Cartoon Network turned real kids’ stories of overcoming obstacles such as being picked during football practice or eating lunch alone into a series of PSAs for the social initiative Stop Bullying: Speak Up.

The five 15-and-30-second spots feature the voices and stories of 9-to-11-year-olds who were part of the network’s research, released in February, on how to reduce bullying among elementary school students.

The study goes hand-in-hand with Cartoon Network’s expansion of its Stop Bullying: Speak Up initiative, which also includes partnering with Committee for Children, a global leader of social-emotional learning curricula. The PSAs are designed to translate the research findings into actionable steps for kids and parents to create more inclusive communities.

In the research, Cartoon Network found nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of kids say they have been bullied at least once or twice and those who prioritize “caring about others” are far less likely to bully and more likely to reach out to other kids.

The study also found that more than half (58 percent) of kids who have seen someone getting picked on or being left out say they don’t help out because they don’t know what to do or say.

With that in mind, the PSAs have a special focus on promoting kindness, caring and empathy among young people. They will begin running across Cartoon Network and other Turner networks on September 10, leading up to National Bullying Prevention Month in October.

“Our main mission at Cartoon Network is to provide fun and entertainment, but we also have a long-standing commitment to use our platform responsibly,” Christina Miller, president of Cartoon Network, said in a statement. “Now more than ever we need to step up and support kids learning how to be kind, caring, and empathetic, so we can stop bullying before it starts.”

Cartoon Network also expanded its partnership with 826 National, a youth writing organization, to animated stories about bullying written by kids share them across the network’s media platforms. This builds on the network’s existing Inclusion Storytelling Project, a collaboration with 826 to provide the tools and encouragement for kids to share their own stories about kindness and empathy.

RELATED: Cartoon Network Publishes Kids’ Stories of Kindness to Stop Bullying

In addition, Cartoon Network is targeting parents with information about ways kids say they need adult support, and launched a microsite with free resources to help kids speak up against bullying.

CREDITS

SVP of Marketing and Partnerships: Jill King

CMO: Michael Ouweleen

Campaign Development & Execution:

Cartoon Network Creative Executive: Craig Gordon

Cartoon Network Senior Producer: Ryan Jerwers

Cartoon Network Writer: Cherith Fuller

Cartoon Network Designer: Steven Darden

Cartoon Network Art Director: Tyson McAdoo

Cartoon Network Marketing: Deb Serebrin & Kelsey Tate

Production: Giant Ant Productions

Tags: cartoon network


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