“Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” In today’s world, words and pictures may actually harm students physically and psychologically if they are used in the form of cyber bullying. With October being Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, the critical questions to be asked are: Is bullying a part of growing up? How can schools teach students and other stakeholders about bullying since a third of middle school and high school students have reported being bullied during the school year?

Whether it is direct bullying such as physical or verbal aggressions or indirect bullying such as cyber bullying, the bullying of today is quite different from the bullying of the past. In fact, it is not just a part of “growing up” as noted by President Obama at a White House’s Conference on Bullying Prevention. It is the number one problem in schools according to Kaiser Family Foundation. Students are facing a high level of depression and anxiety when they are bullied verbally, physically and electronically. Thus, we must expose our children and adults to anti-bullying prevention programs to help them better understand how to cope and prevent bullying in the schools.

Ronald Holmes’ latest book is on “How to Eradicate Bullying.” The book addresses what schools can do to prevent bullying, and it helps students to understand what to do if they are bullied. It is what every parent, teacher and administrator needs to know for understanding and addressing the dangers and seriousness of bullying. To order the book, visit: Amazon.com; Barnes and Noble or Authorhouse.com

In addition to the new book, The Holmes Education Post and Einestine Technology Services have created an Online National Anti-Bullying Curriculum. The program is a whole-school approach to bullying which involves all stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, community representatives, etc.) Schools that are interested in incorporating an anti-bullying curriculum can preview a free 5 minute pilot of the online program on The Holmes Education Post by clicking the link “Bullying Curriculum.”

For additional information, schools can also contact us at [email protected]. The program is now available and can be adapted to fit any school district or school’s brand. It is made available in multiple platforms including OSX, Android, Windows and is device agnostic (tablet, phone, laptop).

Let’s promote bullying prevention year long and provide our students an academic environment that is conducive to learning and free from any forms of harassment, intimidation and bullying.

Dr. Ronald Holmes is the author of 10 books, “How to Eradicate Bullying” “Education Questions to be Answered,” “Current Issues and Answers in Education,” “How to Eradicate Hazing,” “Professional Career Paths,” “Your Answers to Education Questions,” “How to revitalize the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.” “Completing the Dissertation: Tips, techniques and real-life experiences from Ph.D. graduates.” “Jacob’s Dream, A Story of Careers for Children” and Jacob’s Dream, A Story of Animals in Africa. He is publisher of “The Holmes Education Post,” an education focused Internet newspaper.  Holmes is a former teacher, school administrator and district superintendent. He can be reached at [email protected]