Stars tackle online bullying
- 00:02:06
- ITN
Stars tackle online bullying
Girls Aloud, Dannii Minogue, Leona Lewis, Arsene Wenger and Penny Lancaster have posted personal video messages against bullying on the web.They have spoken out on the specially created Beatbullying channel of popular video-sharing website, YouTube.The campaign, designed to help young people, comes as more and more children say they are bullied via the internet.Penny Lancaster confesses: "My main memories of school are when I was bullied. I had one boy race his bike up against the back of my legs and I was bleeding and I couldn't really hide that so I'd go home crying, it was very traumatic."Girls Aloud tell their fans: "Happy slapping may be funny to you, until it is a member of your family sat at a bus stop, being slapped."Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills says: "Calling something you think is rubbish 'gay', is like calling people who are gay rubbish. Don't do it."Taking time out from the reformed Boyzone, Ronan Keating says: "If you wouldn't say it to someone's face, then don't post it online."Beatbullying supporters Coronation Street star Kym Ryder and the Gossip's Beth Ditto also appear on the channel.Sarah Dyer, Director of Beatbullying said: "The Beatbullying YouTube Channel will revolutionise how young people access information on how to avoid being bullied and importantly on how to avoid being a bully."It is frighteningly easy for a young person who would never consider being a bully in real life, to do something online which they think is funny or humorous but in fact is a terrible act of bullying."It is crucial that young people have access to this useful advice from credible celebrity role models, in an online environment where some of them are at risk of being bullied or becoming the bully."Beatbullying is asking YouTube users to upload their own anti bullying videos and messages onto the Beatbullying Channel - www.youtube.com/beatbullying - and help create the world's biggest anti-bullying drive.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | November 19, 2007
