October is National Bullying Prevention Month

It’s an age-old problem spanning decades. Bullying. Throughout the island, students from both public and private schools experience this. It can be in the form of name-calling, online harassment or physical contact.

The month of October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Its goal: to encourage everyone to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying and put an end to the hatred that comes with it. Christopher Anderson is the administrator for the Guam Department of education’s student support services division.

"National Bullying Prevention Month is just a great way for schools to focus. Make a concerted effort to focus on how important it is to establish a positive climate on campus that focuses on inclusion of all students," he said. 

It’s been more than a month into the new school year and according to Anderson, they already have 30 cases of bullying. GDOE has a zero tolerance for bullying policy and sees it as one of the most serious offenses a student can commit. But what happens to a student  who bullies others? 

"When students are found guilty of bullying or even cyberbullying offenses, the department suspends the student for ten days and it gets progressively more serious as the students come in for more offenses," he said.

Victims of bullying are urged to report it to a teacher or school staff immediately so it can be stopped right away. And if you see someone being bullied, speak up. Together you can stop a bully in their tracks and stop them from doing more harm.