Join American Girl on May 1 for Stop the Bullying Day

stop-bullyingThe primary story line behind the American Girl of the Year Doll for 2009, Chrissa Maxwell, is how to deal with bullies – in school, in sports, online and in all aspects of life. As part of the Chrissa’s mission, American Girl is deeming May 1 as “Stop the Bullying Day”.

The American Girl Place stores will be hosting special events for the day and the American Girl web site has a complete list of ways you can get involved, activities to do and the results of their “Stop the Bullying” poster contest.

I know this is a big topic for kids in all grades everywhere. My youngest daughter just helped one of our teenage friends do a public service announcement commercial on bullying for one of her high school classes. If she posts it on YouTube I will share it here – they talked about the issues they are facing as teens in school on bullying and by simply applying the “Golden Rule” so much of the bullying could be stopped. She had my daughter in the commercial at the end to reinforce that even the younger kids know to treat each other with respect, so the teens should be able to do it too.

Do your part to stop bullying in your schools May 1 and everyday by treating others with kindness and respect, and by speaking up when someone is being bullied.

Comments

60 Responses to “Join American Girl on May 1 for Stop the Bullying Day”

  1. Abby on April 6th, 2009 1:48 pm

    FIRSTIE!!! and cool but i already entered.

  2. Bookworm on April 6th, 2009 3:09 pm

    SECENDEE!

  3. Holly on April 6th, 2009 3:42 pm

    this is so great!! im so happy ag is doing something this important!

  4. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 4:09 pm

    I got bullied 2dayi’m sad . no one likes bullies,bullies GO AWAY!

  5. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 4:10 pm

    today a bully would’nt let me play with her tennis group,so i got in trouble and she yelled at me

  6. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 4:11 pm

    i’m happy ur daoughter isnt a bully char

  7. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 4:18 pm

    i saw the winners thry deserve it

  8. Antha 32 on April 6th, 2009 4:49 pm

    omg this is werid. today my whole grade got a big talk about bulling. it was long…… so did anyone from doll diaries win the poster contest?

  9. sarah on April 6th, 2009 5:14 pm

    Oh, so they announced the winners? Really? Where? Bullies are evil, ok, not really, they just ruin your life and make situations really tough. I’m glad that they are having this, maybe the girls (and boys) that are afraid to speak out about their bullying problems will come forward and have there parents or teachers help them. There is wayyyyy too much drama going on in schools these days!

  10. Starr on April 6th, 2009 5:36 pm

    My name should be a link to the winners, but if it doesn’t work, just go to the americangirl.com/girloftheyear website, and there will be a link that says “see our poster winners” or something. I hope this works!

  11. Lena on April 6th, 2009 5:46 pm

    It worked Starr.

    I know what you guys mean. I was never bullied cause I was “popular” (this was when I wet to public school) but my friends were, and it always made me sad. I always told the bullies to go away, and they did (fear the wrath of the popular kid!!! Mwuhahahahahhahaha! Ha!)

  12. sarah on April 6th, 2009 5:52 pm

    I was just reading the AMerican Girl Real Beauty book and I came across these 2 things:
    Have you been hurt by words? Remember this: People who insult others usually do it to make themselves feel powerful. Know what that means? They’re probably insecure. They are the ones that lack confidence, so try not to bend to the pressure to return their jabs with an insult.
    Then here’s one written by a girl:
    “If you listen to people who make fun of you, they’re achieving what they set out to do——make you miserable. If you ignore them, they get angry because it looks like what they’re doing doesn’t bother you. Even if it does hurt, try to act like it doesn’t.
    Good Advice AG :D !!!

  13. Sitara on April 6th, 2009 5:55 pm

    Wow, some of the eleven-thirteen year olds have really good ones! Take a look at the one of Chrissa , Gwen, and Sonali and the one by Anastasia. I’m too old to enter the contest, and I can’t draw that well…>:( Or I guess I draw differently, since I draw in a manga/anime style.

  14. Lena on April 6th, 2009 5:55 pm

    Hehe, that’s what I do…. I ignore them.

  15. Lena on April 6th, 2009 5:56 pm

    Yeah Sitara, I draw like that too, but mine is good…. or so the people on a certain drawing site tell me…..

  16. Lena on April 6th, 2009 5:57 pm

    And I’m too old to join the contest :mrgreen:

  17. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 6:14 pm

    :mrgreen: rock on

  18. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 6:15 pm

    lol hehe the posters r so cool

  19. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 6:16 pm

    lena,the test 4 mary sue on ur site is kinda um well innapropiate,ya know?!?

  20. priscilla on April 6th, 2009 6:17 pm

    yay it’s my sis’s birthday and 2 celebrate….we r eating…………A GIANT COOKIE!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!

  21. Lena on April 6th, 2009 6:39 pm

    Priscilla, that’s why I put a warning there.

  22. sarah on April 6th, 2009 7:24 pm

    Haha, that was really funny Lena!!! So what or who is Mary Sue?? OMG that rhymes!! Yeah, I’m glad you gave the warning, little kids shouldn’t read some of it, although little kids probably wouldn’t even go on the site, I bet little kids don’t even come on this site without parent permission.

  23. sarah on April 6th, 2009 7:26 pm

    Oh yeah, did you find out who kain was??? I could sense a *hint* of annoyince cause you didn’t know who he was…..

  24. Lena on April 6th, 2009 7:43 pm

    Hehe, yeah, he’s from some video game that does not interetst me.

    A Mary Sue is a character who is amazingly powerful, pretty, popular, and does absolutley nothing badly (like she can’t dance) A Mary Sue is very common in books, video games, and fan fiction. Based on every test I’ve taken, Rose isin’t one.

  25. Lena on April 6th, 2009 8:18 pm

    BTW, I wasn’t clear, a Sue who can’t dance is NOT a real Sue. Cause all Sue’s can dance.

  26. sarah on April 6th, 2009 8:31 pm

    Oh, haha thx Lena!! BTW, poor Tsuki!!! Wow, she is so loyal to Rose, I feel so bad that she was put through that test, she thought Rose, Vico, and Pete were her friends, but now she thinks otherwise. I really like your story, *ahem* soon to be book *wink wink*, if you ever get to it ;)

  27. Lena on April 6th, 2009 8:42 pm

    Would she have told him, sorry. But trust me, he’s very mean on the inside.

  28. Starr on April 7th, 2009 4:53 pm

    I really liked the one of Gwen, Chrissa, and Sonali. That was cute :)
    Some people say I draw well, but when I compare myself to others, I really am not that great. I can’t draw manga/anime type stuff, but I wish I could! My friend draws in that style really well.

  29. Lena on April 7th, 2009 5:37 pm

    I think I can’t draw well either Starr, but the people on the art site love me, so I guess……

    All the MM pics are in anime style, and BTW, my scanner is fixed, I’m just too lazy to photoshop the pics…

  30. jennifer on April 8th, 2009 5:06 pm

    awsome im going even tho school is open that day

  31. Bookworm on April 9th, 2009 3:13 pm

    I love Chrissa!

  32. Bookworm on April 9th, 2009 3:13 pm

    Which doll do you like best?

  33. Lena on April 9th, 2009 3:21 pm

    Bookworm, definatly Sonali. Her face is so pretty and her hair so fun to play with.

  34. Bookworm on April 10th, 2009 10:54 am

    I think sonali is really pretty too! I might buy her this summer.

  35. Jessica on April 12th, 2009 8:16 pm

    Bullying can be a serious issue. In fact, I left my old school because I was continually bullied by 97% of the girls in my grade. I never made a “totally true friend”. I was even punched once in the arm! I kept telling my parents. The school said they’d keep an eye on them, but they didn’t. They say where I live is one of the top 25 places to live to go to school, but it’s not all that true. There is so much bullying there, you will cry. I stood up for myself, so that’s pretty much what anyone has to do. I’m sorry if I break a rule about reilgion or something, but I truly believe that I didn’t have the courage until the day God gave it to me to defend myself. That’s when I really believed He got my back. :)

  36. Jessica on April 12th, 2009 8:17 pm

    And hi sorry if this sudden appearence was really deep. :mrgreen:
    I posted on IS Weekly. I need to post on Hawtshots soon. I’ll talk to Zoe about that tonight.

  37. priscilla on April 12th, 2009 8:31 pm

    hi jessica,ur right bullying is really serous,i always get bullied. i’m going 2 go check out is weekly now!

  38. priscilla on April 12th, 2009 8:32 pm

    oops i meant to write serious not serous lol

  39. Lena on April 12th, 2009 8:32 pm

    I never got bullied, cause I was “popular”, but my friends did and it always broke my heart. Especially my friend Nashmin after Sept 11 cause she’s a Muslim. That’s part of the reason we both homeschool now. (BTW, we were in 2nd grade back then)

  40. Lena on April 12th, 2009 8:32 pm

    Hey Priscilla!

  41. Sallie on April 13th, 2009 10:15 am

    Omg, yesterday morning was like so funny:) my sis woke me up at like, 6
    and i’m like, growl>:( we had to wait on the stairs and my kitty copper
    was locked in the laundry room she heard me cough and she starts meowing

    Me: Should we wake up mom & dad?
    Sis: No.
    Copper: MEOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!
    Me: Didja hear that?
    Sis: What?
    Copper: MEEEEOOOOOOOW!
    Me: That.
    Sis:No.

  42. priscilla on April 16th, 2009 10:22 am

    sallie,that’s so funny! how come she could’nt hear her meowing?

  43. Sallie on April 19th, 2009 1:12 pm

    idk it was really weird.

    I get bullied a LOT. It is totally not cool. I tell them to stop and they’re like,”We are not bullying you,” and i’m like, yeah you are
    It mean. I found a really bad not about me that’s horrible and it called me a cuss word so I’m not going to say what it said.
    (And Char would be SO MAD!!!!!)

  44. AG FAN on April 19th, 2009 1:33 pm

    have you spoken to your mum and dad or teacher?

  45. Holly on April 19th, 2009 7:57 pm

    i had the same thing last yr. sallie, talk 2 a person that can stop it that u trust. they even made a song about me. they did put awful swear words in it 2. i got physically hurt bcaz i was afraid and didnt do anything(PLZ DO SOMETHING!!) i got picked up by my shoulders and slammed in2 a bball goal. it left a terrible bruise all the way down my back. so plz, do somethin!! i know how it is, and i dont want any1 else 2 go thru the same nonsense stuff i went thru.
    ,holly

  46. Sitara on April 19th, 2009 8:54 pm

    I used to be bullied a lot too, until I learned how to blend in with the shadows and not be noticed. When I was a little girl, it was because my mother was Indian and we lived in a very racist part of Texas. (Not all of Texas is like that). When I was older, it was because I hadn’t been allowed to socialize with other kids before so I was really weird and they made fun of me for that, as well. By high school, I became good enough at being unnoticed that most people leave me alone. It’s pretty horrible to be bullied…

  47. Marcia on April 23rd, 2009 1:05 pm

    Reading about eveyone being bullied makes me sad. :(

  48. Ashleigh on April 23rd, 2009 3:44 pm

    i should have entered the poster i made but i decided not to since i already have so many dolls cus i couldve won :( not trying to brag but i think my is a lot nicer ill send in pics

  49. madison on April 23rd, 2009 6:36 pm

    is this the post were on now?

  50. Marcia on April 24th, 2009 8:58 am

    I guess so…

  51. R. Anne on April 25th, 2009 9:14 am

    Uggg…I hate bullies, too. My worst bully memory was when a group of girls in my 3rd grade class teased me bout wearing a bra for just about the whole school year. It was humiliating and simply awful. I developed early, was sensitive to that, and these girls completely took advantage of that. My 10yo brother, now in 4th grade with bully problems of his own, watched the Chrissa movie with me. He said that, although no kids get like that in elementary school (they seemed more like middle schoolers to me, too), he really identified with the movie and it was reassuring to him that just about everyone gets bullied and targets of the bullying must find a way to “stand strong.” I liked the message of the movie, though I haven’t been picked on since 6th grade or so (3 years ago). It’s defiantly meant for that elementary school age, but I liked it overall, anyway.

  52. Sallie and her firend Daysha on April 25th, 2009 7:20 pm

    I’ve already told the teacher but the bullies call me a tattletale. The reason why they bully me is becuz i had foot surgery so I can’t go on top of the monkey bars. If I fell then my feet would be damaged for the rest of my life and i wouldn’t be able
    to walk or run.
    Yeah Daysha gets bullied too.
    ~Sallie and Daysha

  53. Ashleigh on April 26th, 2009 10:06 am

    you know wat doll i really like? emily! shes so pretty!
    sorry bout you being bullie R.anne, do you mind if i just clal you anne?

  54. Ashleigh on April 26th, 2009 10:12 am

    where is everyone?

  55. Bookworm on April 26th, 2009 1:06 pm

    I thought the Chrissa movie was great, but not not my fav.

  56. coraline on April 28th, 2009 3:50 pm

    can’t wait :D

  57. R. Anne on April 30th, 2009 2:35 pm

    Yeah, sure! I don’t mind – Anne is my middle name.
    Chrissa (movie) was really good, but not my favorite, either.

  58. sarah on May 1st, 2009 5:14 pm

    Ann’s my middle name too! cept with no E. Hey Ashleigh, we’re all talkin on the Sammi Hanratty page :]

  59. sarah on May 1st, 2009 5:15 pm

    HAPPY STOP THE BULLYING DAY!!!!! So yeah, I made the pledge on americangirl! like I’d ever bully someone……… really I’d never do that, too much experience with seein other people get hurt.

  60. Jovi on May 2nd, 2009 2:28 pm

    Hey hey!

    I’ve missed you all so so much!