March 12, 2021
Parental Guidance
Using YouTube to Empower Your Child to Understand The Importance of Anti-Bullying

Anti Bullying Resources

Young people aren’t restricted by pre-programmed TV schedules anymore, so  instead turn to video apps and platforms for visual consumption. While we think of Netflix, Prime Video, and TikTok as entertainment, they also have helpful content for growing up and learning, including videos on anti-bullying. For all the new(er) players available, YouTube is arguably still the king and families often forget the quantity and quality of content on the platform.

Does your child use YouTube? Do they seek out educational and informative content?

Here’s how YouTube can be used as an educational tool:

We all know YouTube for its entertaining content (think comedy sketches and funny cat videos), but the right search term will lead a viewer on a learning journey and life skill discovery. Whether you want to learn how to do algebra or improve your basketball shooting style, a specialist somewhere (along with a million others) has likely created a video just for you.

Same goes for mental wellness. Medical professionals, industry experts and counsellors are all creating and publishing content daily that aims to help and teach its viewers. Indepentent filmmakers, victims and mental health advocates are also producing and sharing content.

Bullying remains one of the top causes of stress, anxiety, and depression in teenagers across the world. As a parent and/or carer, it is essential to teach your kids about bullying, and the importance of anti-bullying. (Young people, if you’re reading this, it’s important that you learn about bullying and how to deal with this issue if it happens to you or others).

It can’t be expected that all parents and carers understand how to discuss bullying, or know the right/wrong ways to approach the topic and share advice, so turning to educational videos and subject matter might help your family.

How Does Bullying Affect My Teenagers?

Bullying is diverse and occurs in different forms. It can be physical, verbal, or psychological, which can all occur in-person or online, publicly or privately. Online bullying is commonly referred to as cyberbullying and we’ve recently shared 11 ways parents can help protect children from cyberbullying. 

https://www.togetherai.co/blog/11-ways-parents-can-help-protect-children-from-cyberbullying 

Cyberbullying can take many shapes and forms, and be done directly or indirectly. A bully could send a hurtful image of someone to their friends or peers, or write a negative comment on a post. Whether you want to imagine it or not, there’s a high chance your child has been involved in online bullying, either as the victim, the bully or a witness. A 2020 study one in five (20.9%) tweens (9 to 12 years old) has been cyberbullied, cyberbullied others, or seen cyberbullying.  (Patchin & Hinduja, 2020)

Young people often do not understand the impact of their words or implications of their actions online. The fact is, once they have written or shared something on social media, it is there forever. Many carers don't follow or engage with their children on social media (or get their friend requests approved), so it can be difficult to spot bullying or know if it has occured. 

togetherAI will help connect children and parents, to foster the right conversations about bullying and the effects it has, at the right time.


Anti-Bullying Videos

We have collated five helpful and powerful anti-bullying videos on YouTube for you to watch with your kids. Four of the five videos are under 10 minutes, so it's efficient consumption, and all of them are helpful, educational tools.  


The Bully

Our first recommended video was created by a 12-year middle school student. The creator was passionate about sharing the impact of bullying on teenagers today. He demonstrates a strong message by showing that bullying can occur all day, every day for children in America. It states that children can experience bullying when they are at school, on their way home, and late at night on social media. At the end, he empowers victims of bullying to ask for help, as well as witnesses to step up and offer their support. This is an all-around choice of video, as it shows the different types of bullying through stories as well as offering solutions to help overcome the issue. support. This is an all round choice of videos as it shows the different types of bullying through stories as well as offers way to help overcome the issue. 


Silent

If you want your teenager to become an inspirational leader, then this short-film silent could be a good choice for you. The video shows the story of a deaf girl who is being bullied. The film demonstrates the power of kindness and the importance of treating others well. If your child has been involved with bullying, this could be a great way to show them that it is much better to be kind. Embracing individuals for their differences is better than being the bully.  


Thirteen

This video is quite a bit longer however, addresses common issues experienced by all teenagers. Insecurity is a difficulty for many kids in America. With an added bullying element, this can provoke further issues in school and at home. Thirteen enables families to discuss the importance of accepting people for their differences rather than singling them out. 


Protecting Yourself Rules - Bullying

If you are concerned about your child being a victim of bullying or they are perhaps quite a shy character, then this is the video for them. For any teenager suffering from bullying, having the courage to reach out to an adult can be scary. They might feel threatened by the bully with the added concern over any consequences as a result. In fact, this video communicates multiple ways victims can actually stand up for themselves in a positive way. In addition, it looks into options they can support any of their friends that might be suffering due to being bullied. 


A Sincere Compliment

For a video solely focused on cyber-bullying, a sincere compliment is a good choice to open up a dialogue about the topic. It tells the story of Jeremiah who is 16 years old. He started off his very own movement to bring a positive voice to those who are victims of bullying. Using social media as his main tool, he started by sending positive messages to those who have been targeted online. 

If your child is an inspirational leader and wishes to change the attitudes in their school towards bullying, then this might be a great option for you. The movement continued to grow throughout Jeremiah's time at the school. Overall, he encouraged students to change their mindset towards bullying and offer support for victims.


Advice for Parents

The key message in all the videos aims to combat issues related to bullying. However, we would advise watching them all before showing them to your teenager. Some are great for younger children and others for teens. Each video presents a valuable learning opportunity for everyone, regardless of whether they have been a victim. In addition, they explore matters for bullies, someone who has witnessed bullying or is striving to change attitudes on the subject.


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Blog Article Author
Written by
Henry Leopold
Blogger, togetherAI