Every October, school and organizations come together to put a stop to bullying. Their goal is to ultimately join as one in order to end bullying by increasing awareness of the effects and the impact it has on children of all ages.

On the first Monday of every October, anti-bullying activities include a signature campaign Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention™ and this day serves as a stance against bullying in all shapes and forms by showing our acknowledgment of October Bullying Prevention Month. Be aware of public announcements about activities pertaining to bullying prevention. Announcements will even be featured by celebrities and other role models in our society.

The week of October 10th is the week to make friends with someone you don’t know. Schools and organizations promote the act of befriending someone new or someone a student might see sitting by themselves. We all know the feeling of being alone and it doesn’t feel great, so invite friends to do the same and come together to make someone’s day by sitting with them at lunch or before school starts. Take action, be a leader- don’t let anyone be isolated, and do your best to make anyone you see by themselves feel at home and welcome. An act of kindness, like the ones listed, can change a person’s life, so maybe capture it on camera and spread the awareness to others, so they may do the same.

The week of October 17th is a day to promote standing up for someone you see getting bullied or confronted in a harsh way. If you witness bullying, be the one to stand up to the bully and for the bullied. Take a stand against bullying at your school or in public, and spread awareness to protect victims. This will enable others to make a stand for victims they may know, making these individuals feel loved and cared for through your demonstrated interest for their safety and well-being. If you have to, get an adult to help with the situation, whether that person is of any race or religion, do what you can to take a stand and spread your kindness.

The week of October 24th serves as a day to simply spread kindness on sticky-notes with positive messages, create anti-bullying videos and promote them on social media, share inspirational stories about an act of kindness you gave or received, and simply do what you can to spread positivity and kindness to the people around you. Take a stand on bullying and come together with friends to promote all the October Bullying Prevention Month activities next year, now that you’re informed, but please don’t hesitate to be a friend on any occasion- even if it isn’t National Bully Prevention Month.