For Club Kids, Promoting Positivity is the Key to Bullying Prevention

For nearly 15 years, October has been nationally recognized as #BullyingPreventionMonth and utilized as a platform to educate children, adults, schools, and communities about bullying prevention. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, we work hard every day to provide safe, fun environments in which our members can learn and thrive. To achieve these environments it’s essential to teach our youth about healthy relationships, the detrimental effects of bullying, and the importance of creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone at our Clubs.

Bullying is defined as acts of aggression that reflect a real or perceived power imbalance. It is typically a repeated action and can be verbal, social, physical, or cyber-based. According to the United States Government’s Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention, led by the Department of Education and Department of Human Health Services, 1 in 5 students between the ages of 12 and 18 experience bullying. According to the same interagency, bullying can result in reduced interest or avoidance of school and activities, decreased achievement, lowered self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Youth who bully others are more likely to get in fights, vandalize property, drop out of school, be abusive in romantic relationships, abuse drugs, and alcohol, and generally commit crimes as adults.

Our mission at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South is to “nurture strong minds, healthy bodies, and community spirit through youth-driven, high-impact programming in safe and fun environments.” We understand that bullying prevention within our Clubs and among our members is a critical part of setting our kids on the path to #GreatFutures. By setting high expectations, fostering a sense of belonging, and providing opportunities for growth and development for all of our members, we aim to empower our youth to become caring and responsible young adults.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, our number one priority is member safety. This means creating a culture of acceptance and a safe environment where positive peer to peer interactions take place. We believe that youth need to learn about the importance of positive relationships, conflict resolution, and confidence through working with mentors, educational activities, and positive through reinforcement. 

According to a nationwide bullying study conducted in 2018 by Ditch the Label, an anti-bullying charity, over a third of bullies surveyed said that they do not spend a lot of time with their parents or guardians. A similar number also said that they experience arguments at home every day. Many reported that they had experienced trauma in the last 5 years - including their parents divorcing or the loss of a family member, or even the birth of a sibling. According to this study, other factors that contribute to bullying behavior include decreased access to education, insecurity in relationships, or low self-esteem linked to experiencing bullying themselves. 

Most generally, bullying stems from poor stress management, inability to build positive relationships, and low self-esteem. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, we offer programs that help youth develop these crucial skills. Positive Social-Emotional Development is one of our most important goals for our members. Social-emotional development improves youth's readiness to learn, self-confidence, behavior, academic performance, and overall personal development. Nurturing our members’ development not only helps to prevent bullying, it is also vital to their successful futures in society. Socially and emotionally competent youth are better prepared to navigate the world around them and are more likely to succeed in school, at our Clubs, and in life. 

88% of our members feel safer at our Clubs compared to other places, according to an April 2019 survey of our member’s attitudes about their Club experience.

Our Clubs run targeted programming specially designed to help foster our youth’s personal development. Passport to Manhood engages adolescent boys in discussions and activities that reinforce character, leadership, and positive behavior as they make the transition from adolescence to manhood. 2 out of 3 bullies are males, and boys are statistically less likely to positively cope with their emotions than girls. For our female members, our SMART Girls program helps adolescent girls explore their attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care, and developing positive relationships with peers and adults. These crucial programs prepare our members for positive conflict resolution, help them build self-awareness and confidence, and provide them with platforms to discuss their values and beliefs. 

Beyond these small group programs, we also strive to create opportunities for our members to form meaningful, positive relationships with a variety of mentors. Mentors at our Clubs include our excellent team of youth development professionals, Club alumni, and older current members. Buddy Chats are group-based mentoring activities that provide a platform for our members to open up to staff and to each other. Every Friday afternoon, youth are divided by grade level and groups are given their own space to discuss relevant, potentially difficult topics such as bullying or mental health. They also discuss resources and techniques to help them face these kinds of issues and talk about what they can do to prevent negative situations for themselves and their peers. 

Personal responsibility, commitment to others, and high standards of conduct are also encouraged and formally recognized through our Member of the Month and Youth of the Year programs. Each month, one member from our 5 to12-year-old pre-teen cohort and one member from our 13 to 18-year-old teen cohort is selected as a Member of the Month, an honor earned by demonstrating strong leadership and outstanding character. Our members are further encouraged to exhibit excellent character through our annual Youth of the Year competition, which is aligned with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year program and honors the extraordinary achievements of teenage Club members across the nation.

The high expectations and sense of belonging we work to foster at our Clubs let our members know that their opinions are heard and that they have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways and positively influence others. Providing our members with a sense of belonging and the opportunity for growth within our Clubs also helps them build a sense of pride in their actions and confidence in themselves. 

Bullying prevention runs much deeper than encouraging our members to use kind words. Through our programs focused on the whole person, social-emotional development, and mentoring, we are working against bullying by helping to build strong, resilient, and considerate young people who are poised to lead #greatfutures and lift up others along the way.