Every day more than 160,000 students miss school. This absence is not due to illness; it is because of a fear of being bullied. On Oct. 4th and 5th, Highmark Healthy High 5, an initiative of the Highmark Foundation, held the Bullying Prevention Institute at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pa. Bell Pottinger USA worked with Highmark to create a communications plan designed to raise awareness about the issue of bullying as well as the resources that are available to teachers, parents and community leaders.
“Bullying is a serious public health issue that affects countless children and adolescents every day,” said Aaron Walton, chairman of the board of the Highmark Foundation. “The Highmark Foundation believes it is important to support anti-bullying efforts since bullying is correlated with increased reports of physical illness in children and adolescents. We are committed to bringing together bullying prevention experts, community organizations, educators and state agencies to develop solutions to help address this issue facing children and schools.”
Bullying can be extremely painful and humiliating. Children who are bullied are more likely to suffer from depression and low self-esteem. One of the newer forms of bullying happens on-line or electronically. Cyberbullying is when children or teens bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology.
This can include:
- Sending mean text, e-mail or instant messages
- Posting nasty pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Web sites
- Using someone else’s user name to spread rumors or lies
The Bullying Prevention Institute will provide the tools and resources that school administrators, counselors, educators, school nurses, policy makers and social workers need to create or improve the bullying prevention programs in their schools.
About Highmark Healthy High 5
Highmark Healthy High 5 is a five-year, $100 million initiative of the Highmark Foundation aimed to reverse the current trends in children's health and to promote lifelong healthy habits in children throughout the 49 counties served by the Highmark Foundation.
Highmark Healthy High 5 addresses five critical children's health issues, including nutrition, physical activity, self-esteem, grieving and bullying prevention — through education, communications, volunteerism, grants and programming.
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About Bell Pottinger USA
Bell Pottinger USA (BPUSA), part of the number 1 PR Group, Bell Pottinger, in the UK, is a strategic public relations firm based in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. BPUSA is a full-service, multi-disciplinary public relations, government affairs and marketing services agency and serves all sectors, including technology, healthcare, education, non-profit, consumer, travel and tourism. For more information, please visit www.bellpottingerusa.com or call Managing Director, Marlin Collingwood, on +1 617 210 4755.
