Nation gets ready to take a stand against bullying
21 May 2007
Eight out of ten Brits would take an active stand for a cause they believe in and on Friday 25th May, well over a million will do just that as the nation stands up against bullying.
On Friday May 25th 2007 at 10.00 am, Beatbullying will hold The Big Stand – an event which asks every person in the UK, both young people and adults, to create the world’s biggest stand – as a national sign of defiance against bullying and solidarity with the millions of young people being bullied.
And as the nation prepares to take this literal stand, new research for Beatbullying by YouGov published today shows that over a million Brits would be prepared to go as far as chaining themselves to the gates of Downing Street to make their point heard.
While signing petitions and letter writing are the most popular ways to take a stand, the research shows that millions of people are prepared to go to more extreme lengths to make their voices heard – especially the younger generations.
A quarter of Brits prepared to take a stand would go on strike to defend their corner, with 3 per cent prepared to join their comrades chaining themselves to Downing Street by storming the House of Commons. Meanwhile, two per cent would go on hunger strike and almost a third of a million would follow in Fathers4Justice’s footsteps and attempt to get on the roof of Buckingham Palace.
But for younger people, two-fifths would be prepared to strike, almost a quarter would join a sit-in or lock out and almost one in twenty (4 per cent) would be prepared to embark on a hunger strike.
And in harking back to the days of Red Clydeside, it’s the Scots who are most likely to take a stand for a cause – and most likely to go on strike, while those in the North of England are the most reticent about making their voice heard.
Sarah Dyer, Director, from Beatbullying said:
“It’s tremendous to see we are a nation of people passionate to take a stand to support something they believe in. It’s also encouraging to see that it’s the younger generation who are prepared to be the most creative to make their voice heard.
“This Friday we are asking as many people as possible to participate in our Big Stand. There are often a lot of good words spoken in the attempt to try and tackle bullying, but words are sometimes not enough. This Friday will be an opportunity for everyone who wants to take action to prevent bullying to show their support for our campaign.
“They will be joining the whole nation – from political leaders to the kids at Tidemill Primary School in Deptford – in taking a stand against bullying.”
Over 1 million people stood up for The Big Stand last year and with parents ranking bullying as their number one concern, according to recent Parentline data, Beatbullying is calling on its supporters to take a stand and help them beat this record in 2007.
And those who can’t get involved in the Big Stand, can still lend their weight to the campaign by joining celebrities such as Girls Aloud, Nelly Furtado, Beth Ditto, Scissor Sister Anamatronic, Chantelle Houghton, JoJo, Jo Whiley, Kim Ryder and Siobhan Donaghy among many others in wearing the new Beatbullying vests – exclusively in mkone stores nationwide. The vests are on the cutting edge of charity fashion and will be sold throughout the Summer with limited availability from 19th May 2007. To view pictures visit www.beatbullying.org/fashion. To locate your nearest mkone store please go to www.mkone.co.uk
To get involved there are free downloadable resources available on www.beatbullying.org/thebigstand.