Bullying has gotten a lot of long overdue attention in recent years, and many schools across the country are now instituting policies and programs to raise awareness about bullying and help to fight against this destructive behavior.

In different locations certain weeks are set aside each year specifically to recognize bullying in ways that help to bring home the problem to both children and adults.

October is a very busy month in this regard.

This week, October 22 through 28 is recognized as National Bully Awareness week. Meanwhile, in Kansas and some other locations, different weeks are used on a local basis. In Kansas, October 1-8 was their week to raise awareness about bullying. And in Canada they use a week in November, from the 12th through the 17th.

It really does not matter when you choose to discuss this topic with your students, and it does not matter in what way you choose to address the matter, but it is more and more apparent that the problem is real, and damaging, and needs to be addressed at some time and in some fashion.

One way to do so is to research various approaches that have been found to work.

One such approach we recommend is the Olweus program, which is used by many schools and districts. Another equally good program is called Bullies to Buddies and is based on the work of psychologist Izzy Kalman. A little time invested in researching the methodology of these programs will pay off handsomely when implemented in your school.

Of course, whenever a program is being started, it helps to have a kickoff so that students recognize that change is afoot. A perfect way to stage such a kickoff is through the use of a great school assembly devoted to the topic and based in the same principals as the anti bullying techniques you intend to implement.

Mobile Ed offers two different bullying programs suitable for this very purpose. Stronger Than a Bully and The No Bully Zone are both based on techniques derived from the programs mentioned above and are perfectly suited to serve as a kickoff for your campaign.

But even after the kickoff of an anti bullying or bully awareness campaign in your school, it does not hurt and certainly can help to drop in an occasional assembly of the same sort just as a reminder and a refresher course in this most important topic. Our bullying programs serve schools throughout the year.

So, whether you chose to participate this year in one of the various “Bully Awareness Weeks” or not, there is never a bad time to start raising awareness. The sooner you do, the sooner you may change the behavior of that one child who will then fail later to drive some other child to despair or worse.

Give us a call and see when we will be in your area. You will be very glad you did!

Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN