Press Releases

Superhero Captain Compassion® Empowers Kids to Prevent Race-Based Bullying

Committee for Children’s bullying prevention campaign returns in support of National Bullying Prevention Month and Global Diversity Awareness Month.

 Seattle, Wash.—September 28, 2020—In support of National Bullying Prevention Month and Global Diversity Awareness Month this October, Committee for Children is launching its third annual Captain Compassion® campaign to teach kids how to use their bystander power to put a stop to bullying.

After this summer’s protests over racial discrimination and police brutality, many families and educators are seeking resources to help teach the children in their lives the value of diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities. According to the United States Department of Education, although Black students make up 15 percent of student enrollment nationwide, 35 percent of Black students report being bullied or harassed on the basis of their race—more than any other racial group. Research also shows that one in five students report seeing hate-related graffiti at school. In response, bullying prevention superhero Captain Compassion and sidekick Kid Kinder® are back to empower kids and adults to use their bystander power and provide guidance on how to recognize, report, and refuse bullying of racial- and ethnic-minority youth.

“Children of color are especially vulnerable right now,” says bullying prevention expert and campaign spokesperson Dr. Jasmine Williams. “With the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacting minority communities and with social media both elevating imagery of police brutality and providing a platform to target youth with hateful words and images, now is the time for us to empower our nation’s youth to value diversity, activate their bystander power, and prioritize preventing bullying and harassment.”

Captain Compassion has the power to inspire others to be kind and respectful in challenging situations. In this year’s comics, she guides Kid Kinder® after he’s bullied in an online video game because of his race. Written in collaboration with Mahogany L. Browne, the author of Woke Baby, the story shows children and adults the impact of race-based bullying and how they can use their bystander power to address it.

“It’s important to understand that everyone involved in bullying—bullies, victims, and bystanders alike—suffers from long-term negative health consequences,” Dr. Williams says. “When we protect kids from bullying, we’re creating a better world for everyone—a world we all deserve.”

Committee for Children’s award-winning website, CaptainCompassion.org, provides families and educators with free, approachable, and research-based bullying prevention tips and tactics. These resources are drawn from Committee for Children’s decades of work in the field of bullying prevention, and include engaging comics, a Secret Decoder Wheel activity for kids, videos, downloadable posters, and more.

To read the comics, download the Secret Decoder Wheel, and learn how you can activate your bystander power to prevent bullying, visit CaptainCompassion.org.

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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 16.5 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, smcbride@cfchildren.org, 206-612-8718

M’Bilia Meekers, mmeekers@cfchildren.org, 206-438-6541