Anti-Bullying Week 2020 is here! Since this year’s theme is #UnitedAgainstBullying, The Diana Award and PROJECT ROCKIT have teamed up from the UK and Australia to share our ideas of how you can be an Upstander during Anti-Bullying Week and beyond!
Let’s start online, as so much of our time is spent there! The online world can sometimes get a bad reputation for being a negative place but it can be a positive place too. PROJECT ROCKIT and The Diana Award believe that we all have the power to take positive action online and that doing so is an act of self-care. In a year like 2020, taking positive action is so important. Check out different ways we suggest you take action and be an Upstander online:
1. Find your people
By finding a community of like-minded people you’ll have power in numbers to stand up for a cause and see impact
2. Positivity spreads
If you see something online that boosts you up, chances are it will boost someone else too. Be the person who shares the good vibes
3. The online world connects us
The online world is huge and can connect us with a whole world of people with different lived experiences. It also provides an opportunity to create opportunities or change no matter where you are in the world – the possibilities are endless.
4. Stand up and speak out when you see something that isn’t kind or doesn’t feel right
If you see or experience cyberbullying behaviour, screenshot the evidence, block the user and report it. Talk to someone you trust about what has happened and ensure you feel supported and know who you can speak to if it happens again.
For more tips on taking online action, head here.
We asked you to submit questions about being an Upstander and dealing with bullying behaviour and one thing that came up often was: How do I tell someone about bullying without being a ‘snitch’?
The most important thing to remember when telling someone about bullying behaviour is to be clear about what ‘snitching’ means. Many people might say that ‘snitching’ is about getting someone into trouble to humiliate them. ‘Reporting’, in contrast, gets someone out of trouble. If you are reporting the unacceptable bullying behaviour you have seen, this is not snitching, it is reporting. It’s also being an Upstander, someone who stands up when they see something that isn’t right. Here at The Diana Award, we believe every young person should be an Upstander and support their peers when they witness or hear about bullying behaviour.
For more answers on what to do if you’re experiencing bullying behaviour, what to do if someone you know is experiencing bullying behaviour or where you and your school can get support, visit our Support & Advice Centre.
If you are a young person in the UK and need support you can use The Diana Award Crisis Messenger, which provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK – simply text DA to 85258 and trained volunteers will listen to how you are feeling and help you think through the next step towards feeling better. For more support services, check out The Diana Award’s Support Services for a list of helpful organisations.
If you’re a young person in Australia and you’re in need of support, you can access a range of free resources by trained professionals here.
To get your school involved in Anti-Bullying Week, sign up here to receive free pre-recorded video workshops, quizzes and resources from The Diana Award, and share your involvement by tagging @antibullyingpro and using the hashtag #AntiBullyingWeek on social media.
PROJECT ROCKIT is Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice. For fifteen years, they have been working in schools across the country empowering young people to stand up, instead of standing by. You can keep in touch with them on Instagram @PROJECTROCKIT
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