It’s Bullying Prevention Week in Mobile County and MCPSS schools are working with the Mobile County Coalition Against Bullying to encourage students around the county that “Bullying Ends With Me.”

Each day this week features a different theme related to bullying prevention:

• Monday: Get the Facts about Bullying
• Tuesday: It’s Cool to Care: Don’t be a Bystander
• Wednesday: How to Respond to a Bully
• Thursday: Respect Others on Social Media
• Friday: Unite Together

Schools throughout the county are holding anti-bullying rallies and students are signing bully-free pledge cards and banners. Some schools are holding their own unique activities as well, such as the creation of an anti-bullying tree and anti-bullying quilt at Augusta Evans, the designing of superhero masks at Leinkauf Elementary and Socktober at North Mobile K-8, which will be collecting socks for the homeless.

Bullying is defined in the MCPSS Student Code of Conduct as follows: “A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.”

It can come in many forms: physical and verbal bullying, being threatened or forced to act, being excluded or gossiped about, having property taken or damaged, racial bullying, and cyberbullying.

The Student Code of Conduct also includes a statement against all forms of bullying: “It is the policy of the Mobile County Board of School Commissioners that all of its students have an educational setting that is safe, secure and free from harassment and bullying of any kind. The board will not tolerate bullying and harassment of any type.”

Mobile County Public Schools utilizes several research-based programs to combat bullying in its schools, including the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Capturing Kids’ Hearts, The Leader In Me, and Positive Intervention Behavior & Supports. The system also takes advantage of several community programs such as the Helping Families Initiative and Bully Blocker from the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, family intervention programs from the Mobile Police Department and mentoring programs by 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile and other groups.