Anti-Bullying PSA Captures Reactions of Bystanders Who Witness a Child Being Bullied
While some bystanders told the bullies to stop, others remained quiet.
— -- What would you do if you witnessed a child being bullied?
This is what UP TV aimed to discover in its Public Service Announcement video, "Who Will Stop the Bullying?"
UP TV is a channel that airs family-friendly entertainment.
In the video, directed and produced by Rob Bliss, a hidden camera captures the reactions of adults who watch as two children bully a younger classmate. While the children in the video were actors and the scene was staged, Bliss says that the reactions were 100 percent authentic.
"All the interventions are just regular people," said Bliss.
The reactions of these "regular people" varied. Some bystanders told the bullies to stop; others pretended not to notice the bullying that was happening mere steps away from them.
UP TV published the PSA as part of the "Stand UP Against Bullying" campaign they started on Oct. 5, in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month.
According to Wendy McCoy, UP TV senior vice president of marketing, the mission of the campaign is to "remind people to uplift someone" by standing up against bullying.
"As one of media’s leading family entertainment brands, we believe we have a responsibility to help families navigate the many challenges that life throws at them," said McCoy. "Bullying is a very critical issue today and we want to help raise awareness and provide families with tools and resources to help combat it."
Learn more about UP TV's "Stand Up Against Bullying" campaign here.