Bullying Prevention for the Media

Bullying Prevention for the Media

The Media Coverage has a huge impact within the communities  and how they understand, address, and prevent certain issues and problems in today's world. When the media does coverage of bullying it tends to do more harm the good.

Public Should Know about Bullying

• Bullying is growing but it isn't an world wide epidemic. The national rates have gone down over the years.
• Bullying is only one reason for suicide there are many other factors involved.
• Bullying can affect anyone. There are certain risk factors that puts someone at a higher chance of getting bullied.
• Bullying doesn't just involve the bully bystanders also are involved.
• Cyberbullying isn't as common as people think it is. 
• Not all prevention strategies work for everybody.
• Bullying isn't illegal.
• For more information read Stopbullying.gov

Practices

Journalists have challenges when it comes to bullying. It is because it involves reporting on situations with emotional details. Its important to inform the public on exactly what is going on. Here is a list to inform writers 

• Question on what stories on bullying to run

                    - Does the behavior actual define bullying

                    - Will it and how will it affect the child and family involved

                    - It reflect reality.

                    - Will it help audiences better understand how to prevent bullying.

• Get the whole story

                    - Talk to everyone involved. 

                    -  Get the facts.

                    - Cover as a Health Issue

                    - It affects everyone. 

• Use sources

                 Sources make the story. Its important for it to be accurate. Its at risk of being false if there are no sources. 

                    -  Find an expert that knows what they are doing. Finding someone who knows about prevention.

                    - Find verified statistics. A clear web search will reveal a lot of information. https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html

• Include information

                    -  Information about those who bully. This will be a little hard to get. Try to include the risks that they might go through, The negative effects of the youth, and even the facts that who bully are not all alike and may even be bullied themselves.
                    - Bullying Effects. Talk about the many problems that come with bullying and being bullied. Many of these affects not just suicide but mental illness and drug abuse can go well into adult hood. Talk about how it can affect the family and the community.
                    - Individual Help. Instead of giving the so called general advice. See https://kierstisocialmediabullying.blogspot.com/2018/10/bullying-prevention.html

• Use accurate Journalism

The media has no bullying solution without information and prevention. Its important for them to have current state and research. The audience will feel hopeless and left with confusion. Consider the following approaches

• Give advice on how to avoid the problem. 
• Figure out what the successful prevention of bullying ways are.
• Discuss new found prevention research.
• Point to new prevent research.
• Stress the Positive.

• Consider the standards  

Its important to just be prepared for fast breaking stories.

• Critique Media

         http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/bulle/2012/03/bully_documentary_lee_hirsch_s_film_dangerously_oversimplifies_the_connection_between_bullying_and_suicide_.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bullying-suicide-teens-depression_n_1247875
https://www2.hws.edu/article-id-14858/
https://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/media-help-to-hype-perception-of-bullying/article_ced56eb0-
84d6-5b05-8d5f-074f8a7bad84.html

Sources:
“Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention.” StopBullying.gov, Department of Health and Human Services, www.stopbullying.gov/media/index.html.