October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and on Tuesday more than 300 children had a hands on lesson about how to be a buddy, not a bully.
The “Be a Buddy, not a Bully" H.E.B. interactive event wasn't just a fun way to curb bullying, experts said it could also prevent teen suicide and other tragedies.
"We're learning about bullying,” said 7-year-old Harmony Elementary student Jordan Cardenas who attended Morgan’s Wonderland for the event. “How to stop it and be kind and how to be brave and be strong."
A lesson he's already experienced first hand, when a big kid was picking on someone smaller his size.
“The bigger kid kept teasing him a lot and I got sick of it and I stood up for him,” Jordan said.
Jordan is already putting to use tools H.E.B. is spreading and not just at this morning's event. There are also tools available to families online at HEB.com/league for students who didn't attend today. That's where your family can watch skits and download coloring books.
An H.E.B. spokeswoman said all these tools can help lead to life saving behaviors, especially in todays digital world.
Take it from local attorney Jimmy Carter of Langley & Banack, Inc. who helped pass David's Law last month.
“David was a student at Alamo Heights who took his life after being relentlessly cyber bullied,” Carter said. "There was no way to hold people civilly and criminally liable for bullying and now? We can.”