October is National Bullying Prevention Month

Published on October 10, 2025

The City of Menlo Park is participating in National Bullying Prevention Month. This month, we'll be sharing information about bullying and how community service programs can help victims of bullying minimize the social isolation and harm to self-esteem that bullying can cause.

Kindness action cards

Kindness and empathy are essential aspects of individual well-being and building a strong community. Check out these kindness action cards and see how many acts of kindness you can spread this month. You can print it yourself, or stop by a Menlo Park library or recreation center to pick one up in person (grab a Unity Day bracelet while you're here!)

Social media commUNITY day -- Oct. 22

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, join us on social media for CommUNITY Day. To participate, post up with the tag #MPCommUNITY2025 for a chance to be highlighted in our newsletter.

Here are a few ideas for posts you can tag us in to help with Bullying Prevention Month.

Wear something orange in support of bullying prevention, and post a photo of your orange attire with our hashtag
Pick up an orange Bullying Prevention wristband from Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, 700 Alma St, or Belle Haven Community Campus, 100 Terminal Ave, and tag us
Share a story about how you spread kindness or built community so that everyone can feel included and tag us
Share a story of someone who helped you overcome bullying and tag us (and tag them so they know how much they impacted you!)
Tell us about how building community helped you overcome isolation from bullying.
Write a thank-you note to someone whose kindness came at a time when you needed a friend.

History of National Bullying Prevention Month

Courtesy of PACER and the National Bullying Prevention Center

National Bullying Prevention Month is a campaign in the United States founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Initially held the first week in October, the event was expanded in 2010 to the entire month.

The initial campaign, National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week, was created to raise awareness about bullying. Historically, bullying had been viewed as “a childhood rite of passage” that “made kids tougher,” but the reality has always been that bullying can leave devastating and often long-term effects such as a loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression for those involved. Through community partnerships with education-based organizations such as the National PTA, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, schools, parents and students are provided with the educational resources and support to better respond to bullying behavior. National Bullying Prevention Month is now a nationwide call to action around educating communities as to their roles in bullying prevention. The initiative has helped shift thinking away from bullying as “rite of passage” and toward the knowledge that bullying can be prevented and stopped through education and awareness.

National Bullying Prevention Month is recognized in communities across the United States, with hundreds of schools and organizations signing on as partners. Facebook, Disney, Instagram, CNN, TLC and Yahoo! Kids and many others have supported the month through media outreach and dissemination.

Learn more about National Bullying Prevention Month