skins star launches cyberbullying report and new support initiative
One in five young people in the UK has been bullied via their mobile phone or the internet, yet three quarters feel there is no appropriate support for victims of cyberbullying. The findings are revealed as Luke Pasqualino launches TxtUp StandUp, a new initiative created by young people, for young people that offers advice and support to teenagers who are being bullied.
The study, commissioned by T-Mobile and conducted by YoungPoll among 3,000 11-16 year olds, found that of those who had received bullying text messages, emails or instant messages, 46% said it made them feel threatened, and 44% were embarrassed it was happening to them. Perhaps it’s these feelings of shame that mean cyberbullying is often not discussed among teenagers - 81% felt they don’t talk and share advice about bullying enough. Over a third (39%) however, admit they would welcome the advice of a friend or a peer who has also been bullied.
TxtUp StandUp has been created to tackle this exact issue. It’s a new website and text message service which offers tips on beating the bullies, submitted by young people who have been through the same experience. Teens can give advice via text message or directly at www.txtup.co.uk. Visitors can then vote on their favourite tips, and the most useful are distributed monthly via a text message service which young people can sign up to receive by texting ‘txtup’ to 82120.
The initiative was developed by a group of young people identified by volunteering charity, TimeBank, and has been developed in conjunction with The Diana Award and T-Mobile.
Kate Carter, aged 16, was involved in the development: “I had a horrible time with a bully a couple of years ago, so when the opportunity to get involved in TxtUp StandUp came along, I jumped at the chance. Being able to use my own story to help other young people going through similar things has given me renewed confidence – and allowed something good to come from my experience.”
Actor Luke Pasqualino, best known for his role as Freddie in the latest series of Skins, is throwing his support behind the initiative: “Bullying is a really traumatic experience, but it’s particularly upsetting for those who feel they have no one to turn to. The TxtUp StandUp service means people don’t have to deal with cyberbullying on their own – there’s now access to tried and tested advice from people who’ve been through the same thing.”
Allison Murray, Head of Corporate Responsibility at T-Mobile UK, was involved with the project from its inception: “During the development of TxtUp StandUp, it was clear the young people involved wanted to come up with an initiative to provide support that they feel is currently lacking. By producing a text-based service, the young people have developed a scheme that is the first of its kind and provides their peers with a new medium through which to seek support and share useful tips with others. We know that bullying – especially bullying that takes place via mobile phones and the internet – continues to be a problem and our research also indicates that young people often don’t know where to turn for advice. That’s why we believe that TxtUp StandUp is a fantastic place for sharing experiences and offering support.”
Some of the tips offered by young people through TxtUp StandUp include:
· You don’t need to suffer in silence. Tell someone responsible, someone you trust and they will help you fight it
· Change your number. Most networks will do this for free if you are getting prank calls
· Always be careful who you give your number out to so strangers don’t get hold of it, and don’t put personal or contact details on any online profiles you have
· There is an option to block numbers on some phones. If you can’t find it, ring your network and they can do it for you
For more information visit: www.txtup.co.uk.
June 27th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
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Thanks.