07/08/2026
Make Respect the Rule!
It means recognizing that everyone has the right to dignity, boundaries, and safety. October is both Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month, two observances with important reminders: Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued in their relationships. Bullying and domestic violence are not the same, but both can involve patterns of behavior intended to intimidate, humiliate, threaten, control, or harm another person. And both can have lasting effects on emotional and physical well-being. Here’s more about each:
- Bullying can happen at any age and in many settings - school, work, online, and more. It may include verbal abuse, deliberate exclusion, spreading rumors, threats, harassment, or other repeated behaviors that exploit a real or perceived power imbalance.
- Domestic violence occurs within intimate or family relationships and can take many forms beyond physical violence. Abuse may be emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, or digital. A person may use threats, isolation, intimidation, monitoring, or control of money and other resources to exert power over someone else.
Raising awareness matters because harmful behaviors often thrive when people dismiss them, excuse them, or simply look the other way. We can all help create a culture in which respect is expected and mistreatment is taken seriously. This starts with our own behavior. Treat others with dignity, even during disagreements. Think before posting or commenting online. Don’t participate in gossip, humiliation, or harassment. If you witness bullying, speak up when it is safe to do so or report it to someone who can help. And if someone confides that they are experiencing abuse, listen without judgment. Avoid blaming or pressuring them about what they “should” do. Let them know that help and support are available.
Most importantly, if you are being bullied, threatened, controlled, or abused, you do not have to handle the situation alone. Reach out to your EAP for confidential support, guidance, and resources. You can also reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at the link or call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233).
Key October Dates
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
- Safe to Sleep: SIDS Awareness Month
- Liver Cancer Awareness Month
- 10/4-10/10 – Mental Health Awareness Week
- 10/4-10/10 – Fire Prevention Week
- 10/10 – World Mental Health Day
- 10/15 – International Shake Out Day
- 10/22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day
More information is available on our website