Together against cyberbullying!

Under this motto, five partner projects from various state media authorities came together to take a stand against cyberbullying on November 18th.

The occasion is the annual, international “Stand Up Against Bullying!” Day. Three startling videos in which a young woman reports on her bullying experiences are intended to inform young people, parents and educators about cyberbullying and its consequences and to raise awareness of the topic. One in five young people affected by cyberbullying

As a current study by the Techniker Krankenkasse shows, cyberbullying has become an ongoing problem.

16.7 percent of students are affected, i.e. more than 1.8 million children and young people. In 2017, before the corona pandemic, the value was 12.7 percent. So the pandemic has exacerbated the problem. The consequences of cyberbullying can be serious and range from physical complaints such as headaches and stomach aches to mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression. In the worst case, suicidal thoughts even occur, according to the study, in one in four people affected. ( Source )

Jochen Fasco, director of the Thuringian State Media Authority (TLM) and representative of the state media authorities for media competence, explains:

“Young people must not be left alone to deal with cyberbullying and its profound consequences. It is all the more important that the projects of the state media authorities draw attention to the issue with united strength and provide support to those affected.”

Bullying experiences of a victim

Bianca Halletz (18) had to experience bullying when she was in elementary school. She was excluded, teased, insulted and even beaten. The bullying continued for years and changed over time: “ The older I got, the harder the insults and bullying strategies from my classmates became ,” says Bianca.

In the fifth grade, Bianca got her first cell phone - and with that, another form of bullying in the schoolyard was added: cyberbullying. “Then the first WhatsApp groups appeared. Most of the time I didn't dare write anything for fear of being insulted. When I did write something, that’s exactly what happened.”

Powerful videos with a clear message

In three videos, Bianca talks about her (cyber) bullying experiences, but also draws attention to the bullies and their motives as well as to outsiders who have noticed the exclusions and insults.

Video 1: I was bullied - Bianca's story

She talks about what she would have liked from her classmates and teachers and at the end gives tips on how other affected people can defend themselves against bullying - be it offline or online. “I have learned that it is better not to respond to the provocations and attacks but to ignore them. If there is no response, the bullies will eventually get bored.”

Video 2: Really strong? This is what Bianca thinks about her bullies

Bianca has turned her previous bullying experiences into something positive: today she helps others who are in a similar situation to hers. She has been volunteering as a JUUUPORT scout and advises her peers on problems online. “There are no reasons for bullying. It could be everyone. It is therefore all the more important to educate others about this and to support them in their difficult situation.”

Video 3: How to help! What Bianca wants from her classmates and teachers

Education and prevention are more important than ever

klicksafe, JUUUPORT, handy sector, Internet-ABC and ZEBRA, nationwide projects of the state media authorities, have come together for the annual day of action against cyberbullying. They each focus on different target groups: children, teenagers, young adults, parents and educational professionals. As a result, in addition to the current videos, they offer a comprehensive anti-cyberbullying package that brings together information, materials and participation offers on the topic on a campaign page . The content is broadcast annually under the hashtag #TogetherAgainstCybermobbing via the social networks of the participating projects.

Press contacts:

klicksafe
Medienanstalt Rhineland-Palatinate:
Deborah Woldemichael, woldemichael@medienanstalt-rlp.de , 0621 5202-271
State Media Authority NRW:
Dilek Atalay, dilek.atalay@medienanstalt-nrw.de , 0211 77007-190
 
JUUUPORT
Lea Römer, presse@juuuport .de , 0176 57976188
Lennart Hesse-sörnsen, press@juuuport.de , 0151 28729757
 
Handyzer
Benjamin Thull, B.thull@lfk.de , 0711 66991-53
 
Zebra
Christopher Schmidt, Christschmidt@medienstalt-nrw.de , 0211 77007 -156
 
Internet ABC
Anja Magno, Anja.Magno@medienanstalt-nrw.de , 0211 77007-172

Please also read: Cyberbullying and contact with criminals / This is how parents protect their children from dangers online!


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )