How to stand up to bullies with a simple emoji
The first day of school can be nerve-wracking. Between new teachers, harder subjects and quickly forming cliques, it's easy to feel like an outsider.
As if those worries weren't enough, young people still regularly face harassment at school, off campus and online.
Bullying can quickly escalate, particularly when a victim or bystander doesn't feel empowered or safe enough to stand up to such behavior. That's why the I Am A Witness campaign, launched last year by The Ad Council, created digital tools to help young people do just that.
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The campaign's signature eye emoji, which is part of Apple's mobile operating system and available via a downloadable keyboard on iTunes and Google Play, is meant to interrupt acts of bullying by showing the aggressor that they're being watched. The campaign's research shows that 68% of teens who are aware of the initiative feel confident that they know how to respond to bullying when they see it.
"The beauty of the symbol is that you don't have to say all that much," says Heidi Arthur, senior vice president and group campaign director for The Ad Council, a nonprofit organization. "It stands for I’m against bullying, [to say] let’s shut this down."
The downloadable keyboards also come with stickers that bear messages for the bully or victim, saying things like, "Stay cool," "Chill out," and "Don't listen."
Arthur knows that it's tough — and not always possible — for young people to call out bullying or inform an adult. But she has three anti-bullying tips for students to keep in mind as they head back to class:
1. Show support
Comforting a victim of bullying, or even acknowledging their harassment, can have a profound impact by making that person feel less isolated. "The power of that one person who reaches out is huge," says Arthur. That gesture of solidarity can be, for example, quietly sitting at the same lunchroom table as the victim, sending them an I Am A Witness sticker, or recognizing their pain with an "I'm sorry."
2. Don't participate
Students who want to fit in may end up indirectly endorsing or even participating in bullying. Take, for example, the student who stands nearby and watches a bully verbally or physically attack a someone without doing anything to help.
It can also be hard not to get drawn into bullying online, where liking, commenting on and retweeting cruel content is common and forwarding embarrassing email and instant message threads can make you appear well-connected.
But, Arthur says, this kind of participation gives the bully an audience. Instead of perpetuating the cycle, bystanders can first take a step back and refuse to chime in on social media unless it's to support the victim. Then they can help diffuse harassment by calling it out in person or via emoji and stickers and, if possible, informing a trusted adult.
3. Start a conversation
Some schools have anti-bullying policies, practices and trainings, but these are not universal. If you think your school could better prevent bullying, try raising the issue with a supportive adult as well as school administrators. There are several anti-bullying programs and initiatives designed for the classroom. The I Am A Witness Campaign has a list of those resources here.
Arthur also recommends starting a conversation with your friends about bullying so that taking it on feels less overwhelming.
"By actually talking to your friends about it," she says, "you won't feel like you have to be alone in standing up."
If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For international resources, this list is a good place to start.
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Topics Social Good Social Media
Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Rebecca's experience prior to Mashable includes working as a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital and as a staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a masters degree from U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
