Faith-Community Responses to Bullying

Among Children and Youth 

[To be used in bulletin inserts/newsletters of faithbased organizations]

Bullying among children

Bullying among children increasingly is viewed 

as a serious problem. Although many people view

bullying behavior as a normal part of growing up,

researchers are learning that bullying can cause

emotional, health, and academic problems for

children who are bullied and can also negatively

affect children who are bystanders to bullying.

Bullying others can be an early sign of serious

antisocial or violent behavior among children 

and youth.

Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves an

imbalance of power or strength among those

involved. Typically, it is repeated over time. Bullying

can take many forms, such as hitting or punching

(physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal

bullying); intimidation through gestures or social

exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional

bullying); and sending insulting messages by phone

or e-mail (cyberbullying). Unlike fighting, which

often takes place in a single episode, bullying often

occurs again and again.

How faith communities can help

As children grow in faith, they often develop an

understanding of how best to relate to others. They

may learn acceptance, tolerance, mutual respect,

and love from those around them. Children’s

participation in spiritual communities of faith often

has a profound influence on how they react when

confronted with bullying and other forms of aggression

or violence. Several ways in which faith-communities

can address bullying include the following:

Messages from the spiritual leader (not all

religions offer guidance from a pulpit)

For children and youth who bully, who are bullied, 

or who are bystanders to bullying, many meaningful

messages can be told. Stories from sacred readings

can be used to illustrate the favor granted to those

who love others and seek ways of peace. To console

and help those children who have been bullied,

stories from sacred readings can be used to show

that historically many good and righteous people

have been persecuted. Also, many scriptures 

address the role of bystanders, imploring those who

see bullying to take on roles similar to that of the

“Good Samaritan.”

Creating a safe haven

Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of

worship often provide safe havens and a comforting

atmosphere for children. Other places connected to

places of worship (child care centers or schools) can

be made safer for children by including supervisors

who are trained to recognize and deal appropriately

with bullying behavior.

Helping families deal with bullying

Faith-communities often provide a place for families

of children involved in bullying to discuss how best

to address this issue. Resources can be made

available and formal or informal discussion groups

might be brought together to dialogue how

bullying behavior can be prevented and what to do

should bullying occur.
These and other materials are available online at: www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

Youth programs

Those involved with youth programs frequently are

in positions to know which children are most likely

to be troubled by bullying behavior. Organizers can

reinforce messages of appropriate conduct to

children and alert parents of children who are at

risk for bullying behavior. Most important, leaders

of youth programs can create caring and learning

environments where children feel safe and know

that bullying behavior is not allowed.

Supporting community efforts

Faith-communities also can help by supporting

other community efforts aimed at reducing

bullying. Many schools, youth groups, non profit

organizations, law enforcement agencies, and other

youth-serving social institutions, are addressing

bullying through different approaches. Where

appropriate, faith-communities can join in

awareness-raising campaigns, the implementation

of bullying prevention programs, and the

development of bullying prevention policies.

Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. 

Stop Bullying Now.

For more information about bullying, visit

www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov.