Superhero Captain Compassion® Empowers Kids to Prevent Racially Motivated Bullying

This October, Committee for Children's award-winning comic will help families activate their upstander power

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Sep 27, 2021, 08:00 ET

SEATTLE, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Since families watched harrowing and historic displays of intolerance in early 2021, many have felt driven to create kinder and more inclusive communities free from bullying and harassment. In support of aspiring young upstanders, Committee for Children is launching its fourth annual Captain Compassion campaign to teach kids how to activate their upstander power and prevent racially motivated bullying. The campaign will take place during National Bullying Prevention Month.

Download the free superhero webcomics at CaptainCompassion.org to help teach kids how to activate their upstander power and prevent bullying.

"Seven out of 10 children regularly witness bullying in schools and about 50 percent of minority youth have witnessed racially motivated cyberbullying," says developmental psychologist and bullying researcher Tia Kim, Ph.D. "Any parent or caregiver who's witnessed bullying before knows how harmful it can be, especially when it's racially motivated. But we have the power to do something about it. When upstanders intervene, it can reduce bullying by more than 50 percent."

In 2020, Stop AAPI Hate found that 8 out of 10 youth who experienced anti-Asian discrimination reported they had been bullied or verbally harassed because of their race. And the United States Department of Education has found that 35 percent of Black students nationwide report being bullied or harassed on the basis of their race—more than any other racial group. In response, bullying prevention superhero Captain Compassion and sidekick Kid Kinder® are empowering kids and adults to use their upstander power to recognize, report, and stand against racially motivated bullying.

"Kids don't live in a vacuum. When they see racially motivated bullying and intolerance on social media, on the news, or in their communities, they want to help," says Dr. Kim. "That's where Captain Compassion comes in. Reading the Captain Compassion comic strip together is a fun and easy way for families to teach children how to be good upstanders, create positive change in their communities, and prevent bullying."

Committee for Children's award-winning comics, available at CaptainCompassion.org, provide families and caregivers with powerful, research-based bullying prevention tips and tactics. These free resources are drawn from Committee for Children's decades of work in the field of bullying prevention. The Captain Compassion site also includes a Secret Decoder Wheel puzzle for kids, informative videos, downloadable posters, and more.

To learn how you can activate your family's upstander power to prevent bullying, visit CaptainCompassion.org each week this October to read brand-new comics and solve the Secret Decoder Wheel puzzle with the children in your life.

About Committee for Children

Committee for Children is a global nonprofit that has championed the safety and well-being of children through bullying prevention, child protection, and social-emotional learning (SEL) for more than 40 years. With a history of action and influence, we're known as a leader in social-emotional education and a force in advocacy, research, and innovation in the field. We take a comprehensive approach to SEL, promoting social-emotional well-being from birth to early adulthood—supporting not just classrooms, but entire communities. As our programs transform the lives of more than 20.5 million children per year, we rise to meet societal challenges to ensure children everywhere can thrive. Learn more at cfchildren.org.

Media Contacts
Shauna McBride, [email protected], 206-612-8718
M'Bilia Meekers, [email protected], 206-438-6541

SOURCE Committee for Children