No Name Calling Week

January 24 - 28th this year has been designated as No Name Calling Week. This is the first year I've heard about it so I'm wondering how many schools are planning activities. I found this on the website:

"Motivated by this simple, yet powerful, idea, the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and consisting of over 40 national partner organizations, organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools across the nation during the week of March 1-5, 2004. The project seeks to focus national attention on the problem of name-calling in schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities."

When I went to school I remember people having nicknames, but I don't recall being called any harmful  names in school. Were there bullies? I'm sure there were. I guess I was one of the lucky ones that was never bullied. I don't remember my parents ever asking me if anyone was bothering me at school, a practice I took up several years ago with my teenage daughter. I occasionally work it into our everyday conversation when I ask how her day was or ask what she learned that particular day. I figure it doesn't hurt to ask. I never thought to ask her if anyone is calling her any hurtful names. No Name Calling Week sounds like a good time to start.