Devex: Opinion: Bullying needs to be addressed at every level of our communities. Here’s how.
Christina Juan, researcher with the Demographic and Health Surveys Program, and Chisina Kapungu, senior gender and youth specialist for YouthPower Learning at the International Center for Research on Women

“…Sadly, according to the World Health Organization, suicide and accidental death from self-harm consistently rank among the leading causes of death for adolescent girls and boys worldwide. … We simply cannot underestimate the damage bullying does to a person’s academic, social, physical, and emotional health, and well-being. … Based on our research, the YouthPower Learning team identified four ways to address bullying: 1. Understand the social context. … 2. Engage the whole community to address it. … 3. Integrate gender and mental health into school curricula. … 4. Take a holistic approach to bullying and violence prevention. … [I]t is critical to integrate different research, and programmatic and policy recommendations into a comprehensive and multi-tiered approach. … USAID’s investments, which include the Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls, the Youth In Development Policy, and the Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, provide a window of opportunity for tackling the barriers that keep adolescent girls and boys from achieving their full potential. It’s time to seize opportunities like these and … be ‘upstanders’ when they need us the most” (10/10).