Anti-bullying campaign launched but banned from TV
A cinemas and online advertising campaign targeting bullying is deemed to controversial for the British TV market.
Presenting a teenage girl who is sewing her own mouth shut, the advert will be featured in cinemas prior the screening of motion pictures rated 12A and above as well as on the internet
The anti-bullying drive is comprised in a £1.2 million advertising campaign introduced by a kid’s charity organization called Beatbullying in memory Megan Gillan, who was a young teen who had found refuge from her bullying in death.
The 15-year-old Cheshire high school student died following an overdose of painkillers which she took after bullies had targeted her on the social networking website Bebo.
Her family said they were supporting the campaign had added that they hope further deaths due to bullying may be avoided in the future.
The campaign publicises the website cybermentors.org.uk, which permits young victims of bullying to give support to one another and talk about their problems.
Explaining why the campaign was banned from British TV screens, a representative for Clearcast, the governing body which gives the thumbs up for TV adverts, claimed that the Beatbullying commercial contained potentially offensive scenes.
According to Emma-Jane Cross, the chief executive at Beatbullying, the organization is very proud to of this campaign and the fact that it graphically portrays the full impact of bulluying of their victims.
However, Miss Cross said they were disappointed their message was banned for British TV, adding that 69% of teens in the country have been bullied in the past and that becoming aware of the helpful environment provided by cybermentors.org.uk was very important.
Megan’s family released a statement saying the deceased teen would surely have benefited from as well as supported CyberMentors.