related situations, so no one has to figure it out alone.

The heart of the month beats strongest on Unity Day, when people across the country wear orange to show their solidarity with the cause. The slogan says it all: “Make it Orange and Make it End.” Orange ribbons, wristbands, and shirts become visible reminders that kindness, acceptance, and inclusion matter, and that every person has a role to play. Schools host activities, businesses join the effort, and organizations such as Facebook, Yahoo!Kids, and CNN have lent their voices to spread the word. It is a simple gesture with a profound message: you are not alone, and we stand with you.

Prevention starts with all of us, in small moments every day. Learning to recognize the signs of bullying, listening without judgment when a young person speaks up, and modeling kindness in our own words and actions all make a difference. Communities are encouraged to educate themselves about their roles in prevention, because change happens when awareness turns into action. This October, take time to learn, to listen, and to lead with empathy. A kinder world is built one caring choice at a time.

Bullying can take many forms: physical, verbal, and social behavior, as well as cyberbullying through phones and social media. What these forms share is a power imbalance that leaves the targeted young person feeling isolated and afraid. That is why prevention focuses on the whole community, not just individuals. When schools teach empathy, when parents model respect, and when peers stand up for one another, the culture itself becomes the protection. Everyone has a part to play, and every part matters.

The resources available today would have been hard to imagine in 2006. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers toolkits, classroom activities, and guidance tailored to different ages, and its website has become a gathering place for students, educators, and families seeking help. Schools mark the month with kindness campaigns, pledge drives, and student-led initiatives that turn awareness into action. The movement keeps growing because its core idea is so simple: a world where every child is safe, accepted, and included is a world worth building together.

Adults set the tone more than they realize. Children learn how to treat others by watching how the grown-ups around them speak, listen, and resolve disagreements. When families talk openly about kindness and respect at home, and when schools make those values part of everyday life, young people absorb the lesson that everyone deserves dignity. Prevention is not a single program or a single month; it is a culture, built day by day by people who choose compassion.

THE STORY BEHIND NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH

🧡 2006: A Week That Grew Into a Month
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center founded National Bullying Prevention Month in 2006, initially observed during the first week of October. In 2010 the campaign expanded to the entire month, giving its message of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion the full spotlight it deserves.

🏫 Not a Rite of Passage
The campaign has helped change a long-held belief: that bullying is just something kids go through. Through education and awareness, it has shown communities nationwide that bullying can be prevented and stopped, and that every child deserves to feel safe.

🧡 Unity Day: Make It Orange
Each October, Unity Day invites everyone to wear and share orange, from T-shirts and wristbands to shoelaces, as a visible stand for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. The slogan “Make it Orange and Make it End” captures the day’s hopeful spirit.

📚 Tools for Every Classroom
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers educational resources and activity kits for elementary, middle, and high school students, plus guidance for parents and educators. Help is also available by phone and email for families facing bullying situations.

🤝 Communities Answer the Call
Schools, businesses, and organizations across the country take part each October, hosting activities and sharing resources. When whole communities unite around kindness, the message reaches every child who needs to hear it.

🖐 The Power of an Upstander
An upstander is someone who stands up for others instead of standing by. Experience shows that when peers offer support or speak up, bullying situations often defuse. Teaching young people to be upstanders, with kindness and courage, is one of the month’s most important missions.

💗 Kindness Is Contagious
The month’s message goes beyond stopping bullying: it is about actively building kindness. Compliment campaigns, buddy benches, and thank-you notes are small gestures with outsized impact. When kindness becomes the norm, cruelty has nowhere to grow.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🧡 Wear Orange on Unity Day
Join the nationwide show of solidarity by wearing orange in October. A simple orange shirt, ribbon, or wristband sends a visible message that you stand for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

💬 Check In With Care
Take a moment to genuinely ask the young people in your life how they are doing, and listen without judgment. Sometimes the most powerful act of prevention is simply being someone a child can trust.

📖 Learn the Warning Signs
Explore PACER’s free educational resources to understand the forms bullying can take, including cyberbullying. Knowing what to look for is the first step toward helping.

Celebrate National Bullying Prevention Month

All October 2027, choose kindness on purpose. Wear orange, speak up with compassion, and remind every young person in your life of a simple truth: they matter, they belong, and they are never alone.