Cartoon Network Middle East has launched a UAE-wide anti-bullying campaign ‘CN Buddy Network’ encouraging children aged 5 to 12 years to 'Be a Buddy, Not a Bully.’
The global campaign was introduced in 2014 in the UK, and is now being launched in the Middle East for the first time, starting with the UAE. The CN Buddy Network campaign will educate children and parents about the effects of bullying, and provide practical ways to counter it.
According to a study conducted by Cartoon Network with Opinion Matters, half of parents with children aged from 6 to 12 years surveyed in the UAE are aware that their child has been bullied previously. Furthermore, 17 percent of parents of children aged 6 to 12 years agree psychological bullying, verbal bullying and cyber bullying are the most common forms of bullying they observe. On a positive note, under 2 in 3 respondents in the UAE are confident that their children’s school is doing everything it can to address and prevent bullying (65 per cent).
To raise awareness about the issue, the ‘CN Buddy Network’ campaign is running tailored school workshops by specialised child psychologists that aim to create a positive school culture and help prevent bullying among students. The workshops will continue until December 2019, and will target over 1,000 students.
As part of the campaign, Cartoon Network is also partnering with Sony Music Entertainment Middle East to create an anti-bullying song performed by YouTube star singers; the sisters Rawan and Rayan. The catchy Arabic pop song speaks to children with positive messages around inclusion, and will be aired on TV and available worldwide across all music services.
For more information, visit https://beabuddy.cartoonnetworkmena.com/