New Survey Reveals Progress In Bullying Prevention

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from Sears shows that 93 percent of parents will tell their child not to ignore a bully and 60 percent advise them to tell a teacher about a bullying incident. These findings may indicate that anti-bullying awareness campaigns are having an impact, according to leading anti-bullying expert, Marie Newman, who partnered with Sears as managing director of Team Up to Stop Bullying.

Sears, through its Team Up to Stop Bullying initiative, announced the findings at the start of October, National Bullying Prevention Month, to cast light on the pervasive issue, share solutions with parents, educators, children and communities and help put an end to bullying.

"The survey shows greater accountability when it comes to bullying, as well as its prevention. Of the parents surveyed, 73% believe that parents are responsible for the prevention of bullying, 65% believe that teachers and schools are responsible, while others believe that law enforcement and the greater community should be responsible for preventing bullying," said Newman. "Prevention doesn't lie with one group, but rather with society as a whole. We're encouraged by these results because they show progress toward finding the right solutions. That's where Team Up to Stop Bullying comes in."

During the month of October, Sears customers can shop to stop bullying by downloading a savings pass online at sears.com/TeamUp for 15 percent off on purchases of apparel, footwear and fine jewelry. When customers use the savings pass, Sears will donate five percent of their purchase (up to $50,000 total) to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America who will distribute part of the funds to charitable organizations affiliated with Team Up to Stop Bullying.

"Sears has always been focused on the American family and there is nothing more important to our employees and customers than the safety of our children," said Lana Krauter, senior vice president and president of Sears Apparel. "This new data sheds more light on the need to help connect real solutions to the people who need them now."

Sears launched Team Up to Stop Bullying in August as the first solutions-and service-based anti-bullying coalition, launched by a major retailer, to provide immediate solutions that parents and schools can implement today. The program offers expertise from more than 70 coalition members to help children who have been bullied find answers, give parents effective ways to prevent and resolve bullying and guide educators on how to establish bully reform programs at their school.

Additional findings from the Harris Interactive survey include:

• Nearly two in five (39 percent) of parents whose child has been bullied says that local law enforcement is responsible for the prevention of bullying
• Sixty-nine percent of parents believe that counseling a bully to understand the negative impact on his or her own life is most effective in reforming bullying behavior; 58 percent believe that counseling a bully to understand the negative effects on the bullied child's life is most effective
• Seventy percent of parents believe that developing a plan with their child's school is the best way to stop a child from being bullied

Visit sears.com/TeamUp for more information and to find solutions that work for every family.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Zeno Group from September 26th – 28th, 2012 among 2,523 adults ages 18 and older, among which 736 are parents of children age 17 and younger. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Danny Cohn, Zeno Group.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of SHOP YOUR WAY, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,000 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes over 810 Full-line and more than 1,270 specialty stores in the U.S.  Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S.  The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Sears, Roebuck and Co.