How it started
Epidemics come in all forms. For K12 students in California, that includes an sharp and dangerous rise in bullying based on race, ethnicity, language, or country of origin.
California’s Commission for Behavioral Health wanted to better understand and allocate $5 million in funds for the programs and services that could help kids and educators counteract this surge.
The Commission had already formed an expert Committee of teens and adults across the state, but needed an unbiased third party to work with the Committee to glean the best tools, content, knowledge, and initiatives to support victims and promote prevention and resiliency.
What we did
Program 11 worked closely with the 30 Committee members to gather their expertise, then performed an additional study to get more data around the audiences we identified who would benefit from an anti-bullying support initiative.
The a-ha moment? A striking number of people participating in our study admitted to having been the perpetrator of bullying, and shared a need for resources to educate and reorient “the bully.”
We also determined the need for an “always on, by the youth, for the youth, peer to peer network,” and collectively design aned umbrella campaign (the “big idea”) along with key suggested messaging and a high-level audience outreach plan.
How it’s going
Our plan and commensurate budget allocation were voted on and successfully passed by the Commission, then rolled out in 2023.
Elements from our recommendations can be seen and experienced at allcove™ centers throughout the state of California, where teens go to safely seek mental health support and advice from their peers.
