Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring October 2026, as National Bullying Prevention Month in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommend the Mayor and Council read, approve, and present proclamation to Dr. Joseph Bostic, Jr., Principal, Wootton High School, Alicia Deeny, Principal, Richard Montgomery High School, Rhoshanda Pyles, Principal, Rockville High School, and Craig W. Stanton, Principal, Julius West Middle School.
Discussion
October is National Bullying Prevention Month.
Bullying is often associated with childhood, but it does not always end after adolescence. A YouGov survey found that two-thirds of British adults reported being bullied at some point in their lives, and 21% experienced bullying as adults. Bullying has significant impacts on mental health and can greatly affect a person’s personal and professional life, making it essential to recognize the signs when they appear.
For leaders, understanding and addressing bullying in the workplace is critical to safeguarding employees’ mental health and fostering a productive, engaged environment.
In past generations, bullying was sometimes dismissed as a “rite of passage” that supposedly made children more resilient. In reality, bullying can have severe and long-lasting effects, including loss of self-esteem, anxiety disorders, depression, and even harm to those who engage in bullying behaviors.
National Bullying Prevention Month exists to confront bullying in all its forms by educating communities and empowering those affected. This year, we ask: What do we most need to understand about National Bullying Prevention Month?
This year’s focus is on bullying among adolescents. Each August, “Don’t Be a Bully Month” raises awareness of the dangers and long-term impacts of bullying, including damage to self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and social isolation. The observance encourages kindness, compassion, acceptance, and inclusivity to help prevent bullying. The City of Rockville, Maryland, has combined the August and October observances to raise awareness during October while school is in session.
The City of Rockville has reached out to the principals of the three high schools and one middle school attended by Rockville students to offer support for their efforts to address and eliminate bullying. Bullying has devastating effects on children and families, including school avoidance, declining academic performance, decreased attendance, loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression.
Bullying can take many forms: verbal, physical, social exclusion, or digital harassment through email, texts, or social media. Unlike mutual teasing or conflict, bullying occurs when one person or group holds more perceived power than another and uses that power to harm or intimidate-whether through repeated physical assaults, threats, exclusion, or other forms of harassment. The impact of bullying can be severe, affecting self-image, social relationships, academic performance, and overall mental health, potentially leading to depression, anxiety, substance use, or even suicidal thoughts.
Statistics show the scope of the problem:
• 90% of middle school students report experiencing harassment or bullying.
• 30% of youth ages 12-18 report being bullied at school.
• Students ages 12-18 report being made fun of (13%), being the subject of rumors (12%), being physically harmed (5%), being excluded on purpose (5%), being threatened (4%), being coerced (3%), or having property destroyed (2%).
As a result, an estimated 160,000 students miss school each day due to fear of bullying. Victims and even teachers may hesitate to report bullying due to fears of job loss, retaliation, or not being believed. Long-term consequences include depression, violent behavior, decreased productivity, and a significantly higher likelihood-2.2 times-of developing suicidal thoughts.
National Bullying Prevention Month is a timely reminder for organizations and communities to take local action to foster safe, supportive environments. Bullying-whether through hostile remarks, discrimination, or intimidation-must not be tolerated in schools, workplaces, or neighborhoods.
By promoting kindness, inclusiveness, and respect, we can help build environments where every person feels valued. Together, we can all work toward eliminating bullying and building a more compassionate community.
Let us all commit to recognizing bullying, understanding its signs, calling it out, and actively working to prevent and eliminate it.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council proclaim this proclamation annually.