Act Against Bullying
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Act Against Bullying (AAB) is a United Kingdom charity. It was founded in 2003 by Louise Burfitt-Dons. The charity's purpose is to help bullied children by providing them with confidential advice and to raise public awareness of the problem. The AAB website offers supportive messages and information on all forms of systematic bullying, in particular psychological bullying. The site also features advice on forms of bullying such as exclusion bullying and cyberbullying.
The charity uses an all-volunteer staff.
It has helped in situations where children and their parents had previously worked alone through their anti-bullying experiences.[1] The ethos of the charity is motivational and upbeat. It aims to eliminate suicides and homicides that result from bullying. It actively promotes the virtues of kindness as the antithesis of bullying actions.
History
In 2000, playwright Louise Burfitt-Dons (born Louise Byres) published in 2001 40 anti-bullying monologues called Act Against Bullying for teachers to use in the classroom, because her daughter had been bullied at school.[2] Burfitt-Dons was concerned that the advice given to victims to simply report the abuse could lead to further abuse. The monologues reported the insidiousness of the newer forms of bullying and offered an insight into what they could do. "I didn't realise what I had started," said Burfitt-Dons.
The
The Act Against Bullying Polo Cup started in June 2005 at the Guards Polo Club as part of the semi-final of the Queens Cup Tournament. Burfitt-Dons presented the Cup to the Dubai Polo Team in 2005 and 2006. In 2007 it went to the Ellerston White polo team.
The charity launched the poster campaign Grade Not Degrade in November 2006.
She was guest speaker at a
AAB was shortlisted for The Guardian Charity Award 2008.
The Cyberkind campaign was launched at the
It was a core member of the UK's Anti-Bullying Alliance[3] until 2010.
Programs
Wristband
A two colour silicone wristband adopts red as a symbol for strength and white for peace.
Cool to be Kind campaign
CyberKind
Cyber-bullying can be done anonymously. Encouraging and rewarding 'niceness on the net' is their approach to eliminate the practice as an acceptable activity.[4]
Act Against Bullying Polo Cup
This Cup was presented annually from 2005 to 2007 to the winner of the group's polo tournament.
Public education
Burfitt-Dons gives speeches to raise awareness of the rising statistics and varying forms of bullying and its adverse effect on youth culture, female aggression, and trends like happy slapping.
Grade Not Degrade campaign
The group wrote to all TV channels and
Public profile
Act Against Bullying maintains a strong media presence which stimulated controversy owing to its glamorous profile. It recruited notable voluntary advisors including Hamish Brown MBE, the UK's leading authority on the
Big Brother participant
Other celebrities attending that day were
Other media personalities linked with AAB are Jen Hunter who was publicly humiliated on a TV show over her height. Big Brother contestant Liza Jeynes contacted AAB for support over her suicide attempts from cyberbullying. AAB has a young following. Joseph McManners was photographed for them when he attended a function with Hugo Boss model Nicholas Joyce. They worked with Britain's Got Talent 2008 finalists martial arts duo Strike.
In 2008 Fashion Showcase Wales sponsored by L'Oréal was held in support of the charity at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff[11] in AAB campaign posters and messages featured in The Inbetweeners Movie.
References
- ^ "Act Against Bullying. Leading Charity Advising on Childhood Bullying and Abuse". Actagainstbullying.org. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy". Retrieved 11 October 2007.
- ^ a b "AntiBullying Alliance – United against bullying". Anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Jasper Hamill in the Herald Scotland on 8 November 2009". The Herald. Glasgow. 13 December 2000. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Grade Not Degrade Campaign". 8 February 2009. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ "Anti-stalking and harassment services". Hamishbrownmbe.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ a b "CBBC Newsround – TV/Film – Bullying charity drops Jade Goody". BBC.
- ^ "Digital Spy Forums - Response from Act Against Bullying". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 27 January 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ "Creativity and Bullying". YouTube. 24 February 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.