(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
Bullying Bystanders Unite to Prevent Development of School Shooters
Bullying Bystanders Unite helps students, educators & police, 'safely' come to the aid of someone being bullied to stop the development of school shooters.
MICHIGAN CITY, IN, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2022 / / -- Bystanders Unite (BBU) is a program developed to
Teach students, and empower school and
Police personnel, how to 'safely' come to the aid of someone being bullied. BBU is part of a nationwide effort created by the bullying, substance abuse, racism and
suicide prevention non-profit organization, Hey U.G.L.Y.-Unique Gifted Lovable You (HU) to stop the development of school shooters.
“We created Bullying Bystanders Unite in 2011 to help a seventh-grade student who was brutally bullied while 20 students stood around and did nothing to help him,” explained Betty Hoeffner, co-founder of HU.
“This program is needed even more today in light of the rise of school shootings. We are grateful to have the support of Governor Eric Holcomb, and Mayor Duane Parry who have issued proclamations designating October 9th through the 15th National Bullying Bystanders Unite Week. We are also grateful to Michigan City Area Schools, Michigan City Police Department, and the city of Michigan City.”
United States Secret Service's research on school shootings found most shooters had been bullied and harassed. HU's team reasoned that we, the bystanders, could play a vital role to stop the development of school shooters by coming to the aid, and befriending any students we see being bullied or emotionally isolated. According to parenting expert and author Dr. Michele Bora, 85 percent of school kids are bystanders to bullying situations.
The good news is bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time when bystanders intervene . Helping can also benefit the . Research has shown bystanders who do nothing can suffer guilt, fear, and anxiety which can lead to substance abuse, personality disorders and suicide. According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people.
HU polled 6,000 students asking why they didn't come to the aid of someone being bullied. The top reasons were: #1 they are afraid the bully will bully them, and #2 they didn't want to be seen as a snitch. Just like HU converted the negative word“ugly” into the positive“Unique Gifted Lovable You,” the bullying/suicide prevention nonprofit is asking students to regard the word“snitch” as a positive, thus encouraging them to report and document what they witness. HU also worked with Michigan City, Police Officer Marty Corley, and former Chief of Police Mark Swistek to create safety rules to help bystanders“safely and anonymously” come to the aid of those being bullied. The safety rules can be found at BullyingBystandersUnite.org which also features HU's ISeeBullyingApp.com to help bystanders know what to do in real time.
'It's important that all students feel empowered to act if they see bullying taking place,' says Dr. Wendel McCollum, Michigan City Area Schools Associate Superintendent. 'We stress that if students see something, they should say something. The Bullying Bystanders Unite program gives them concrete, safe steps to take in this type of situation.'
We encourage schools, police departments, and boards of education across the country to initiate the campaign and pledge-drive whenever they can, particularly during National BBU Week.
Betty Hoeffner
Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. NFP
+1 2198144224
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