As many of you may already know, October is commonly referred to as "National Bullying Prevention Month" here in the U.S. and in some places across the globe. This campaign is used to not only raise awareness of bullying, but it also encourages people to take preventive measures, educate one another, act with kindness, and much more. However, with the month of October already coming to a close, I feel it's important we remember to continue acknowledging the bullying epidemic as the awareness starts to die down again.

The bullying experienced today isn't the same as the bullying most of our parents may have experienced when they were in school. Even the bullying I experienced growing up is different from what my younger brother experienced. It is constantly evolving with us, and some may even argue it's gotten worse. This can make it difficult to determine whether or not something is even considered bullying, but in 2014, the CDC and Department of Education released a general definition to help with this.

For an act to be considered bullying, it needs to include unwanted aggressive behavior, a power imbalance, and either repetition or likelihood of repetition. Bullying can also be direct or indirect and is broken down into the following categories: verbal, physical, damage to property, and relational. While this may seem like a pretty broad definition, it helps us differentiate between a one-time squabble and recurring issues.

Sadly, these things go on regularly wherever there are few people willing to speak up, and it doesn't stop with kids or teenagers experiencing this. Bullying can be found in an adult's work environment just as easily as it's found in school hallways, on playgrounds, and on social media. Whether we like to admit it or not, everyone is capable of bullying, and it isn't going to stop with one month of raising awareness each year. Raising awareness every year is a step in the right direction, but what truly matters is what we do after posting #bullyingprevention.

Claiming not to tolerate bullying isn't enough anymore. It's time we actually stop tolerating it, speak up, and take action against bullying, no matter what month it is.