Observance guideSource-backed

National Stop Bullying Day2026 · Date · History

National Day Calendar and school-safety resources trace the observance to a 2009 student initiative and place Stop Bullying Day on the second Wednesday of October.

Moves by calendar ruleReviewed 2026-09-09

About National Stop Bullying Day

National Stop Bullying Day is observed on the second Wednesday in October as a school- and community-focused day for bullying prevention, reporting and support.

Institutional school-safety material traces the observance to a 2009 declaration by eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka.

Why National Stop Bullying Day matters

The day is intended to bring students, educators, families and communities together around safe ways to prevent and respond to bullying.

Its value depends on practical follow-through: clear reporting routes, supportive adults, consistent school or workplace policies and respectful behavior online and offline.

History of National Stop Bullying Day

A North Carolina Center for Safer Schools resource states that in 2009 eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka declared October National Stop Bullying Month, the second week National Stop Bullying Week and the second Wednesday Stop Bullying Day.

National Day Calendar preserves the same student-origin account and second-Wednesday recurrence.

The reviewed evidence does not establish a national statute, formal government proclamation or exact first celebration date, so the guide does not imply one.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

  1. Origin / proposal

    Eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka

    The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools resource attributes the 2009 Stop Bullying Day declaration to eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka.

  2. Establishment

    Eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka

    The institutional school-safety account says the students declared Stop Bullying Day on the second Wednesday of October in 2009.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Originator / proposerEighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus KostkaThe North Carolina Center for Safer Schools resource attributes the 2009 Stop Bullying Day declaration to eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka.
Proclaiming / establishing bodyEighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus KostkaThe institutional school-safety account says the students declared Stop Bullying Day on the second Wednesday of October in 2009.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
Original establishing instrument / decisionNo formal legal proclamation, resolution or equivalent establishing instrument is established.
Original instrument adoption / decision dateNo formal establishing instrument is established.
Current facilitator / coordinatorNo single permanent national facilitator is established by the reviewed sources.
First observanceThe reviewed sources establish a 2009 student declaration but do not identify the exact first celebration date.
Former nameNo former official name is established.
Former dateNo former recurring date rule is established.
Why this exact date?The second-Wednesday rule is documented, but the reviewed sources do not explain why that weekday pattern was selected.
Source qualityHigh confidence
1 Primary institutional / legal1 Supporting context
View all sources ↓

How to Observe National Stop Bullying Day

01

Learn the reporting process used by your school, workplace or community organization and make sure people know how to reach a trusted adult or responsible staff member.

02

If you witness bullying, document and report it through the appropriate safe channel rather than escalating the confrontation yourself.

03

Support someone who reports bullying by listening, taking the concern seriously and helping them connect with responsible adults or staff. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.

National Stop Bullying Day Facts

Fact 01

The recurring date is the second Wednesday in October.

Fact 02

A state school-safety resource attributes the 2009 initiative to eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka.

Fact 03

The student initiative also described October as National Stop Bullying Month and the second week as National Stop Bullying Week.

Classification

Topic and context

Community, Causes & Advocacy →
Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

  • Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
  • Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
  • Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is National Stop Bullying Day?

Second Wednesday of October (14 October in 2026) The documented recurrence rule is: Second Wednesday in October.

Does National Stop Bullying Day fall on the same date every year?

It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.

Is National Stop Bullying Day an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / student-origin bullying-prevention observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes National Stop Bullying Day?

The reviewed sources identify Eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka as the proclaiming or establishing body.

Is National Stop Bullying Day international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / student-origin bullying-prevention observance.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.

When is National Stop Bullying Day?

It is observed on the second Wednesday in October.

Who started the observance?

A North Carolina school-safety resource and National Day Calendar trace the 2009 initiative to eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka.

Is this a federal holiday or law?

The reviewed sources do not establish a federal statute or national legal proclamation creating the observance.

What should someone do about bullying?

Use the reporting and safeguarding process for the relevant school, workplace or organization, seek help from a trusted responsible adult or staff member, and contact local emergency services if there is immediate danger.

Explore further

Related observances with useful context

More in this topic →

Related observances are selected from shared topics, scope and documented connections. Where an important difference is known, it is labeled separately so “related” is not mistaken for “the same observance.”

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