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5. Change the culture. Many of the resources now available aim to promote systemic social change to prevent bullying. For example, the National Crime Prevention Council provides an assessment of a school's climate, training to students, parents, and school staff, and even Powerpoint presentations for communities' own use. Activities that support a more accepting environment might include hosting a "cultural awareness day" or wall art that celebrates diversity, Young says.
The federal government is taking a similar approach. Its effort now features a campaign that targets bystanders, encouraging them to put a stop to bullying. "When they set that peer culture that bullying is not accepted, you get rid of sort of those social gains you might get from bullying," Temkin says. A multitude of additional resources to beat back bullying are available online. Among them are the federal government's initiative (www.stopbullying.gov); the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (www.casel.org); and the National Crime Prevention Council (www.ncpc.org).
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