Stand For The Silent

The New Year is a chance for schools and communities to be inspired to make changes. If there’s one thing we all agree, it needs more kindness. Stand for the Silent is one organization on a mission to help schools nationwide embrace kindness and create an atmosphere that embodies it going forward. They are not only inspiring them to do it, but they are also providing them with the tools, motivation, and insight to help make it happen.

With families gearing up for holiday break that will lead into the New Year, bullying may be the last thing on their minds. They may assume the risks of bullying will decline during this time, giving them a much-needed break from the issue. However, the research shows that isn’t the case, as many kids are bullied when school is on break, making it a great time to focus on what can be done to help prevent and address the situation now, during break and into the New Year when school resumes.

Bullying is a pervasive issue that can negatively impact students’ mental health, academic success, and overall well-being. As high school teachers, you play a vital role in identifying and addressing bullying in your classrooms and schools. With proactive strategies, you can create a safer and more inclusive environment for all students. Below are practical, evidence-based approaches to bullying prevention tailored to your role.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, making it an ideal time to examine some of the crucial factors surrounding this hot-button issue. Bullying touches families from coast to coast and in all demographic areas. The more we can shed light on it and learn to understand it, the better equipped we will be as a nation to help prevent it from happening.

You’ve probably found this page because you encountered Stand for the Silent through a presentation, a community outreach event (like a table outside of a store), or perhaps you saw someone wearing our t-shirt, or you read something online or on social media. Now, you’re researching to see if Stand for the Silent is legitimately one of the most effective anti-bullying organizations. Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 2010. Yes, our work is possible only because of individual donors like you. Yes, we genuinely make an impact on the critical issues of school bullying and teen suicide.

For Irann Orozco, fighting isn’t just a sport—it’s survival, healing, and growth. Today, Orozco is a rising star in amateur MMA and Pan Am Games champion and world bronze medalist representing the U.S. National MMA Team. But her journey to the podium began in pain. Her parents sent Irann to a military school as a 13-year-old, hoping the structure would help her stay on track. Instead, she found herself the target of relentless bullying…

When I began this podcast, I never imagined that I would meet real live superheroes. Kirk Smalley is the President of StandForTheSilent.org. This nonprofit organization was started in 2010 by a group of high school students in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma after they heard the story of Kirk’s son, Ty who committed suicide after standing up to bullies in his school. Stand for the Silent has chapters in 40 states and 18 different countries. Kirk’s organization has spoken with 4,911 schools and over 3.5 million children in order to help prevent bullying.

Cyberbullying, the use of electronic devices to harass, shame, incite and humiliate, is imposing a devastating impact on today’s youth. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, between 2007 and 2019, the percentage of youth experiencing cyberbullying rose from 18% to 37%.

Stacy Hawkins, a 30-year-old mother of three, recently told The Wall Street Journal that her 12-year old girl and 13-year-old boy have a remarkable relationship: They parent each other.

Hawkins, in a conversation with reporter Charlie Wells, said “nothing is off limits … from why one sibling shouldn’t watch a certain movie on Netflix to how the other should organize his bedroom. When arguments get out of hand, the parents take what they call the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ approach: Both children get punished, even if just one was trying to control.”