Cartoon Network takes on bullying
Published 10:21 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010
NEW YORK — This fall, when kids tune into Cartoon Network, they’ll encounter something new — an ambitious campaign to enlist them as foot soldiers in the fight against bullying.
Unlike many bullying programs, this one is geared toward middle school, where experts say bullying is most common. It also targets kids who witness bullying, giving them appropriate techniques to intervene.
“There are specific strategies young people can learn to make a difference in their schools and communities,” said Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network’s vice president of social responsibility. “We decided to focus on those who watch bullying happen — the bystander community — who know they should do something, but are not sure what.”
The anti-bullying campaign includes content in the cartoons themselves, in public service ads, in an online curriculum and on CNN, which will include complementary programming for parents.
In partnership with a federal agency’s Stop Bullying Now campaign, the network plans to start the campaign Oct. 1, both on the air and on its popular, game-filled website.
The campaign plans to make use of “teachable moments” in the cartoons themselves, Cahn said.
“When the show is over, we can very quickly say, ‘Remember this bit? If you want more information, look at our website.”’
The idea for the campaign arose last summer, when Cartoon Network polled children from its audience on their worries. War and the economic woes of their parents topped the list, but the children said they were powerless to resolve those problems.
Bullying, in contrast, surfaced as a problem children felt they could help combat.
Studies indicate that about 85 percent of bullying incidents are witnessed by bystanders, yet only about one-fifth of the time do the witnesses intervene on behalf of the target.
