Across America and here in Delaware, there are many instances of bullying behaviors, both in and out of the classroom. Bullying is a form of abuse that comes about in a variety of ways, but mainly stems from low self-esteem, peer pressure, poor family life environment, etc. As a result, strenuous relationships with others or teen suicide often comes about for the victims of the bullying behaviors.
Delaware’s End Bullying Initiative was started in order to prevent bullying and to raise awareness about teen suicide that comes from bullying. Amber Shader, a regional photographer and creator of the End Bullying Initiative, says, “The End Bullying Initiative was created to show that bullying and teen suicide are unfortunately huge problems across the nation and right here in our home state. We wanted to reward a local team leader who has proactively worked with his or her school and peers to prevent and end bullying and to raise awareness that suicide is never the answer.”
Amber has joined forces with Mental Association in Delaware to raise awareness and offer a resource for support through the MHA End Bullying Contest. “We want to hear how local Delaware teens have made their schools better places, have made their voices heard, and how they have empowered other teens to prevent and end bullying in their schools,” she says.
High school students are encouraged to submit their stories through October 15th. The winner will be announced on October 30th and receive a styled Senior Shoot for the 2013 school year! Click here for details.
The End Bullying Initiative is one of several statewide programs focused on bullying prevention. Governor Markell and other government officials have advocated for laws that promote reporting requirements about bullying, encouraging people to conduct investigations that prevent bullying and cyber-bullying. And Lt. Governor Matt Denn helped to launch “no bully. delaware,” an anti-bullying initiative aimed at teens, using common text-message abbreviations.
To learn more about Delaware’s bullying prevention efforts, visit www.mhainde.org or www.kids.delaware.gov.
