Schools don’t have a bullying problem. They have a truth avoidance problem.
Every school has:
- anti-bullying posters
- “kindness weeks”
- spirit days
- assemblies
- cute slogans
You know what they DON’T have?
A real plan.
Here’s the truth nobody wants to admit:
Schools don’t address bullying because it’s messy.
Because it requires conversations they aren’t trained for.
Because it forces people to look in the mirror.
Because it demands consistency, skill, and emotional intelligence.
Because it exposes the uncomfortable reality that
many adults don’t know how to navigate conflict either.
The result?
Victims stay silent.
Bystanders freeze.
Bullies get clever.
Parents get defensive.
Teachers get overwhelmed.
Admin get political.
And the cycle repeats.
Kids deserve more than posters and promises.
They deserve skills.
They deserve scripts.
They deserve emotional support.
They deserve leaders who don’t flinch at the truth.
That’s why Empowered Voices exists.
We don’t avoid the truth.
We TEACH kids how to handle it.