The Challenge
77%
of students report being bullied at some point during
their school years.
Not every year — but at least once in thirteen years of school. Hoover, J. H., Oliver, R., & Hazler, R. J. (1992). Bullying: Perceptions of adolescent victims in the Midwestern USA. School Psychology International, 13(1), 5–16.
A Persistent Myth
Because so many adults were bullied themselves and simply "dealt with it," bullying is still treated by some as a harmless rite of passage. That belief is a big part of why many schools give anti-bullying training little real investment, doing just enough to check off a mandate. The research says otherwise — whole-school prevention programs reduce bullying by 50% or more (Olweus, 1993, 1994).
The Program
I AM UNAFRAID is proactive, not reactionary: students are equipped with a plan before an incident happens, not after.
Four simple steps every student can remember and use:
Spotting trouble early, keeping a safe distance, and walking away.
The buddy system, working together to reduce isolation and defuse intimidation.
Removing the "snitch" stigma from reporting bullying to trusted adults.
Having a "game face" — confident body language that deters targeting
Multi-Sensory, VARK-Grounded Delivery
Visual
Silhouette-on-stage storytelling modeling real-world peer dynamics.
Auditory
High-energy call-and-response, music, and interactive
dialogue.
Reading/Writing
Interactive stage cue cards, classroom posters, and
structured print media.
Kinesthetic
High-energy movement, physical comedy, and student
role-playing.
Triad of Support
SCHOOL
Staff professional development unifies classroom protocols. Students receive glow-in-the-dark wristbands and stickers; classrooms get posters. A Teacher’s Guide carries the four steps all year.
HOME
Parent & caregiver workshops, free ongoing content on the DrJay! YouTube channel for students, teachers, parents and grandparents, and direct access to our team for questions.
CLINICAL EVALUATION
Directed by a licensed clinical social worker, using pre-, post-, and end-of-year assessments to track real behavioral outcomes — not just attendance.
Free to Your School
We apply for and secure grant funding on each school's behalf, so I AM UNAFRAID costs participating schools
nothing — and we handle all grant reporting and compliance from start to finish.
Proven Leadership & Impact
40+ Years
45 States
Field-tested across hundreds of school districts nationwide.
Up to 50%
Reduction
In peer conflict behaviors on
campuses with whole-school
prevention programs (Olweus,
1993, 1994).
Trusted
Leadership
Dr. Jay Banks, PhD — national
media contributor across ABC,
CBS, NBC, FOX, Nickelodeon and
Hallmark — and Cheryl Fehr-
Banks, MSW, LCSW.