Anti-Bully Initiative
History: During the 2013 PAHMA Fall Conference we presented a seminar on Senior Bullying, we had such a great response from those who attended that we decided to make it an ongoing project. Out of 138 evaluations, 125 felt that the Anti-Bullying information was relevant to their job. We know that bullying affects people of all age levels and it can have a traumatic effect on the victims. It also causes tension in those that witness it and can have a negative effect on the way people feel at our properties. We state in our leases that residents have the ‘right to peaceful enjoyment’ of their apartments, when bullying is going on than that right no longer exists. Bullying causes stress and anxiety and that can cause physical illness.
In 2013 we decided to enter the PAHMA Anti-Bullying Initiative for the yearly NAHMA Innovation Award. We not only won the award, we received national recognition. We had a call from a management agency in Louisiana that had been struggling with Senior Bullying and were able to assist them with anti-bullying resources. So we know that bullying just isn’t happening here, it’s happening everywhere.
To help management stop bullying in our apartment buildings, PAHMA has started an Anti-Bullying Committee. The Committee has been meeting quarterly and working on anti-bullying materials. The Committee has an Anti-Bullying Initiative Booth at the Fall Conference. We have sample policies and procedures you can view at our booth and then download later online for PAHMA members as well as other useful anti-bullying resources you can use at your properties. You can also purchase one of our Anti Bullying T-Shirts for $5 at our Fall Conference to wear at your properties to let residents know bullying will not be tolerated. If anyone is interested in joining our committee please talk to one of the volunteers at the Anti-Bullying booth at our Fall Conference.
We provided entertainment at the 2014 Fall conference by the band, “The Beat Goes On”. They have beenperforming their anti-bullying music at schools for many years in an effort to raise awareness about as well as help prevent bullying in schools. They entertained us even witha new song they wrote specifically for our PAHMA Anti-Bullying Initiative.
The Anti-Bullying Committee is working on more activities to keep the initiative going so hope you will join in and SOARR with PAHMA.
SOARR is our PAHMA Pledge. The acronym stands for:
Sign the PAHMA Pledge
S – I will .. Speak up if I see bulling
O – I will… Offer a hand to those I see bullied
A – I will… Acknowledge that we are all different
R – I will.. Raise Awareness to help eliminate bullying
R – I will… Respect our home and neighbors.