As UK-based coalition Anti-Bullying Alliance kicks off its annual anti-bullying week today with the theme Power For Good, Viacom UK has joined the initiative with a #powerforgood on-air and online marketing campaign encouraging kids to use the internet in positive ways.
Along with its MTV and Comedy Central brands, VIMN-owned Nickelodeon and Channel 5 have come together to run the same on-air spot that encourages viewers to share digital assets from Viacom’s channel websites across their own social media accounts.
In turn, Viacom’s branded social media feeds—including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat Discover—will publish additional anti-bullying support and advice resources.
For programming, Viacom’s TV networks and websites, including Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff and Nickelodeon’s The Scoop, will also highlight the campaign.
The #powerforgood initiative is supported by charities such as the NSPCC, Stonewall and Bullying UK.
The campaign timed with recent efforts among kids companies in the UK and the US to promote kindness in the face of bullying. According to UK charity Ditch The Label’s Annual Bullying Survey 2016, 1.5 million young people have been bullied within the last year. And according to the stats, twice as many boys as girls are the culprits (66% of males vs. 31% females). In the US, 2015 research from the US Department of Health and Human Services showed that 52% of students have experienced cyberbullying, with 33% of encountering cyberthreats online.