Tuesday, October 3, 2023
What You Need to Know: Bullying Prevention Month
The 2023-24 season is officially underway, but the work of coaches and team leaders has just begun. All USA Swimming members hold a significant responsibility to protect athletes across the country. For Bullying Prevention Month in October, it is especially important to recognize and prevent bullying both in and out of the water.
Since its inception in 2006, National Bullying Prevention Month has aimed to acknowledge, educate, and stop bullying at all levels. As USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program continues to take tremendous care in their response to reported concerns, it is important to recognize one of the most reported issues involves bullying. This includes peer-to-peer bullying as well as adult-to-adult bullying.
What is Bullying?
The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education reports that approximately 20% of students ages 12-18 nationwide report instances of physical, verbal, relational/social, and property damage bullying. Cyberbullying, or bullying that happens online, provides a unique opportunity for an individual to say things they might not say in front of someone. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school, 15% were bullied online or by text. View state statistics on cyberbullying from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention here.
Who Is at Risk?
With one in five children between the ages of 12-18 experiencing some form of bullying in their life, everyone is at risk.
Stopbullying.gov states no single factor puts someone at risk, but some groups, like LGBTQIA+, are at an increased risk. With October also annually celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month, it is important to note perceived members of this community experience bullying at twice the rate of their heterosexual peers both online and in-person. (Read more here on how to be an ally during October’s LGBTQIA+ History Month.) To learn more about who is at risk of being bullied and the types of kids who are more likely to bully others, please click here.
Educate
Take advantage of free, easy-to-access educational opportunities. USA Swimming’s Safe Sport team is providing educational webinars focused on bullying, how to spot it, and how to address it. You can find recording here.
Bonus: Show this bullying prevention video to athletes and have a conversation about it afterwards.
Speak Up and Be Inclusive
If you see something, say something. According to stopbullying.gov, when adults quickly and consistently respond to bullying, it can stop the behavior. We know coaches have a huge influence on athletes, and when they continue to promote positive team culture it shows in athlete development.
Report
Your club or program should have the proper policies and action plans to address bullying. USA Swimming members are required to annually acknowledge the resources below:
All bullying issues should be reported to your club or program. Please click here for an example letter.
For additional questions, please reach out to USA Swimming Safe Sport at safesport@usaswimming.org.
Since its inception in 2006, National Bullying Prevention Month has aimed to acknowledge, educate, and stop bullying at all levels. As USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program continues to take tremendous care in their response to reported concerns, it is important to recognize one of the most reported issues involves bullying. This includes peer-to-peer bullying as well as adult-to-adult bullying.
What is Bullying?
The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education reports that approximately 20% of students ages 12-18 nationwide report instances of physical, verbal, relational/social, and property damage bullying. Cyberbullying, or bullying that happens online, provides a unique opportunity for an individual to say things they might not say in front of someone. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school, 15% were bullied online or by text. View state statistics on cyberbullying from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention here.
Who Is at Risk?
With one in five children between the ages of 12-18 experiencing some form of bullying in their life, everyone is at risk.
Stopbullying.gov states no single factor puts someone at risk, but some groups, like LGBTQIA+, are at an increased risk. With October also annually celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month, it is important to note perceived members of this community experience bullying at twice the rate of their heterosexual peers both online and in-person. (Read more here on how to be an ally during October’s LGBTQIA+ History Month.) To learn more about who is at risk of being bullied and the types of kids who are more likely to bully others, please click here.
Educate
Take advantage of free, easy-to-access educational opportunities. USA Swimming’s Safe Sport team is providing educational webinars focused on bullying, how to spot it, and how to address it. You can find recording here.
Bonus: Show this bullying prevention video to athletes and have a conversation about it afterwards.
Speak Up and Be Inclusive
If you see something, say something. According to stopbullying.gov, when adults quickly and consistently respond to bullying, it can stop the behavior. We know coaches have a huge influence on athletes, and when they continue to promote positive team culture it shows in athlete development.
Report
Your club or program should have the proper policies and action plans to address bullying. USA Swimming members are required to annually acknowledge the resources below:
All bullying issues should be reported to your club or program. Please click here for an example letter.
For additional questions, please reach out to USA Swimming Safe Sport at safesport@usaswimming.org.