“The end of bullying begins with you.” As the national bullying prevention center, Pacer endorses this motto and raises awareness about bullying prevention by providing information, facts and other resources to educate communities about bullying.

You might think that the days of being pushed into lockers and having your milk money stolen are in the past and that you don’t have to worry about bullying anymore. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Pacer reported one in three students are bullied in elementary school. But what people often fail to take into account is that bullying can happen as teenagers or adults, too.

In 2006, Pacer named October “National Bullying Prevention Month,” and it continues to partner with hundreds of schools and organizations – like Facebook, CNN, Disney and Yahoo! Kids – every year in an effort to end bullying in classrooms across the country.

Bullying constitutes any instance when one person attempts to intimidate, humiliate or physically, verbally or emotionally harm another to force the victim to do what the bully wants. This form of persecution comes in many forms. From being teased on the playground, pressured to drink alcohol or do drugs, being singled out and unjustly criticized in the workplace, being physically or verbally threatened in a relationship or at home, or harassed or tormented on the Internet, bullying can happen to anyone, anywhere.

Traditionally, bullying was viewed as a “childhood rite of passage” because it would make kids tougher. However, any type of bullying can cause the victim to experience serious and severe lasting problems like low self-esteem, increased anxiety, low productivity and depression.

I think at the college age, bullying is difficult to address. Victims of bullying often feel weak or embarrassed, which might cause them to brush the situation aside or not admit they are being bullied. This can be especially true for college-aged people who want to prove their independence. However, there’s never an excuse for letting someone have power over you through intimidation or humiliation to get you to do something.

Pacer celebrates Unity Day on Oct. 22 as a way to culminate the month’s efforts and recognize the fact that bullying can be reduced and the effects of bullying can be prevented, especially when the community works together to eradicate the problem.

Taking part in Unity Day is an easy way for people to show support for the end of bullying. Last year, Minnesota took part and dressed the 55.5-foot Jolly Green Giant statue an orange toga, bullying prevention’s designated color, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. The vegetable company also created the “Raise a Giant” campaign, in which it partners with Pacer to encourage adults to write letters to children about standing up to bullies.

Bullying is not an issue that people should take lightly, and it is something people of every age can rally against. People need to be aware that this can happen at any stage in life, but addressing the issue early will prevent it. Don’t allow someone to make you a victim of bullying.

Claire Noack can be reached at noac8702@stthomas.edu.