The Scientology Network Shares Tools to Help Deal With Bullying

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Learn how to help youth free themselves from this pervasive hardship with human rights educational initiatives supported by the Church of Scientology.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property last year. Bullying can be traumatic to both victims and bystanders. Friends and families, aware of the problem, often feel powerless to help. But using human rights educational initiatives supported by the Church of Scientology, they can transform a culture of bullying and intimidation into one of mutual support and respect. 

 

The urgency of taking effective action is highlighted by studies carried out by Yale University showing victims of bullying are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than nonvictims. Another study found that when bystanders to bullying intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57 percent of the time. 

Parents, educators and community and religious leaders can cultivate a more humane and responsible environment by educating youth on their rights and responsibilities using the youth-friendly booklets and videos of United for Human Rights and its program for young people Youth for Human Rights. These materials are available free of charge to anyone wishing to use them.

The Scientology Network's original series Voices for Humanity documents the work of human rights advocates who use these programs to create meaningful change. A prime example is Rock for Human Rights (R4HR) lead singer Wil Seabrook. 

When he launched his group’s “30 Days–30 Rights” human rights school concert tour across America, Seabrook had no idea how pervasive bullying was or that what he was embarking on could save lives.

In a school auditorium filled with kids, he said, “Raise your hand if anybody’s ever tried to bully you.” Immediately, almost every hand in the audience shot up. “Everywhere I go and no matter the age of the audience, I’ve found that bullying is a universal problem,” he says.  

Seabrook’s band performs music that promotes human rights and uses the Youth for Human Rights materials to introduce students to their rights and responsibilities.

In an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network, Seabrook speaks of how kids come up to the band after their concerts saying they’re going to take more personal responsibility for creating a safe environment for their peers. “The simple, powerful information in these booklets and video PSAs changes lives daily, and is a much-needed tool in the effort to end the bullying epidemic,” he says.

Voices for Humanity features episodes on human rights advocates from Guatemala to Taiwan, Colombia to South Africa, and from Pakistan to Morocco who share how they have used these initiatives to create meaningful change. And how simple it is to do so.

The Story of Human Rights, a brief documentary on the history of human rights and its state in the world today, also airs on the network. 

The Scientology Network debuted in March 2018. Since launching, it has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about the Scientology religion and Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization, and presenting its social betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by independent filmmakers who represent a cross-section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network’s innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards.

Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, the Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.