Athletes may seem like the least likely victims of bullying, but they are excellent choices for standing up against bullying activities. According to the San Antonio Express-News, one student counselor at Johnson High School came up with the idea of enlisting school football players to befriend a student who came to her after being bullied, a tactic she referred to as bringing in some "compassionate muscle."

After the counselor, Carri Elliot, approached the school's coach, the high school's quarterback, right guard and right tackle all volunteered to help the counselor and student, memorizing his schedule and becoming good friends with the student.

"He was so by himself," said Ryder Burke, the right guard. "Us three were already great friends and he just got tossed into the mix."

The plan was so successful that Elliot is expanding it to include 18 members of the school's football team to help eight incoming freshmen next year, according to the news source. She said that she doesn't think that Johnson High is any different than any other school. Bullying is a national matter that requires careful attention. The three role models are proud that they could help as well.

"We went through high school and have had a great experience," Burke added. "It should be everybody having that great experience."

Recently, the World Boxing Council also turned its attention to anti-bullying solutions, creating the World Champions Against Bullying program to help give children role models to steer them away from bullying. According to Boxing News 24, the new organization's mission is to bring former and current boxing champions together to tour the nation's schools and promote self confidence, self esteem and the importance of health, as well as educate students on how to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. Students will even have an opportunity to learn some boxing self-defense techniques from the champs.

Anti-bullying efforts at any school can be strengthened with communications systems like uTip, the Bully Buster. By giving students a safe and convenient way to report bullying incidents, a school can foster a secure and positive environment and discourage bullying of all kinds. uTip allows students to sent text messages anonymously from their own cell phones to school officials, reporting bullies and other troubling activities on a school campus without worrying about retribution from the aggressors.