Behind The Big March
June 11, 2014 – More than half (55%) of children in Europe who have been bullied said they became depressed as a result, with over a third saying they harmed themselves (35%) or thought about suicide (38%), according to a new poll conducted by BeatBullying and the #DeleteCyberbullying campaign.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults and children from across Europe found that worryingly, 34% of adults thought that bullying is regarded as a ‘normal part of growing up’, and one in six adults (16%) said it is regarded as ‘character building’ by most people in their country, raising concerns amongst campaigners that the pain caused by bullying still remains hidden to many European citizens.
To raise awareness of this issue and show their support for the millions of children affected, today over 100,000 young people, parents, schools, and other organisations will join a European online protest to deliver a virtual petition to the European Commission, calling for new laws and much-needed funding to protect children from bullying and cyberbullying.
Cartoon avatars created by children, parents, teachers andEuropean celebrities including Little Mix, Amanda Holden, Aston Merrygold from JLS, Jamie Laing from Made in Chelsea, magician Dynamo, singer-songwriter Beth Sherburn, German heartthrob Jimi Blue and Belgian pop star Ian Thomas, will march across partner websites from 10 countries across Europe.
Other organisations that have signed up to support the campaign include the European Parents’ Association (which represents 150,000,000 parents across Europe), The European Anti-Bullying Network, Erasmus Student Network, European Youth Forum, European Schoolnet (a network of 30 European Ministries of Education), OBESSU (Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions), Puffin Books, Plants vs. Zombies, The Scout Association, Mumsnet and global antivirus company Bullguard.
“Far too many European citizens still see bullying as ‘part of growing up’ and don’t take it seriously. This is pushing young people to the brink with some even resorting to harming themselves in order to cope. How many more children have to tragically lose their lives before these outdated perceptions change?” – Emma-Jane Cross, CEO and founder of BeatBullying
Press release by BeatBullying and #DeleteCyberbullying
