2022 The Year We STAND – The Why
It’s a new year! Many of us are making resolutions to try harder, do better, and make changes. Let’s make a resolution (or resolutions!) to create habits of empathy and kindness in our families, schools, and communities.
Bullying is impactful and can affect everyone – those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Acting now and taking a STAND against bullying is critical for safety, mental health, resilience, regaining hope, recovery, and moving forward.
There are three types of bullying: verbal, social, and physical. Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. None of these types of bullying are acceptable. We must STAND as we work together to decrease bullying in our society.
Empathy is when we understand things from another person’s perspective. It is critical to building a healthy society. Empathy helps us understand each other. When you really see others, we can be more aware, gain perspective, decrease hostility, and promote kindness. Empathy helps us to respect the thoughts and feelings of others. It can calm anxiety and fear and help us control our emotions.
Our mission at STAND is to increase empathy and empower upstanders. As we think about changes we can make, here are a few tips to help us be more successful with making and keeping resolutions.
- Be a role model, aka, practice what you preach.
- Keep a positive approach to resolutions.
- Suggest, but don’t dictate, ideas for change.
- Narrow down the resolution list to just a few, manageable choices.
- Make family resolutions together, rather than solely focusing on individual changes. 6. Take small steps towards big resolutions.
- Follow up, but don’t nag. Support one another in your new goals!
Are you ready to keep your resolution to stop bullying?
Resources:
How to Make New Year’s Resolutions with Kids
Parenting: Teaching kids empathy and reduce anxiety, bullying