ORLANDO, Fla. – National Stop Bullying Day, aimed at bringing together students, faculty and parents to end bullying, is Oct. 11 this year.
This important day falls on the second Wednesday in October each year and calls on schools and organizations to bring together children, educators and parents for the sake of preventing bullying situations.
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In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal definition of bullying. The definition includes three core elements:
- unwanted aggressive behavior
- observed or perceived power imbalance
- repetition or high likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors
According to the website stopbullying.gov, about 20% of students ages 12-18 nationwide have experienced bullying and approximately 46% of students ages 12-18 who were bullied during the school year notified an adult at school about the incidents.
Nonprofit organization Stomp Out Bullying also offers several resources for students, parents and educators, including what to do if you find out your child has been bullied and how to go about stopping it.
In Central Florida, each school district offers resources for students and parents to help combat bullying:
Brevard County
Brevard Public Schools has updated School Board Policy 5517.01 that prohibits bullying, harassment, teen dating violence, and abuse.
Their website, which can be found here, offers links about bullying as well as forms for students and parents to report incidents.
Flagler County
Flagler Schools defines bullying as any sort of harassment, intimidation, or otherwise deliberately hurtful behavior by a single person or group of people toward an individual that is carried out repeatedly over time.
To report bullying in Flagler schools, click here.
Lake County
Lake County Schools’ website says bullying typically consists of behaviors directed against a target or group of targets.
Their bullying and harassment policy posted on their website and can be found here.
Marion County
Marion County Public Schools’ policy is that all students have an educational setting that is safe, secure, and free from harassment and bullying of any kind.
Their website, which can be found here, offers anti-bullying resources.
Orange County
Orange County Public Schools offers several bullying prevention resources on its website.
Students and parents can also anonymously report incidents using their FortifyFL system, by clicking here.
Osceola County
The School District of Osceola County has a 12-page “Stop Bullying Now” section on its website that offers resources and information.
Officials said students can report bullying at the school’s anonymous reporting box on campus, or by visiting the school’s website.
You can also report bullying anonymously through the SpeakOut hotline at 800-423-8477.
Polk County
Polk County Public Schools also provides bullying prevention and other resources on its website.
To report a bullying incident, students and parents can click here.
Seminole County
Seminole County Public Schools’ website offers bullying prevention links as as well as several links to help students and parents.
They also allow anyone to anonymously report incidents through the SpeakOut hotline at 800-423-8477.
Sumter County
Sumter County Schools offers a 21-page document outlining the district’s bullying policy and offering resources for students and parents.
Volusia County
Volusia County Schools has several resources for students and parents when it comes to bullying, including how to recognize the warning signs.
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