South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 4346


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A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021, AS "BE A BRAVE YOU DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN ORDER TO HELP SPREAD AWARENESS OF BULLYING AND TO ENCOURAGE ANTI-BULLYING EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE BULLYING THAT OCCURS IN EVERY AGE GROUP.

Whereas, "Be A BRAVE You Day" is an anti-bullying initiative created and introduced in schools throughout the State by Marler Askew, Miss South Carolina Collegiate America 2021; and

Whereas, BRAVE stands for Building Respect And Values for Everyone, and is an initiative created to encourage children and parents to learn about bullying and what they can do to prevent it; and

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System report for 2017, 19 percent of high school students nationwide reported they were bullied on school property during the twelve months before the survey; and

Whereas, the CDC also reported in the 2019 Interpersonal Violence Victimization Among High School Students--Youth Risk Behavior Survey of the United States, of the students surveyed, 19.5 percent reported bullying on school property, and 15.7 percent reported electronic bullying victimization during the previous twelve months; and

Whereas, according to the website StopBullying.gov, managed by the United State Department of Health and Human Services, children who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues, to include depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, health complaints, decreased academic achievement and school participation. Children who are bullied are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school, and the mental health issues may persist into adulthood; and

Whereas, meanwhile, children who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. They are more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults; get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school; have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults; and be abusive toward romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults; and

Whereas, lastly, children who witness bullying are impacted negatively as well. These youth are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs; have increased mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and miss or skip school; and

Whereas, "Be a BRAVE You Day" provides an opportunity for schoolchildren to learn about the many aspects of bullying, including the signs that someone is being bullied, the effects that bullying can have on a person, how to get help if you or someone you know is being bullied, and how to recover from any bullying situation; and

Whereas, in order to support this State's youth and to end bullying, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives encourage teachers to use "Be a BRAVE You Day" as an opportunity to address bullying, which can happen at all ages and cause significant negative health effects. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize Friday, September 10, 2021, as "Be a BRAVE You Day" in South Carolina in order to help spread awareness of bullying and to encourage anti-bullying efforts to combat the bullying that occurs in every age group.

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This web page was last updated on May 6, 2021 at 10:49 AM