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Combat Bullying in Schools: 4 Empowering Steps for Students

Teeth are the number one feature bullies focus in on – with space between teeth, missing teeth and shape or color of teeth coming in as some of the top features targeted.

“It’s time … it’s time to make it stop,” said Kirk Smalley, founder of Stand for the Silent, referring to bullying in general.

Stand for the Silent has fast become one of the leading and most effective anti-bullying organizations by reaching more than 1,505,000 kids in nearly 1,500 schools. The mission is simple – bring awareness to bullying and the real devastation it causes.

Students, start making a difference today with these four steps:

1. Educate yourself and your peers.

Stand for the Silent found when students tell a trusted adult about bullying, they believe things only get better 18% of the time.

Thousands of incidents and tragedies reveal school administrators cannot intervene and prevent incidents from happening if they do not know about them. It takes a team effort. Students, teachers, parents, community members and social media community members need to be equipped with awareness and tools to get the right information to the right people at the right place at the right time, so they can make it stop.

You are somebody. You can be a hero.

2. Practice empathetic awareness.

Become part of a culture of caring. Step back and strive to understand other people’s emotions and perspectives, as well as how they may respond to certain situations. Don’t just sit back when you notice something. You have the power to intervene. Stand for the Silent teaches us that the fear of getting involved is temporary, but the regret you have for not is permanent.

3. Pledge to be the change.

Take the Stand for the Silent pledge, “From this day forward, I promise to respect those around me as well as respect myself. I am somebody, and I can make a difference. I can make another feel loved. I can be the helping hands that leads another back to the path of hope and aspiration. I will not stand silent as others try to spread hatred through my community. Instead, I pledge to lift up those victims and show them that their life matters. I will be the change, because I am somebody!”

4. Start your own chapter.

Choose to stand for the silent by starting a chapter at your own school. Have all members signs a pledge card, find an adult sponsor, vote to appoint officers, create a name and mission, determine a meeting location and meeting times. Follow this more detailed step-by-step guide to get started.

The bottom line – you are somebody, and you can make a difference.

Stand for the Silent runs solely off donations from those who support its mission. Help them reach 100,000 more kids by making a donation at gofundme.com/help-sfts-reach-100000-more-kids. Interested in sponsoring a Stand fort the Silent presentation at a school near you? Learn more at standforthesilent.org/schools/host-a-presentation.

For National Bullying Prevention Month and National Orthodontic Health Month, AAO challenged it’s 19,000 member orthodontists to come together in the fight against bullying. Orthodontists worldwide are pledging to stand for the silent and encouraging their patients to do the same.

Together, we can set it straight.