Bullying - Pledge to help STOP bullying and enter to win a $25 gift card

As a mother of three, I have faced many incidents where my children were being bullied.  And quite honestly, I actually can remember times in my own childhood where I was bullied.  And even worse, it has actually happened to me as an adult.  With all that being said, I'm even sadder to tell you that just yesterday a young man in my community took his own life to end his torture.  I can NOT imagine the pain that rips through the hearts of his parents knowing that they couldn't protect their child from bullies.  Sixteen year olds should be having the time of their life not taking it by their own hand.  I only hope that school administrators will take serious actions to put a STOP to the madness and punish the bullies to the fullest extent allowable under the system and even through the courts.  Kids have to learn that there are consequences for their actions and that being a bully and tormenting someone is not acceptable.

Ironically, this all occurred at the same time I was invited to write a blog post about Green Giant and their partnership with PACERS National Bullying Prevention Center and We Day Minnesota to help parents Raise a Giant and put a stop to bullying in their community.

What does it mean to be a giant?  It isn't about being the biggest or the best.  It means standing up for others!  It means lending a hand to someone in trouble or needs a helping hand.  Studies show that the most effective way to stop a bully is to speak up and say "that's not okay" but that's a tough thing to do sometimes.  And that's why we need your help.  We're asking parents to write a letter to their kids telling them how they are special and encouraging them to be a part of bullying prevention.  Please visit RaiseAGiant.com to read letters written by other parents (including myself) and to post your own.  I also challenge you to spread the word with your friends and challenge them to become a part of the movement.

**Disclaimer - The information and prize pack were provided by Green Giant through MyBlogSpark.

Check out this video about how to Raise a Giant.

I did a little research on my own and did you know that 75% of kids admit to being bullied at least once in their school career?  Did you know that bullies usually suffer from a dysfunctional home life, suffer from a bad past social experience, or act out of pure jealousy?  Did you know that being a bully sets a pattern for antisocial behavior that can stick with a person through-out their entire life? And that bullies are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke, use illegal drugs, drop out of school, and commit crimes.  Did you know that victims are more prone to suffer from anxiety and low self-esteem that may cause them to become violent, commit suicide, or seek revenge through school shootings or bombings.  Do you see the seriousness of this problem?  

Let's pledge to make a change and STOP this madness.  Together we can make the world a better place!
I only wish it wasn't too late for Josh, the young man I spoke of earlier.

*I received no compensation for writing this post however a donation in the name of Crazy with the Crawfords was made to the PACER's Center for Bully Prevention.

 General Mills through MyBlogSpark supplied me with a $25 gift card to give away.  Enter to win by commenting below that you have visited the RaiseAGiant.com  and become an active participant in this movement by writing a letter and what you plan to do to help STOP the madness of bullying.  A winner will be drawn on September 30th. and announced here.  Winner will have 24 hours to contact me with their info.