The full month of October is National Bullying Prevention Month (U.S.). The purpose of celebrating this month is to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to educate about the dangers of bullying. Schools may wish to use these activities in the classroom, use these free materials to hand out flyers or share posts on their social media channels, or participate in these special days:
- World Day of Bullying Prevention: On October 6, 2025, communities are encouraged to wear blue to show support.
- Unity Day: On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, people are encouraged to wear orange to symbolize unity and send a visible message of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
Schools may also take advantage of this special month to kick off year-round bullying prevention programming at their school. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is rated as a Promising program and is approved for implementation by schools funded with WV DoHS’ Bureau for Behavioral Health Expanded School Mental Health grants. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program was brought to West Virginia by WV DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health (BBH) using grant funds in 2023 and is implemented by several schools in West Virginia.
The Olweus Program (pronounced Ol-VAY-us) is a comprehensive approach that includes schoolwide, classroom, individual, and community components. The program is focused on long-term change that creates a safe and positive school climate. It is designed and evaluated for use in elementary, middle, junior high and high schools (K-12). The program’s goals are to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children and to improve peer relations at school. The program has been found to reduce bullying among students, improve the social climate of classrooms, and reduce related antisocial behaviors, such as vandalism and truancy. The Olweus Program has been implemented in more than a dozen countries around the world, and in thousands of schools in the United States. (source: Clemson University)
WV Schools Implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Fayette County – Fayetteville PK-8, Meadow Bridge PK-12, Oak Hill Middle School, Valley PK-8
- Mercer County – Bluefield Intermediate, Mercer School
- Pleasants County – Belmont Elementary, Pleasants Middle, St. Mary’s Elementary, St. Mary’s High
- Pocahontas County – Greenbank Elementary-Middle, Marlinton Elementary, Marlinton Middle, Pocahontas County High
- Randolph County – Elkins Middle
- Tucker County – Davis-Thomas Elementary-Middle
If your school is interested in using the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, please reach out to the Marshall University School Health Technical Assistance Center for assistance.