*2019 Cyberbullying Data: Safety Net: Cyberbullying’s Impact on Young People’s Mental Health
**https://www.ditchthelabel.org/research-papers/hate-speech-report-2021/
got2b's commitment to fight cyberbullying is reinforced by the global partnership with Ditch The Label: the digital-first youth organisation supporting young people between 12 and 25 who are affected by cyberbullying and online abuse. It offers safe spaces online such as the DTL Harmful Content Removal Tool which aims to prevent harmful behavior right at its source and makes it easier and as seamless as possible for users to flag and counteract abusive posts and comments on social media. Besides that, the organisation provides valuable educational work and insights.
got2b and Ditch The Label have partnered to open up conversations and raise awareness of cyberbullying. The campaign aims to protect people from the effects of online abuse and empowers everyone to celebrate their originality and individuality without fear of repercussions. Meet six of our unique co-creators who share their personal experience and how they overcame cyberbullying. Together against cyberbullying, together for a kinder and safer digital space.
Question: How did you get over online bullying?
Feline: “Well, I’m a streamer on twitch and there are a lot of trolls on Twitch online, but actually you just have to think that these are just random people on the Internet. You don’t know them, and only the opinions of your friends and family should matter to you because you matter to them.”
Question: How do you deal with hate comments?
Jannis: “When I receive hate comments, I mostly try to ignore them. Sometimes it can affect me, but that´s when I try to remember who I am: What I want to do, who I´m trying to be, and how I want to express myself. That I like to wear make-up and that I wear the clothes I like. I try not to let it affect me. I´m so proud to have a community that allows me to be myself.”
Question: Who do you turn to when your self expression is under attack?
Anoushka: "So I´ve had a few racist negative comments made about me, but I don´t even read them anymore. I don´t pay them any attention because it´s a reflection of them, not me. And, talking to my friends and family makes me feel so much better and more confident in myself.”
Question: What should someone do when they`ve been bullied online?
Faried: “I take a moment. Maybe close my eyes. And I think will this particular comment do anything positive for me or not? My advice for people who did experience online bullying is to take a moment, take a deep breath, relax. And over time you can build a shield, so these words can’t hurt you any longer.”
got2b is about self-expression. got2b wants to empower everyone to celebrate their originality and individuality with their style, for them to show their personality and attitude - without the fear of repercussions. Therefore, got2b not only wants to raise awareness on the issue of cyberbullying but, more importantly, wants people to engage through activities and act.
Anti-Cyberbullying is close to the heart of got2b, as cyberbullying affects a lot of people and leads them to edit the ways they present themselves to the world. They feel silenced, hide their feelings, and feel unable to express themselves fully, which goes against everything got2b stands for.
We are committed to tackling cyberbullying because it is a global issue that sadly is on the rise. In fact, in a recent global study, 2 out of 5 teens have been bullied online, leading to psychological illness, anxiety and even suicide (Source: Patchin, Ph.D, Justin. "2019 Cyberbullying Data“; Safety Net: Cyberbullying’s Impact on Young People’s Mental Health: Inquiry Report. The Children’s Society.).
Therefore, got2b has partnered with Ditch the Label to amplify and support them in combatting online hate and cyberbullying. The collaboration has been kicked off on Anti-Cyberbullying Day 2021 with a series of virtual live talks and the release of digital toolkit prepared by Ditch the Label. Furthermore, the DTL Harmful Content Removal Tool aims to prevent harmful behavior right at its source and makes it easier and as seamless as possible for users to flag and counteract abusive posts and comments on social media.
The partnership is an important step to help raise awareness about the problems associated with cyberbullying. Together, we will use the opportunity to empower our partners and consumers to call out online bullying wherever they see it and raise up anyone who feels unable to live a fully empowered life because of cyberbullying.
got2b is about self-expression. got2b wants to empower everyone to celebrate their originality and individuality with their style, for them to show their personality and attitude - without the fear of repercussions. People can’t live their true lives online if they’re victims of cyberbullying, so got2b wants to empower them to break down the barriers.
Over the last year, a vast majority of anti-cyberbullying organisations report a notable increase in cyberbullying (Source: DQ Institute). According to these groups, cyberbullying is on the rise worldwide and has increased over the past year given that everyone has been increasingly living their lives online during the pandemic and self-isolation measures. got2b takes a stand, raises awareness, and does its bit to create a more positive culture online and want to encourage people to celebrate their originality.
got2b wants to empower everyone to celebrate their originality and individuality with their style, for them to show their personality and attitude. That’s why got2b wants to use its voice as a mass market brand. got2b wants to raise awareness on the issue of cyberbullying and to open a wide-ranging and inspiring conversation around this topic.
Studies have shown that half of all LGBTQIA people have experienced online harassment in the form of private messages or via social media posts. (Source: 2015 National School Climate Survey.” GLSEN) got2b passionately believes time is overdue to change that. got2b is an inclusive brand and stands for self-expression. got2b wants to empower everyone to celebrate their originality and individuality with their style, for them to show their personality and attitude. Therefore, got2b is committed to helping create a safer environment in which people can express their originality without having to fear repercussions.
As got2b, we will stand up against hate speech and bullying and block or react to comments on our own channels whenever we deem it necessary. We will also take the opportunity to support and back the co-creators who are part of our campaign and encourage our community to do so, too. We have a “zero tolerance” policy for online bullying on our channels.
Our co-creators will have direct access to a support mentor at our partners Ditch The Label who will be available to provide ad-hoc support, remove abusive social media content and will be there in the unlikely event of any co-creators being targeted.
It’s best to refer them to a professional help line or mentor who can provide advice and counsel. (e.g. www.ditchthelabel.org)
Our partner organisation Ditch the Label suggests having a pre-prepared text ready. It could read something like this:
Thanks for your message. I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through a tough time. I can understand that it must feel really challenging for you at the moment. I'm not actually trained to give advice on this topic, however you can reach out to Ditch The Label for free and confidential help and support. They have tons of resources and a support community where you can ask trained mentors for advice on everything from bullying and mental health to identity and body image. The URL is www.ditchthelabel.org. Hope it helps.