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H H S Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Maternal and Child Health

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Bullying Prevention Campaign

1. What does the campaign address?

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional (not accidental or done in fun) and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. Often, bullying is repeated over time. Bullying can take many forms, such as: hitting or punching, teasing or name-calling, intimidation through gestures, social exclusion, and sending insulting messages or pictures by mobile phone or using the Internet-also known as cyberbullying.

Studies show that between 15–25 percent of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency. Since bullying can impact children's educational success, and can have lasting social and emotional consequences, it is important to address this public health problem.  Youth who witness bullying often seriously affected.

Dating back to 2001, HRSA reviewed research and received feedback from health and safety, mental health, law enforcement and education professionals, that bullying was becoming a serious problem for American school children.  Since bullying can impact children's educational success, and can have lasting social and emotional consequences, HRSA invested in the issue through the Stop Bullying Now!  (SBN!) campaign.

2. Who do you reach?

The SBN! campaign serves children and adolescents, families, schools, community based organizations, and professionals who work with children and adolescents.

3. How do you reach them?

The SBN! campaign connects with its audience through the Web at www.stopbullying.gov. It also leverages partnerships with stakeholder organizations to receive ongoing feedback and to disseminate campaign materials.

4. What has been the impact of your program? Notable  Accomplishments?

When the SBN! Campaign began, only 9 states had legislation addressing bullying; today 45 states have legislation.  Very few resources to raise awareness about bullying as an issue that interfered with positive youth development were available when HRSA began addressing bullying.  The SBN! Campaign’s Goals were to raise awareness, identify prevention and intervention best practices and to foster and strengthen partnerships.  Today the SBN! Campaign has over 80 active partners and six federal Departments (HHS, Education, Interior, Justice, Defense, Agriculture) are working together to collaborate and coordinate bullying prevention activities.  

SBN! Educational resources have been disseminated to all public elementary and middle schools, all libraries, all Boys and Girls Clubs, all 4H Clubs, all National Organizations for Youth Safety members, all FBI Community Outreach Specialists, all National Association of School Resources Officers members, all National Association of School Nurses, School Counselors, School psychologists, all Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics and many more.

5. What are your future goals?

The SBN! Campaign will develop training modules for high school students, health, safety, education, law enforcement, early childhood, mental health professionals

6. Do you have any Special partnerships?

Partnerships are the cornerstone of the Stop Bullying Now! campaign. Currently, the Campaign has creative and strategic support from agencies from within six federal Departments: Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, Interior, Justice, and Agriculture.  Also joining the effort is The Cartoon Network (CN) which is the Stop Bully Now! Campaign’s first corporate sponsor.  

Campaign materials are distributed through more than 80 partnerships with organizations serving youth throughout the country.

7. Do you have resources you would like to make available?

All SBN! materials are available free of charge, and most can be accessed through the www.stopbullying.gov website. Materials can also be ordered via the HRSA Information Center website or by calling 1-888-ASK-HRSA.

For Children (5-13 years)

  • Website
  • Webisodes
  • TIME for Kids- Illustrated books
  • Games

For Parents and Families in English and Spanish

  • Website
  • Tip Sheets

For Professionals Working with Children

  • Website
  • Tip Sheets
  • Activities Guide
  • DVD Toolkit
  • Resource Kit
  • Print and Television PSAs
  • Posters