Bloglander

Bullying is not necessarily more prevalent than it used to be, but when a host of young men committed suicide last year because they were bullied for their sexual orientation, the issue began to draw a lot of media attention.

Motivational speaker Travis Brown (also known as Mr. Mojo) is one of many now trying to address the issue of bullying — in any form against anyone. Known as America's Youth Leadership and Anti-Bullying Coach, Brown visits schools across the country to educate kids about what it means to be a bully and the various forms bullying can take, how to handle being bullied, and how to help stop bullying in simple ways.

Today, he’s taking his No Bullying Tour to three Spokane area schools, including Selkirk Middle/High School in Ione, Newport High School, and Cusick Junior High/High School.

Brown bases his talks on the idea of “mojo” — the highest level of positive attitude, positive energy and positive results. He encourages students to “Mojo up!” by using their positive influence to make a difference. His anti-bullying tour started on Aug. 1 and includes stops at approximately 200 schools in 75 days.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that more than 160,000 students skip school every day because they fear being bullied by other students. Victims of bullying have been shown to develop anxiety and depression, as well as physical ailments, like headaches, stomach aches and overall fatigue. It can also lead to poor grades and further victimization of others.

Brown, who appeared on CNN’s American Morning on Oct. 11, has delivered more than 1,400 hours of motivational presentations to companies and youth nationwide and hopes to impact almost 400,000 students each year with his powerful message.