Fulton & Barr: The Legal Pad
Sunday, October 22, 2014

South Carolina follows a popular and important trend by declaring October as Bully Prevention Awareness month.

Prominent South Carolina representatives joined together to declare that being a bully is uncool; schools and students have joined the campaign by raising awareness through creative efforts.

One Greenville community group Think2XTwice held three workshops at Mauldin Public Library, where area students acted out what it’s like to be a bully or the victim of bullying. Student Actor Tre Smith admitted during the last workshop that he’d been bullied in the past.

He said to WSPA.com, “When I was bullied, I felt like nothing … I really didn’t feel like anyone cared about what was going on with me.”

That’s the reason why the Pacer’s National Bullying Center pushed for national attention of their anti-bullying campaign – no one should feel alone and in pain.

Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center is a branch of the Minnesota nonprofit Pacer Center. Their roots are in helping parents of children with disabilities, but the group expanded to cover bullying in 2006. Pacer’s mission is to dispel the myth of bullying as a rite of passage and make the public aware of the physical, emotional, educational and social impact of bullying.

Today is Pacer’s National Unity Day, where everyone is asked to wear orange as a symbol of their unified message of hope and support for victims of bullying.

National statistics on StopBullying.gov, show the alarming reality of bullying:

28% of U.S. students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying

20% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 experienced bullying

Approximately 30% of young people admit to bullying others

70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools

70.4% of school staff have seen bullying

62% school staff witnessed bullying two or more times in the last month

41% school staff witnessed bullying once a week or more

Facts cannot be denied, bullying is not okay. Fulton & Barr stands with fellow South Carolinians, united against bullying. Will you join us?