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Today, children and teenagers are more at risk than ever to be suffering from mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or even substance use. Another huge issue facing adolescents today that affects mental health is bullying.

Between the environment at school and the opportunities for bullying and harassment that social media and the internet have provided, bullying is at the forefront today. Statistics show that bullying can cause serious mental health issues, as well as physical health issues, and can even affect school performance or lead to violent behavior. Teenagers can often feel afraid to stand up to bullying they are experiencing, for fear of retaliation and feeling like they don’t have a safe space or trusted adult to reach out to.

At David Lawrence Centers, we’ve created the #StandUp campaign for that exact reason. Our goal is to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health, including depression, anxiety, bullying, and substance use. We encourage everyone to #StandUp to bullying in the community, school, for themselves, and for their friends — and create a healthy dialogue around mental health, where individuals feel comfortable talking about it and reaching out for help when they are being bullied.

The #StandUp Multimedia Contest is a way to get the community involved and get local middle and high school students to #StandUp and be part of the conversation about mental health.

Students can submit an essay, poem, song, or video submission up until January 31st, 2020 with a cash prize for the winner.

To learn more and submit an entry, click this link: https://davidlawrencecenters.org/standup-multimedia-contest/.