Every October, schools and organizations across the country join to raise awareness for National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal: encourage communities to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children of all ages.
Many of us see bullying frequently mentioned in the news but do not necessarily think it is a problem in our communities or our children’s schools. In fact, bullying happens here in McHenry County. In the 2016 Illinois Youth Survey, 41% of McHenry County eighth graders surveyed said another student at school bullied them by calling them names in the past 12 months. 21% of McHenry County tenth graders surveyed said they were cyber-bullied through the internet or through text messages.
Whether students are physically or emotionally bullied, the impact can be immediate and long lasting. According to the National Education Association, an estimated 160,000 children miss school every day due to a fear of bullying by other students. Prevention and education are the best tools available to help children feel safe in their schools.
Pioneer Center for Human Services Behavioral Health Division partners with local schools and offers intensive, home based therapy solutions to provide children with the skills and confidence to make healthy lifestyle choices. Children are taught anti-victimization skills, values clarification, effective communication skills and healthy relationship building skills. They learn how to stand up to a bully or how to stop being one and how to manage relationships with mutual respect and care rather than with violence and disregard for others.
Help eliminate bullying throughout the McHenry County area before more children are hurt. If you are interested in having prevention programming workshops for your children or in your school or if your child is a victim of bullying and needs help, contact Pioneer Center at 815.344.1230.
