Starting today and going to Nov. 20th, Family Channel is taking a stand against bullies with its 9th annual Bullying Awareness Week!
Between 4pm-8pm this evening, viewers can check out WHAT’S UP, STAND UP!, an evening of special programming hosted by the WHAT’S UP WARTHOGS news team. There will also be episodes of GOOD LUCK CHARLIE, SHAKE IT UP, and WINGIN’ IT, and a whole new episode of WHAT’S UP WARTHOGS! Viewers will also hear true bully stories from their favourite pop stars like Selena Gomez and Cody Simpson.
Also premiering tonight will be Tyler Medieros’ new music video for his song for the campaign, “What’s up, Stand up!” Check back tomorrow when we’ll be posting an interview with Tyler about the song, and how he’s handled bullies growing up.
The Mag got the chance to chat with Karissa Staples, better known as Victoria on WHAT’S UP WARTHOGS. Here’s what she had to say about the campaign, bullying, and more:
What excited you about getting involved in the What’s Up, Standup! campaign?
K: Every year the stars from one of Family’s original series gets involved in the Standup or another campaign, and we were lucky enough that the cast of What’s Up, Warthogs! had the honour of hosting this year. And since our show revolves around a high school cast, it seems like the perfect way to spread messages and stories regarding bullying. And with familiar faces, we want to let our audience know that we, too, have encountered our own experiences with bullying as well.
So have you ever dealt with a bully in your life personally?
K: I did when I was very, very young, I think about in the first grade. The student who acted out and I thought how he acted with other kids, and I don’t know how I had it in me that young, but I did tell my teacher that I was scared and he was on close watch throughout the year. I would have dreaded going to school all year if I hadn’t done something. But in high school, the huge issue was bullying online, on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. For some reason it was easy for someone to speak harshly about somebody else behind a computer screen, so that was a huge issue when I was in high school.
What sort of message would you give someone who’s dealing with a bully right now?
K: I would say that they have to know that they’re definitely not alone, it happens to so many children all around the world, but the best thing to do in any situation is to tell a friend or an adult that you can trust. But they should tell somebody. And another great option is to find an organization such as PREVNet or Kids Help Phone, which both offer support, too.
Your character, Victoria, how do you think she would handle a bully?
K: I think Victoria is a leader, so she would be one to stand up to a bully, or if she saw somebody being bullied, she would know to tell an adult or to intervene somehow. You know, because it’s hard for some kids to stand up for themselves. Sometimes you need somebody to step in, and Victoria is that strong-headed character which I hope young girls can be inspired to be as well.
Which Warthogs character do you think would handle bullying the best, or the worst?
K: I think Lainey would handle it the worst, because she is the youngest one out of the group, and she skipped a grade so she’s even younger in age and experience. But [the best] would definitely be Victoria, she would take charge.
Why do you think it’s important for shows like What’s Up, Warthog! and other Family shows to address bullying?
K: I know that shows and media all have a big influence on kids, and we all look up to people on TV. The stars and Selena Gomezes’ and whoever else—Hannah Montana—but we have to realize, as Family stars, that we are setting an example to our audience. There’s a moral to every story, and they take that message and they can aspire to be that character or that person. If there’s a strong message—I know that when I was watching television shows, the message stuck with me, and I hope that we can do that at least in some of our episodes!
Thank you, Karissa! For a full rundown of what’s happening this week, check out Family Channel’s WHAT’S UP, STAND UP page. Keep checking back to themagazine.ca for more news on Bullying Awareness Week and WHAT’S UP WARTHOGS!
Photo’s courtesy of Family Channel/ Astral Media.