Why you shouldn’t film attacks and what to do if you ever see one of the brutal videos

Today The Sun Online and The NSPCC launch the Block The Bullying campaign.

Every day we are exposed to sickening videos of children beating up other children that are shared on social media, often going viral.

We aim to educate children why they shouldn't ever film and share such an attack, tell kids and adults what to do if they see one and call on social media platforms to take them down as soon as they are made aware of them.

Below is a step by step guide from the NSPCC on the dos and don'ts of this form of online bullying.

If you see a child being bullied it can be difficult to know the best way to help. Posting or sharing videos of the bullying might seem like a good way to raise awareness but it can have a very damaging impact on children:

• It can be distressing and humiliating for the young person being bullied to have evidence of their abuse shared over the internet.
• Knowing the video remains out there forces the young person to relive their horrifying experience and may prevent them from being able to recover and move on.
• Sharing a video online establishes a digital footprint of the young people involved (both the victim and the perpetrator of the abuse) which will follow them into later life.
• When you share a video, you cannot control who views it, or prevent children from seeing it. Young people tell us that viewing violent content is one of their biggest concerns online and that it causes them distress and anxiety so it is important that this content is not shared.
• Experimenting and making mistakes is a part of growing up for young people but the internet means that young people’s mistakes may define them as they get older. Young people should have the right to remove this content from the internet and be able to shape their identity as they get older, without having to be defined by past decisions.

What to do if you see this content?

If you see any videos of children being bullied online you should report them to the social network immediately. Turning a blind eye to these videos is not the answer.