Cartoon Network’s new plan to prevent bullying is going old school. The network is launching a campaign to teach kids how stop bullying by targeting middle schoolers, the age when bullying becomes most common and intense. Cartoon Network’s strategy will focus on getting children who see others being bullied to intervene. Psychologist and network adviser Ronald Slaby explained, “If you get a child to think strategically that they have a role to play as a bystander, that’s the key.”
While the fervor surrounding bullying is relatively new, Cartoon Network is harkening back to the bygone era of “very special episodes” by incorporating “teachable moments” into episodes of its most popular shows. “When the show is over, we can very quickly say, ‘Remember this bit? If you want more information, look at our website.'” explained Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network’s vice president of social responsibility. Incorporating “teachable moments” into shows is nothing new, as any veteran viewer of Captain Planet or GI Joe can testify, but such attempts are rarely effective. At the very least, Cartoon Network will provide an entire generation of children with a new set of memes, and at most, some genuinely useful knowledge about bullying. And as you know, knowing is half the battle!
Sources: Yahoo! News
