In the News

Instagram unveiled a colorful custom-designed #KindComments mural by renowned artist Dallas Clayton (@DallasClayton) on Oct. 5 at the TOMS store in Chicago’s Wicker Park. The mural opening celebrated Chicago community members of all ages who are making the world a kinder place.

Guests heard from inspiring Chicago community members, Instagrammers who are using the platform to build communities of support, as well as Bailey Lindgren, associate at PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. (Lindgren is pictured at left, with Carolyn Merrell from Instagram.)

#KindComments is a global initiative to promote and foster positive engagement online. By transforming walls into colorful beacons of kindness, Instagram hopes to create positive spaces for people to gather in real life and encourage visitors to take a photo or video in front of the wall and share #KindComments on (and off) Instagram.
Murals inspiring #KindComments will also be launched in New York, Dallas, Washington D.C., Mexico City, Jakarta, Tokyo, and Mumbai, among other cities.

Download “Instagram Safety Tips” created by Instagram and PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and Clarisonic® announce a new partnership and campaign designed to drive awareness and raise donations for PACER’s bullying prevention efforts. Clarisonic wants everyone to feel confident about the skin they’re in. Uncovering personal confidence and building it within others can help everyone resist bullying and spread positivity. For every #CleanTheMean social post shared on Facebook or Instagram this year, Clarisonic will donate $1 to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, up to $100,000. Learn how sharing your post contributes to a kinder, more beautiful world.

We were excited to be part of the #GiveALittleTLC awards on Sept. 27th, hosted by TLC in partnership with Redbook and PACER. This inspiring night honored individuals who are making the world a kinder, more accepting and inclusive place. Congratulations to everyone honored! Learn more about TLC’s Give a Little campaign.

Join Disney Junior and PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center to explore and inspire what it means to choose kindness! Disney Junior is encouraging children to show kindness at home, school and within their community with this Kindness Kit available to download for parents and schools across the country. Disney Junior’s new series “Vampirina” tells the story of a young vampire girl who faces the joys and trials of being the new kid in town when her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. The series follows Vampirina (aka “Vee”) as she adjusts to life in the human world, including making friends and attending a new school. Along the way, Vee learns that it may be easier to blend in with her peers, but it’s more valuable to celebrate the qualities that make each individual unique. Download the Disney Junior Kindness Kit.

EA’s Play to Give program promoting in-game challenges and donation to charitable partners.

Through Play to Give, EA celebrates the importance of inclusion and play and the positive connections it makes for all the diverse players around the world. With millions of hours spent in play every day, games are a powerful platform for creating positive, inclusive connections. You can support the cause too.

Clarisonic, the creator of the most recommended skin cleansing devices by U.S. dermatologists, was founded with the belief that healthy, beautiful-looking skin can help people be their most confident selves.

In an effort to help address bullying, Clarisonic has made a commitment to support PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center – encouraging young people to love the skin they’re in, and to be confident advocates for themselves and others.

“PACER has made an incredible impact on countless kids across the country and all of us at Clarisonic are thrilled to help support its remarkable bullying prevention programs,” said Dr. Robb Akridge, co-founder of Clarisonic.

Paula Goldberg, Executive Director of PACER Center shared, “The support of Clarisonic is appreciated as it allows the opportunity to reach out to a broader audience with the important message of what all of us can do to help prevent bullying.”

The relationship between Clarisonic and PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center will kick off with the Students with Solutions campaign in early 2017, which engages students to use art and writing to creatively think through ways to prevent bullying and be supportive of peers being bullied. In addition, the relationship will focus on other initiatives designed to educate and provide students with information and resources to build a culture defined by kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

PACER is pleased to offer a new resource for teachers: “T.E.A.M. Rudolph and the Reindeer Games” (T.E.A.M. stands for Treat Everyone As Members). This free digital teacher toolkit celebrates acceptance and inclusion through teamwork.

The toolkit was created in conjunction with the release of a new picture book of the same name by Joe Troiano, who is also the author of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. The book reveals the untold story of how the Reindeer Games became a celebration of acceptance and diversity.

Educators can register online to receive the toolkit’s resources, which includes streaming video of the picture book, classroom activities and a discussion guide, and streaming Rudolph music.

A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the book will be donated to PACER’s NBPC.

For information and to register for the classroom toolkit, visit PACER.org/TeamRudolph.

Embrace the holiday spirit by playing the new online game “Rudolph’s Rooftop Gift-away!” The game features more than $16,000 in prizes, including a $500 shopping spree, and supports PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.

For each gift delivered in the game, $1 will be donated to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center (up to $15,000).

Play the game online

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center has partnered with the I Am A Witness campaign, which aims to stop bullying by activating the “silent majority” of kids who witness it each day. The goal of the campaign is to transform students who witness bullying from passive bystanders into an active collective that speak up against bullying.

I Am A Witness has created the Witness Emoji, which is shaped like a speech bubble with an eye in the center. Students can use the emoji to show support for someone who is being bullied by posting it online or through a text message.

Teens can post the Witness Emoji when they see hurtful comments, or send GIFs and stickers to show support for someone in need.

More than one in four children experience bullying each year, and research has shown that the bystander can play a pivotal role in stopping it. For information, visit iwitnessbullying.org/.

The second in a series of blogs about bullying was posted to Babble, A Company of Disney, in honor of the 10th anniversary of National Bullying Prevention Month this October. Be part of the movement to unite against bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion among children.

Bullying affects everyone involved. Whether the child is the target, a witness, or the person who bullies, the end result is that everyone feels less safe. Children aren’t responsible for resolving a bullying situation, but their opinions about how to proceed should be encouraged and respected. Engaging a child in finding the solution helps them learn problem solving and self-advocacy skills.

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