October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and DDB New York and Ad Council have developed a series of new PSAs to spread awareness about this important issue as part of the “Be More Than A Bystander” campaign. To do so, they also brought in a long list of partners including: MLB Network, NBA, HLN, filmmaker Lee Hirsch (Bully, The Bully Project), Cartoon Network, Facebook, and the U.S. Department of Education, among others.
The “Be More Than A Bystander” campaign calls on people to take action against bullying. As someone who was bullied pretty incessantly during middle school, this stuff hits pretty close to home. It’s hard not to appreciate the problem of bullying after viewing the spot “Caine,” which highlights the struggles of a Texas middle schooler who is bullied for his perceived sexuality. Caine shares his struggles with physical violence and verbal abuse, saying at one point, “Pretty much a good day for me would be people leaving their hands off of me.” It’s pretty heartbreaking stuff, especially when Caine shares that “nobody’s ever tried to help me.” At the end of the spot, viewers are told, “There are ways your child could be the one that helps. Give your kids the tools to be more than just a bystander.” They are then prompted to visit thebullyproject.com/parents to give their kids the tools to help those that are bullied. There’s also a shorter version of the “Caine” spot and several other PSAs, including one for the MLB Network. If you’re wondering what to tell your kids to do to stop bullying, the “Be More Than A Bystander” campaign recommends that they “tell a trusted adult such as a family member, teacher or coach; help the person being bullied get away from the situation; be a friend to the person being bullied; set a good example – do not bully others; and don’t give bullying an audience.”
You can visit stopbullying.gov to learn more about bullying prevention, and check out the MLB Network PSA after the jump.