'What you're doing is wrong'
Teens jump to defend peers in anti-bullying social experiment
Online violence, including cyberbullying, can have a devastating impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of children and young people. The Disrupting Harm Study released in 2022 showed that 70% of children surveyed in South Africa use the Internet without parental consent and risky online behaviour can expose them to online violence, exploitation and abuse. The online world is also increasingly intertwined with everyday life offline.
UNICEF South Africa commissioned a controlled ‘social experiment video’ to better understand how young people react to taunts and bullying that cross over from in-person discussion to the use of online mobile devices. Produced with Slingshot Media, groups of young people were filmed as they interacted with each other under the pretext of a focus group discussion. Actors deliberately inserted nasty and leading comments, against other actors, to foster a response from their peers in the group.
The results were overwhelmingly positive in that the youth in the group stood up for those who were being ‘bullied’ during the discussions and on mobile devices, promoting a speak out culture. The films were all produced with relevant consents and a social worker was on hand to discuss the issues that came up during the sessions, including to confirm that all participants were comfortable for the final films to be distributed online.
For children and young people who need support for their mental health and parents and caregivers who need further resources, please find links below:
