Online · For Middle Schoolers

Your child doesn't have to face bullying alone.

Outside Support runs a six-week online support group for middle schoolers experiencing bullying. Students are never placed with anyone from their own school — giving them a safe space to connect with peers who understand, while learning problem-solving and coping strategies.

Grades 6–8
Grouped by gender
6 weeks
Facilitator-led
Middle school students together
1 in 5
students report being bullied
during the school year

Bullying leaves a mark that doesn't disappear when school ends.

Most students who experience bullying suffer in silence. Outside Support exists to change that. Our program gives students the skills, language, and peer connections they need to feel empowered and move forward.

The BELONG Program

Six weeks that can change how your child sees themselves.

Developed and piloted with bullying expert Dr. Sue Swearer at the University of Nebraska, BELONG is an evidence-based, facilitator-led curriculum in skill building and peer support, designed specifically for middle schoolers who've experienced bullying. It is built around three core outcomes.

🔍
Build Understanding

Knowledge is power. Students learn to identify what bullying is, why it happens, and — critically — that it is never their fault. Naming the experience is the first step to moving past it.

🧠
Develop Skills

Each session introduces practical, age-appropriate tools: problem-solving skills, coping strategies for hard moments, and ways to ask for help with confidence.

🤝
Create Connections

Students discover they are not alone. Small facilitated groups create space for real peer connections — the kind that come from shared experience and genuine understanding. And because the program is online, we guarantee no student is ever grouped with someone from their own school.

Format
Online, small group
Grouped by
Grouped by gender
Duration
Six weeks
Program type
Skill building & peer support
Led by
Trained facilitators
Cost
At no cost

It helped me build up courage. The courage to stand up for myself and stand up for others. You guys really helped me.

Student participant
From the BELONG Program pilot, University of Nebraska — the research foundation behind Outside Support
Who We Serve

Find what you're looking for.

For families
I'm a parent or caregiver

Learn how the program works, what your child will experience, and how to refer them.

For schools
I'm a school administrator or counselor

Outside Support is designed to work alongside your existing support systems — an external resource you can refer students to with confidence.

For organizations
I'm a potential partner

We work with community organizations who share our mission of supporting middle schoolers affected by bullying.

Be the first to know.

We're preparing for our fall sessions and will begin accepting referrals shortly. Leave your email and we'll reach out the moment they open.