An estimated 3.2 million children are bullied each year.
When your child is being bullied, it hurts. Boston Children’s Hospital’s Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention and Advocacy Collaborative (BACPAC) program is here to help.
Our team is knowledgeable about the challenges children face and is dedicated to providing support and tools to end the bullying.
About Boston Children’s anti-bullying program
BACPAC was founded in 2009 as an anti-bullying resource for physicians, caregivers, families, and school administration. In 2011, Peter Raffalli, MD, and a team of pediatric experts launched a formal program, which has helped more than 100 children since its inception. The BACPAC program is the first of its kind nationwide.
BACPAC is housed in the hospital’s Department of Neurology because children with neurologic conditions — typically, ADHD, autism, and other learning disabilities — are at especially high risk for peer victimization. But any child is welcome to use our services.
All members of our BACPAC collaborative are pediatric experts from a variety of departments at Boston Children’s, including:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Developmental Medicine
- Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine
- Primary Care
- Digital Wellness Lab
The BACPAC program consists of Dr. Raffalli (pediatric neurologist), a social worker, and an education resource specialist. Your child and family is seen by this team of three specialists.
When you visit the BACPAC program, your child will have the opportunity to share his or her experiences in a safe environment and learn a variety of tools to help end the bullying:
- strategies to help end bullying situations and prevent them in the future
- strategies for developing a network of adult staff at school who could advocate at the level of the principal’s office when reporting bullying
- ways to create a strong friendship group (shown to be an insulating factor against bullying)
- education about children’s rights under the Massachusetts anti-bullying legislation
- a list of various state agencies that could be called upon if you feel the school is not doing enough
- reports and recommendations to share with the school that could help the school protect your child
If you believe your child is being bullied and needs support, call Boston Children’s BACPAC clinic at 617-355-6388.
