06 Oct The Real Monsters: October Is Bullying Prevention Month
Changing leaves, candy corn, trick-or-treating, scary costumes, and Hocus Pocus–these are all things we think about when October rolls around. But among all the plastic skeletons, fake bats, and black cats, it’s important to remember that it’s Bullying Prevention Month and many children face real monsters in their daily lives.
While there may be no hairy, clawed monster hiding in the closet, bullying does lurk in dark corners of school halls and behind glowing words on smartphone screens.
Celebrating bullying prevention month with awareness
October should be about more than children cramming their tummies with sweets until they feel ill–which is why PACER created Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying isn’t something of the past. It happens the most in middle school, but that doesn’t mean it’s not prevalent in high schools. In the past, people generally thought bullying happened in the schoolyard or at least on school grounds. The technological revolution has changed the battlefield entirely. Through the help of technology, bullying has found a way to seep into the lives of children outside of school property. It’s potential domain lies in back-pockets, backpacks, and on the nightstand beside your child’s bed. Smartphones and other personal devices have revolutionized our lives in many ways–most of them positively–but there are always downsides. One of those downsides is that it’s provided a platform for bullies to anonymously harass others. The way to combat this lies in awareness and education. We must talk about bullying more often in school and at home. The bullies and victims need help, but they’ll never receive it if we continue to treat it as a rare problem. To read more about National Bullying Prevention Month and how to help, you can read this article by stopbullying.gov or visit the PACER website (the founders of Bullying Prevention Month). Bullying causes lasting scars that can follow our children into adulthood. If you believe your son or daughter may be struggling, it’s critical to reach out to a professional. ViewPoint Center is a teen assessment center, ages 12 to 17. At ViewPoint Center, we provide treatment through superior assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and stabilization–all in a personalized environment for your child in crisis. We strive to provide the best help for troubled teens through the most efficient and effective methods available. Our goal is to help your child through this hard time. Before ViewPoint, families are often frustrated and lost. Varying doctors and therapists with a range of advice, diagnoses, and plans leaves parents and children unsure of where to turn. At ViewPoint, we centralize all of the different diagnoses, and create a comprehensive report for you and your family to get back on track. Let us help you. For more information about how we help at ViewPoint Center, contact us today at 801-825-5222. 
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one large-scale study found that nearly half of all students in 4th to 12th grade had been bullied at least once in the past month by other students and over 30 percent reported that they had bullied someone in that period of time. The evolution of bullying
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