No one likes to be bullied

Simply put, bullying is a behavior that scares or harms another person on purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Bullying usually happens over and over. Through Highmark Healthy High 5, the Highmark Foundation is focusing attention on how this growing health epidemic is hurting our children and adolescents, and we're helping to find solutions.

Bullying among kids can cause both physical and emotional harm, whether it is directed at others through physical behavior, verbal exchanges or through cyberspace such as e-mails, text messages or blogs.

Children who are bullied can develop a poor self-image, become depressed, avoid school, or even carry weapons for protection. And kids who bully are at risk for problems in school and later in life.

We urge you to take the time to talk to our kids about bullying. Talk with your child's teachers and school officials, too. It's important to have an open dialogue with your kids so that problems can be identified and proper channels can be used to reach solutions.

On the pages of this Web site, Highmark Healthy High 5 provides tips for parents and others to use to join the effort to tackle bullying.

Bullying Prevention Tips for Parents
If you're a parent, you can help stop or prevent bullying. It's not a rite of passage and its effects can last well into adulthood. Talk with your child about bullying.

See the following Bullying Prevention Tips for Parents pages:

Media Partners
Highmark Healthy High 5 has four media partners that help inform parents about Highmark Healthy High 5 and ways to prevent bullying. These media partners offer news, feature stories, video vignettes and other content related to our bullying prevention efforts. Learn more.

Bullying Prevention Poster/Downloads
Bullying is becoming a national epidemic and is one of the fastest growing issues facing schools today. You can stop or prevent bullying in your child's school. Our posters call attention to the issue. Learn more.