As we go about our daily lives, most of us want to bring an end to bullying. We know it is detrimental to the mental health of our nation’s youth and that that something must be done. As much as we want the issue addressed, most feel they can’t get as involved as they would like to. This is where donating to support the cause comes in because it literally gives an organization the tools and means to work on behalf of the collective conscious of those who want change. Stand for the Silent is on a mission to end bullying, and they need the financial support of those who want to make a difference in order for it to happen.
"This organization was started to make a meaningful difference with the bullying issue and to help save kids’ lives," says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. "I never want other families to live through what we have, losing our son to bullying.”
Smalley and his wife, Laura, started the organization following their 11-year-old son, ending his own life due to bullying. They turned their pain and loss into a mission of helping others. While she has since passed, he has spent countless hours traveling the country to give presentations about bullying to schools and communities. The programs have reached over 4.5 million students across the country, in more than 6,700 schools. With well over 100,000 schools in America, there are many more students that need the message needs to reach.
Among all the organization does, they help provide bullying prevention, offer intervention strategies, give tools and resources to families, schools, and communities, and more. They also encourage youth to take up campaigns at their school to address bullying, awarding college scholarships to those who have a stand-out effort.
Continuing this mission takes a financial village, to help cover the costs of everything involved in the programs. Stand for the Silent is reaching out to those who want to see the issue addressed and asking for a donation of a dollar for every person they know that has been impacted by bullying. Everyone knows at least one person who has been touched by bullying, and all those dollar donations will add up quickly to help support the work being done by the organization.
“I know most people want to help address the issue and don’t know how to get involved. By supporting us, we make it easier,” added Smalley. “We appreciate every donation we get and use it wisely to help address this important issue plaguing our youth.”
Not only is this an issue that impacts the country’s youth, but it transcends into our adult society as well. If we want a society of well adjusted adults, we need to start by addressing the bullying victimization in childhood. According to a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, youth victims of bullying grow up to have an increased risk in suicide attempts and higher anxiety disorder rates, along with an increased risk of heavy smoking. Those who are bullied as children also have increased risks of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and panic disorders even in their mid-20s. They report the findings of a 50-year study on bullying, which found that bully victimization as a child was found to impact adults with a higher risk of low parental socioeconomic status, low IQ, and a more emotional and behavioral problems.
To donate a dollar for every person you know touched by bullying and support the Stand for the Silent mission, click here. Those interested in getting involved can start a chapter of the group in their area, obtain a free K-2 bullying prevention curriculum or cyberbullying handbook for parents, host a presentation at their school, intro of how all started video, and donate to help support the cause. To get more information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/