TORONTO – Family Channel kicked off its 14th annual Bullying Awareness Week campaign this week with the message to Stand UP!, not stand by, when bullying happens.
Headlined by the release of a new original anthem "We Stand Up" performed by the cast of the tween series Backstage, the campaign also features the return of Family’s in-school rally tour.
In addition, Family has enhanced its original content offering through a new partnership with Telus via their online safety initiative Telus Wise (Wise Internet & Smartphone Education), resulting in exclusive short-form content from Backstage and teen drama Degrassi: Next Class that addresses bullying prevention. These exclusive shorts will air on Family throughout Bullying Awareness Week in November, alongside special messages from Family Channel stars, and footage from the rally tour.
“Raising awareness about bullying behaviour and creating content and resources that aid in bullying prevention has always been a top priority for Family Channel,” said Joe Tedesco, DHX Television SVP and general manager, in the news release. “From working with our research partners, we know that bullying affects nearly everyone in some way or another and it’s incredibly inspiring to see how important this issue remains with our Family Channel stars who are willing to open up and share their own personal stories with our audience and eager to participate in the campaign from year-to-year.”
“Through Telus Wise we’re committed to providing youth with effective strategies and resources to help them tackle critical challenges like cyberbullying and identity theft as well as helping them positively manage their online reputation,” added Blair Miller, content VP at Telus. “We know that young people are ready and willing to take a stand when it comes to cyberbullying, but are looking for support on how to safely intervene. Partnering with the team at DHX Television enables us to reach our shared objective of helping youth navigate these potential experiences through engaging stories featuring their favourite characters.”
Family Channel co-founded Bullying Awareness Week in 2003 and developed the Stand UP! campaign in association with PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network), a national network of Canadian researchers, community organizations and governments committed to ending bullying and promoting positive relationships.
