TBWA: Campaign against cyber bullying

With the national awareness campaign "Stop Cyber Bullying", Pro Juventute calls for the fight against bullying on the Internet, according to a statement. Startling posters and a TV spot show that bullying in cyberspace leads to real psychological injuries and triggers extreme despair and fear in the young people affected. In a Facebook campaign, prominent Swiss personalities such as Diego Benaglio, Heidi Happy and Jubaira Bachmann call on young people to take an active stand against cyber bullying. Young people can take direct action against cyber bullying with just one click and receive further information on the campaign platform. In information campaigns to all schools in Switzerland, materials are offered to make young people aware of the help available via Pro Juventute's emergency number 147. The public is called upon to get involved on Facebook or by making donations.

Cyber bullying hurts

As Pro Juventute writes, cyberbullying is an increasingly widespread problem that triggers extreme uncertainty and fear among young people in need. More and more children and young people are calling Pro Juventute Beratung + Hilfe 147 seeking help for cyberbullying. While the topic was unknown just a few years ago, it is now an everyday occurrence in counseling. And according to recent studies[1], one in five teenagers has already experienced someone trying to beat them up via the Internet. The devastating thing about cyberbullying is that, unlike bullying, the inhibition threshold is lower because the attacker hides behind the anonymity of the Internet. At the same time, cyberbullying takes place not only on the playground, but everywhere, and the victims are at the mercy of bullying around the clock.

Survey shows: There is a need for information

There is an urgent need for information in Switzerland on the subject of cyberbullying: more than two-thirds (69.9 percent) of Swiss people do not know where to seek help for cyberbullying. This is shown by the results of the national survey "Help against cyber bullying" published today by Pro Juventute.[2] Only just one in two knows what cyber bullying is (51.9 percent). One in three has heard of it, but does not know exactly what it is (31.2 percent). In French-speaking Switzerland, only just under one in four knows what cyberbullying is (23.8 percent).

Among the criteria that an offer of help should fulfill, confidentiality ranks first, followed by professionalism, speed and neutrality. The fact that the help is offered free of charge and takes place in person is also considered important. The result shows: it is crucial that young people and parents know about the availability of a low-threshold, confidential offer. Cyberbullying can lead to everything from sleep problems to depression to youth suicide: International studies show that the number of suicide attempts among young people who have experienced cyberbullying is twice as high as among young people who are not affected.[3] "It should never get to that point in Switzerland," says Pro Juventute Director Stephan Oetiker. "There is therefore an urgent need for awareness-raising, prevention through media literacy and the publicizing of contact points for young people."

TBWA implements campaign

In the classic poster and TV campaign, the general public is made aware of the issue of cyberbullying by the TBWA agency and the number 147 is thematized. In the associated Facebook app, the main youth target group can make a statement against cyberbullying. They are thus picked up directly at the scene of the crime and involved in the long term. The Facebook campaign is not limited to simple "liking," but also involves and encourages people to deal with the issue and talk about it, as if they were calling 147 - which is already an important first step in the fight against cyberbullying. The campaign is being taken to all schools in Switzerland via posters, TV commercials, Facebook, public relations work and information campaigns.

Responsible at Pro Juventute: Irene Heimgartner (Head of Public Affairs / Deputy Head of Communications); Marianne Affolter (Head of Communications). Responsible at TBWA:
Creation: Frederick Rossmann, Johannes Dörig, Barney Rees, Samuel Wicki, Cla Campell (creation); Matthias Kiess, Marion Schlatter (customer consulting); Marcel Vogt (customer consulting);
Christina Buergin, Agnes Meier, Simona Mink (art buying/production/DTP); Mert Dürümoglu (photography). Responsible at Markenfilm Switzerland: Uli Scheper (production); Navid Abri (director). Responsible for programming: Cubera Solutions.