Traditionally, bullying has been seen as “a childhood rite of passage” that “made kids tougher”. In reality, it can have devastating, often long-term effects such as a loss of self-esteem, anxiety disorders, and depression for its victims, as well as mental issues for the bullies themselves. National Bullying Prevention Month fights to end bullying in all its forms, by educating against it and empowering its victims. So, we had to ask: What is the most important information you need to know about this year’s National Bullying Prevention Month?

👉 Official Name: National Bullying Prevention Month
💚 Cause: Prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion
📅 Next Date: October 1-31, 2025
🌐 Official Website: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/
🐦 Hashtags: #NationalBullyingPreventionMonth, #StandUpToBullying, #ChooseKindness

Keep reading to find all the important information about National Bullying Prevention Month at a glance: its big picture, why it’s important, and how you can get involved. We’ll then share its brief history, three interesting facts about it, its future dates, and how you’ll never miss any important awareness event again.

The Most Important Information About National Bullying Prevention Month at a Glance

1️⃣ The big picture: National Bullying Prevention Month is a campaign uniting communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. It provides a platform for educational institutions across the US to create safe and supportive environments by teaching students how to prevent bullying. The event also promotes dialogue between educators, parents, and policymakers to learn their roles in addressing childhood bullying. In addition, the observance raises public awareness of bullying through news, social media, and webinars.  

2️⃣ Why it is important: 90% of middle school students are victims of harassment or bullying, and nearly 30% of youth aged 12-18 experience bullying at school. As a result, over 160,000 students miss school every day for fear of their bullies. Victims and teachers can also avoid reporting the bullying for fear of job loss, retaliation, or not being believed. In the long run, bullying leads to mental disorders such as depression and violent behavior, while also impacting school productivity, self-identity, and physical health. Furthermore, bullied youth are 2.2 times more likely to develop suicidal thoughts. 

3️⃣ How you can get involved: You can participate in National Bullying Prevention Month by advancing anti-bullying efforts in your community, local schools, or on the internet:

1. Aid the change: Support innovative ideas to reduce bullying and foster a sense of connection. You can build a community kit, respond to daily questions, fund anti-bullying bookmarks for kids, or take a pledge against bullying. You can also get involved with the month’s signature event, Unity Day. 
2. Activities for classrooms: If you are an educator or simply want to support anti-bullying efforts in schools, you can organize classroom activities using the event calendar. Moreover, you can use dedicated lesson plans for elementary schoolers and older students that promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.  
3. Spread the word: Use the event’s social media resources to engage your community in the fight against bullying. In addition, you can share key information about the effects and prevalence of bullying to raise awareness of this type of harassment.

Below are our favorite charities that are especially relevant for National Bullying Prevention Month:

• Best Charities That Fight Against Bullying
• Best Charities That Help Combat Cyberbullying
• Best Charities for Youth Mental Health
• Best Charities That Advance Mental Health

A Brief History of National Bullying Prevention Month

When was this event established: National Bullying Prevention Month is a US campaign founded in 2006 as National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Initially held during the first week of October, the event was expanded in 2010 to the entire month. In this way, it could provide more opportunities for schools, organizations, and other institutions to spread awareness of the damaging effects of bullying and promote kindness and understanding.  

How has it developed since then: Today, National Bullying Prevention Month is an educational tool for communities about their roles in bullying prevention. This initiative has helped shift thinking away from bullying as a “rite of passage” and toward the knowledge that it can be prevented and stopped through education and awareness. The event is now celebrated nationwide, with hundreds of partnering schools and organizations. Among them, Facebook, Disney, Instagram, CNN, TLC, and Yahoo! Kids have shown their support through media outreach. 

3 Interesting Facts About National Bullying Prevention Month

1. Orange celebration: Unity Day is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, with the slogan “Make it Orange and Make it End. Unite Against Bullying!”. Schools in all 50 states and many other countries, such as the UK, Australia, and Canada, organize events with anti-bullying experts to help youth socialize healthily and without prejudices. Even Ellen DeGeneres participated by wearing orange on her TV show and posting about the event on her website.
2. Bullying witnesses: Not all children and adults will be bullied in their lifetimes, but 70% have reported seeing bullying occur at least once. Almost 40% have seen bullying occur regularly, but very few people intervene during a bullying incident. Yet, bullied students report that interventions from their peers are more helpful than self-defense or help from educators. In 57% of cases when bystanders get involved, the bullying stops within 10 seconds.
3. Internet bullies: Cyberbullying is a growing issue amongst youth and is now a significant concern for school teachers. Nearly half of US teens have been cyberbullied, with 55% of them stating that this is a major problem for people their age. In addition, nearly twice as many female students reported being cyberbullied compared to male students. More worryingly, 60% of cyberbullying victims have their education impacted while 25% are pushed to self-harm. 

Upcoming Dates of National Bullying Prevention Month

National Bullying Prevention Month is observed every year for the entire month of October.

Never Miss an Important Awareness Event Again

Sources

• TommieMedia: Bullying needs to be stopped
• StopBullying.gov: Consequences of Bullying
• ABC News: Bullies Nearly Twice as Likely to Have Mental Health Disorder
• PACER Center: National Bullying Prevention Month
• PACER Center: bullying info
• PACER Center: classroom tool kits
• PACER Center: Bullying info for parents: Definition, Impact and Roles
• Study.com: Bullying in USA | Statistics, Facts & Prevention
• RMC Charity: STATISTICS AND LAWS bullying
• Committee For Children: Why Don’t Kids Report Bullying?
• The Haven New Jersey: How Does Bullying Affect Mental Health?
• PACER Center: bullying statistic
• National Library of Medicine: The role of gender, socio-economic status, bullying and school experience
• PACER Center: Show Your Support
• PACER Center: build a community kit
• PACER Center: 31 questions
• PACER Center: order bullying prevention bookmarks
• PACER Center: take the pledge
• PACER Center: Unity Day
• PACER Center: student activity kit
• PACER Center: Elementary School Education
• PACER Center: Middle / High School Education
• PACER Center: Promote on Social Media
• PACER Center: Share Information In Your Community
• PACER Center: NBPM history 
• PACER Center: bullying prevention center
• Unity Day Guide
• Stop Bullying.gov: Bystanders are Essential to Bullying Prevention and Intervention
• MBF Education Prevention: BULLYING SERIES – BYSTANDERS AND STUDENT INTERVENTION
• PACER Center: cyberbullying
• BERA Journals: Teachers’ perceptions, beliefs and concerns about cyberbullying
• PRS: 9 facts about bullying in the U.S.
• Panda Mediacenter: 15 Alarming Cyberbullying Statistics and Facts for 2024
• WebPurify: Cyberbullying statistics and facts your business needs to know