Stand for the Silent, an organization helping to stop bullying is putting teen bullying in the spotlight
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – (November 13, 2024) – We hear a lot about bullying, but most of us don’t have a clear picture of how large of a problem it is. Shocking new details released by research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should make every parent and educator pause and then take action. Their report shows the devastating number of teens being impacted by bullying. This is despite how much we hear about the topic today.
“It’s almost as if we are hearing about bullying more, but the number of people reporting being bullied is not decreasing as a result,” says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. “This clarifies that we need to increase our efforts, focusing on bullying prevention and zero tolerance policies.”
The CDC has just issued its findings from a survey study conducted from July 2021 through December 2023. Teens self-reported their experiences with being bullied during the prior 12 months. The shocking data shows that 34% of teens have been bullied within the last year.
With a third of all teens reporting that they have been bullied in the last year, it is easy to see how hundreds, if not thousands, of students at one high school are being impacted. In addition to the many being bullied, others are being exposed to the behavior regularly, creating a toxic environment for students.
Additional facts exposed from the CDC research study include:
- Sexual or gender minorities were bullied more often than others, at a rate of 47% to 30%.
- Those who said that they are bullied most often are white non-Hispanics, who were bullied more often than other race groups.
- Teenagers who have disabilities are also bullied more often, with over 44% of them reporting that they had been bullied within the last 12 months.
- An alarming correlation finds that teens who have been bullied are twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those who have not been bullied.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that there has been a significant increase in mental health disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. They warn that poor mental health can impact overall health and lead to severe health conditions. Warning signs they advise parents to watch for that indicate a teen may be having mental health issues include mood changes, irritability, anger, withdrawal, and changes in their sleep patterns, eating and sleeping.
“Bullying is a serious issue, and this report shows it is seriously impacting the people who will soon be running our cities, communities, and country,” said Smalley. “We need to work together to help them with this issue so that they can reach their highest potential.
Stand for the Silent has several programs they provide to the public to help prevent and eliminate bullying in schools and communities nationwide. They travel the country, delivering eye-opening seminars to students and offering other programs. Smalley started the anti-bullying organization with his late wife, Laura, after their 11-year-old son committed suicide due to bullying. Having turned their pain and loss into a mission of helping others, he travels the country giving presentations about bullying, among other things. The mission is to help end bullying by raising awareness, sharing the facts, and offering solutions.
Their Student Stand Out program encourages teachers to nominate students who stand out, display excellent behavior, and lead by example. Some of the behaviors they hope teachers will recognize and nominate their students for include addressing bullying, being a positive role model, being kind, having good leadership skills, being respectful, having integrity, and more. They also want to emphasize nominating those students who show initiative in helping to end bullying at their school.
Every week throughout the school year, Stand for the Silent will choose one of the nominated students to receive a $50 Visa gift card. At the end of each semester, one student will be selected to win a $100 Visa gift card. There will be two nomination periods, August 1 to December 1 and then from January 1 to April 1. Teachers can nominate as many students as they feel have earned the recognition. For more information about the Student Stand out program, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/schools/standout
Stand for the Silent travels the country, giving presentations about bullying to schools, providing bullying prevention, giving out scholarships, offering intervention strategies, and more. Those interested in getting involved can start a chapter of the group in their area, obtain a free K-2 bullying prevention curriculum or cyberbullying handbook for parents, host a presentation at their school, introduce the How All Started video, and donate to help support the cause. To get more information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
About Stand for the Silent
Started in 2010, Stand for the Silent is an organization on a mission to help eliminate bullying nationwide. Kirk and Laura Smalley founded the group after their child took his own life due to bullying. They offer free resources for parents and educators and travel to schools to host presentations. They have been to over 6,025 schools and spoken with more than 4.15 million students. To get more information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
