Bully Stoppers campaign: Facebook to embed cyber safety videos in feeds

SOCIAL media giant Facebook will embed public cyber safety messages within Victorian users’ news feeds to help spread a Napthine Government anti-bullying campaign to students and parents.

Teacher And Children With Computer. Thinkstock pic.

SOCIAL media giant Facebook will use its network to help spread a Napthine Government anti-bullying campaign to students and parents.

Facebook will embed public cyber safety messages within Victorian users’ news feeds.

Specific student-focused videos will appear on teenagers’ suggested posts, while separate videos targeted at parents will be presented on their feeds.

The new social media advertising blitz will run alongside an in-school program, that will see 54 schools share in $400,000 worth of government grants.

The latest tranche of the $4 million Bully Stoppers campaign will be launched this morning in Albert Park, by Premier Denis Napthine and Education Minister Martin Dixon.

Premier Napthine said the “Speak Up Against Cyberbullying” message is about empowering young people.

“As many as one in five young Victorians experience cyber bullying each year, but many young people don’t know how to seek help,” he said.

“That’s why we are providing young people, their teachers and parents with tools to deal with all forms of bullying at home, at school and in the community.”

Mr Dixon said thousands of students had been involved in the campaign so far, and the next stage would provide for practical programs to be run in more schools.

“Many of the schools in this third round of grants will run programs to tackle cyber bullying, or focus on peer mediation and bystander intervention — two of the key pillars of the Bully Stoppers campaign.”

It is understood the Facebook-linked campaign is the first of its type in Australia.

Apart from targeting parents or students, the social media giant will share campaign content through its own page, increasing the reach of the message throughout its network.

Facebook’s Head of Policy Australia and New Zealand Mia Garlick said the company took a proactive approach to tackling bullying online.

“Facebook has a strong commitment to the safety and wellbeing of young Australians and has a longstanding relationship with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to promote online safety,” Ms Garlick said.

The Bully Stoppers program began last year, and 194 schools have already received grants to run anti-bullying programs.

Originally published as Bully Stoppers campaign: Facebook to embed cyber safety videos in feeds