No Name Calling Week (January 18th- 22nd, 2021) falls during the same week of the presidential inauguration and is just weeks before Twin Cities educators are preparing for the transition to classroom learning for K-5th grade students.

No Name Calling week focuses on creating inclusion and awareness for LGBTQ students within K-12th grade schools to ensure a safe learning environment free from name-calling and bullying due to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Events and resources seek to promote a learning environment free from harassment and discrimination by sharing tools and resources.

No Name Calling week was inspired by the book “The Misfits” written by James Howe, created by GLSEN https://www.glsen.org/ and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/no-name-calling/, with over 40 national partnerships.

In the midst of trauma impacting our community and nation, students of color and LGBTQ youth commonly experience societal stigmas, bullying, harassment, and violence at higher rates than their straight youth.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 2019, 1 in every 5 students report being bullied.

70.1% of LGBTQ students were verbally bullied (e.g., called names, or threatened) because of their sexual orientation, 59.1% because of their gender expression, and 53.2% based on gender (Kosciw, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018).

Now more than ever, it is important to unite by facilitating ongoing dialogue focused on eliminating bullying and working towards creating a safe learning environment. Parents, educators, and mental health/ health care providers can work together to support children and youth who are struggling.

There are significant emotional and health physical impacts, especially considering the negative impacts of name-calling on one’s sense of self, especially when name-calling directly targets one’s identity. The effects of name-calling can impact one’s self-esteem and limit one’s own beliefs about their self. Mental health support is helpful to target internalized messages such as self-hate, self-doubt, insecurities, and depressive thinking, resulting from negative self-talk. The CARE team includes specialists who work with LGBTQ youth, those struggling with negative self-talk, as well as the parents and educators who are supporting our youth.

Check out these mental health, educational, and bullying prevention resources, focused on creating inclusion and awareness for LGBTQ youth.

https://www.glsen.org/no-name-calling-week

• Ideas how to participate in No-Name Calling Week

http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/no-name-calling/

• List of bullying prevention books for kids, teens, and adults
• Bullying Prevention downloadable book discussion guides
• Downloadable elementary, middle school, and high school lesson plan

https://www.pacer.org/bullying/

• Information and resources for parents, students, and educators, includes a variety of great downloadable tools and statistics.

https://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
PACER’s Kids Against Bullying Website

https://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/
PACER’s Teens Against Bullying Website

https://www.mnteenmentalhealth.org/lgbtq-resources
Minnesota Teen Mental Health Directory for LGBTQ+ youth resources

Written by: Charlotte Johnson MA, LPCC