Website review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Education | Updated April 2015
Bystander Revolution
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Bystander Revolution

Uneven content limits the impact of laudable anti-bullying site

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Grades
9–12
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts, Social Studies, Character & SEL, Communication & Collaboration
Great for
Digital Citizenship, SEL
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website
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6 images
The Bystander Revolution site features bullying prevention tips and advice-based videos.
Teen celebrities share personal bullying experiences and offer guidance in many of the site's videos.
Users can also submit videos through YouTube.
Because kids can click over to YouTube from virtually any video, they may see some unscreened comments or other material.
Users are given some general guidelines to help make their video submissions as effective as possible.
Users can also find information about teen helplines on the site.

Pros: Kids can get some helpful tips for dealing with and preventing bullying.

Cons: Content quality varies per video; some are more helpful than others.

Bottom Line: Though kids may not find concrete tips or actionable help in every video, they'll likely feel empowered after spending time on the site.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

User-submitted videos and brief celebrity testimonials provide encouragement and advice; teachers could potentially show them in class to explain bullying -- and how to stop it.

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Standards:

Bystander Revolution was launched in 2014 by MacKenzie Bezos, wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and it features more than 100 one- to two-minute videos. Celebrities like Ansel Elgort and MMA fighter TJ Dilashaw, along with teens who submitted their own clips, share personal experiences and offer tips on handling and preventing bullying.

Kids can find videos on the site by clicking on situation-related topic headings, such as "being afraid to help" or "feeling excluded." User-submitted videos have to be uploaded via YouTube, and site videos can be watched on YouTube or through the Bystander Revolution website.

Generally, the site's videos feature positive, uplifting advice. The content can vary; some videos -- both celebrity and user-submitted ones -- can feel a little long and unfocused. It's hard to criticize the subjects, who all clearly have an admirable intent. As a result, however, kids may not get hugely actionable suggestions from every single clip they watch. Teachers will likely want to screen videos before showing them in class or sharing them with students via email to make sure they select the most clear, helpful examples.

Regardless of how long, short, or focused the videos are, kids will definitely get emotional support from watching them -- whether they're frustrated about seeing classmates bullied or being picked on -- which is a huge plus. Bystander Revolution's only major flaw is its almost universal focus on video clips. Aside from a page listing several teen hotlines, educators and kids won't find many other materials. Adding written resources and interactive or other elements might help kids who come to the site looking for help -- and would make the overall experience even more engaging.

Overall Rating
Engagement

Celebrities and teens share personal stories in brief videos kids may be able to relate to. Kids can't post comments or react, which prevents potential cyberbullying and negativity but limits interaction and impact.

Pedagogy

Kids learn positive solutions to help them avoid being victimized or (even inadvertently) bullying someone else. They'll also find out how to help kids who are being bullied.

Support

The site offers a number of help hotline resources for teens, including a suicide hotline. Otherwise, though, it's tough to view the videos methodically or find which ones are consistently helpful.

Common Sense reviewer
Erin Brereton
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Key Standards Supported

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.9-10.1d

    Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

  • SL.9-10.3

    Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

  • SL.9-10.4

    Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

  • SL.9-10.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

  • SL.11-12.1d

    Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

  • SL.11-12.3

    Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

  • SL.11-12.4

    Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

  • SL.11-12.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

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