The Department of Public Safety will commemorate National Bullying Prevention Month by continuing to raise awareness this month.
National Bullying Prevention Month is designed to educate both children and adults about the importance of bullying prevention. Newark Police Division and the Newark Public Schools are developing a strong partnership to educate and bring awareness to the problem of bullying.
As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, School Resource Officers and police personnel assigned to provide juvenile services are meeting with students throughout the City of Newark to spread the message of prevention, safety and support to students in the area of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) policies.
One of every five students reports being bullied during the school year. The percentage of individuals who have experienced cyber bullying has nearly doubled over the past decade.
As a result, school resource officers are training students on preventing, recognizing and knowing what they should do if they or someone they know becomes the target of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying occurs online or via social media and often goes unnoticed by parents and teachers because it is less overt than physical bullying.
“During National Bullying Prevention Month, Newark students will become empowered to recognize and report this behavior whenever they see it, online or otherwise,” Director Ambrose said. “Our officers will train students about the impact bullying has on its victims and how to be proactive in keeping our schools and neighborhoods safe.”
The Newark Police Division will continue offering anti-bullying training to strengthen awareness beyond the month of October.