National Stop Bullying Day is commemorated on the second Wednesday in October every year to bring awareness about the evils of bullying.

American Psychology Association defines bullying as any form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. The harm could be through physical contact, words, or even subtle actions.

National Stop Bullying Day aims to remind teachers, parents and students about the importance of bystander intervention when it comes to preventing bullying situations.

In 1983, after the tragic suicide of three boys, who were bullied, Dr. Dan Olweus, a Norweigan psychologist, initiated the efforts to form a bullying prevention program in the United States. Many schools across the country soon started to join the efforts.

Several anti-bullying laws and policies were further introduced after the school shooting at Columbine in 1999. The authorities then started to shift their focus on fixing the environment around the victims. The reforms were focused on empowering bystanders, policing classrooms and hallways, and punishing and reforming the bullies. Georgia and California were the first two states to bring in anti-bullying legislation.

You can observe National Stop Bullying Day by learning more about the dangers of bullying and sharing it with your social circle. You can also bring awareness on how bullying can be effectively prevented when a bystander actively responds to a situation.

Here are some quotes that will inspire you to stand up against bullying and will help you understand it better:

courtesy: Wise Sayings, Brainy Quotes

  1. "When you're nice, you're not bullying people. But when you're kind, you stand up against the bully."-Daniel Lubetzky
  2. "The people who are bullying you, they're insecure about who they are, and that's why they're bullying you. It never has to do with the person they're bullying. They desperately want to be loved and be accepted, and they go out of their way to make people feel unaccepted so that they're not alone."-Madelaine Petsch
  3. "Bullying is killing our kids. Being different is killing our kids and the kids who are bullying are dying inside. We have to save our kids whether they are bullied or they are bullying. They are all in pain."-Cat Cora
  4. "Each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness. No one deserves to be bullied."-Barack Obama
  5. "Go empower yourself. You need confidence because the one thing that bullying does is it belittles you, and it takes away your confidence, and nobody deserves that."- Bill Goldberg
  6. "Children should be able to live a life free from bullying and harassment and it is time that we all took a stand against this."- Katherine Jenkins
  7. "Don't give in to bullying or others making fun of people. Stand up for yourself. Stand up for your friends. Be that one person who is genuinely good-hearted."-Michelle McCool
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