Did you know?  Why Media Matters  The media plays a big role in
how youth understand the world and can greatly influence their
behavior. How the media reports on cases of bullying, suicide,
and other school climate issues can affect how common or
“normal” they seem to youth. Careful reporting of these issues
can help provide safe environments that prevent bullying.
Download a PDF of This Page  Why Does How We Report on Bullying
Matter? +  The news media has played a critical role in raising
awareness about bullying, its potential effects, and the need
for its prevention. Careful reporting on bullying can help build
buy-in from communities about the need to collectively address
the behavior and to take positive steps to create safer
environments.  Unfortunately, when reporting on bullying focuses
too heavily on those who are bullied, or when it causally links
bullying to behaviors such as school shootings and suicide, it
may have unintended, negative effects:    • Drawing too close of
an association between y