October is National Bullying Prevention Month—a dedicated time for schools, communities, and individuals to unite against bullying and promote respect, kindness, and inclusion. This year’s theme, “Choose Respect,” aims to foster environments where all children feel safe and valued. One of the key events of this month is Unity Day, celebrated by wearing orange as a sign of support for bullying prevention.
The color orange, commonly associated with the autumn season, was chosen for Unity Day because of its powerful symbolism representing safety and visibility.
Gloucester Township and Voorhees Township school districts are committed to providing safe, civil environments for students. Both districts prohibit harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) and have anti-bullying policies to create a safe learning atmosphere. HIB is defined as any unwanted behavior that creates a hostile educational environment, including gestures, verbal or physical acts, and electronic communication that damages property, causes harm, or demeans a student.
To further engage parents in bullying prevention, Voorhees Township will host a parent workshop on Oct. 15, led by Susan Donnelly, the supervisor of special projects. This workshop will cover important topics like understanding HIB, the investigation process, and the role of parental involvement.
Berlin Borough School District (BCS) has also taken steps to address bullying and promote equity. Dr. Shaitra Flores, director of Curriculum and Instruction, shares the district’s approach.
“We actually started our school year with a ‘Starts with Hello’ week in September, focusing on raising awareness and helping the school community identify students who are isolated,” she said. “Each day highlighted the importance of including others, showing kindness, and being an upstander—someone who takes action against bullying.”
Flores also emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of kindness and character in the school community.
A powerful image of a hand painted in vibrant orange, symbolizing the stand against bullying. The color orange represents unity, safety, and visibility during National Bullying Prevention Month. Let’s “Choose Respect” and say no to bullying.
“Walking around the school during and after our ‘Starts with Hello’ week, I noticed that more students were smiling at each other in the hallway or greeting me with a smile,” she said. “I appreciate all of the hard work our staff is doing to bring a reinvigorated level of kindness and character to our school community.”
This month, Berlin Borough Schools are celebrating a “Week of Respect” spirit week, emphasizing key values such as teamwork, respect, and inclusion. Through dress-up days, assemblies, and classroom discussions, students are reminded of what it means to treat others with kindness and to reflect on their own actions.
The district has also updated its Character Education program with the theme “ROAR with Pride,” which stands for Respect Others, Own Your Actions, Act Safely, and Rise to the Challenge.
“We focus on the six pillars of character—respect, caring, trustworthiness, fairness, citizenship, and responsibility—and recognize when students display these traits, even when no one is watching,” Flores added.
Types of Bullying
Bullying comes in various forms, each of which can be harmful to a child’s emotional, physical, and mental well-being. Understanding the different types of bullying is essential in the fight against it:
- Physical Bullying: Involves physical acts like hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, or damaging property.
- Verbal Bullying: Includes name-calling, teasing, and making derogatory remarks.
- Social Bullying: Relates to excluding someone, spreading rumors, or embarrassing them publicly.
- Electronic or Cyberbullying: Uses digital platforms like social media and messaging apps to bully someone.
- Racial Bullying: Targets individuals based on their race or ethnicity.
- Religious Bullying: Involves harassment due to someone’s religious beliefs.
- Sexual Bullying: Includes inappropriate comments, gestures, or actions of a sexual nature.
- Disability Bullying: Targets individuals with physical, developmental, or learning disabilities.
Schools are working diligently to instill anti-bullying values in students. The “Rule of 3” for anti-bullying encourages students to take action:
- We will not bully others.
- We will try to help students who are bullied.
- We will try to include students who are left out.
- If we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.
These principles teach students to take responsibility for their actions, be empathetic, and promote inclusiveness.
