October 01, 2024
VRT’s STIP IT Expands Across Borders: A United Front Against Bullying in Belgium and the Netherlands
In the month of September, VRT again launched the STIP IT campaign. For more than 10 years, this campaign has been calling on people to stand up against bullying, using four dots on your hand as a powerful symbol.
The STIP IT campaign is not only found in Brussels and Flanders: since 2023, NPO (the Netherlands' public broadcaster) has also been organising the STIP IT campaign with their children's channel Zapp. Additionally, by the end of 2024, a STIP IT campaign will also be launched in Wallonia.
Work in progress: STIP IT becomes HOPE for RTBF
The four dots have become a well-known symbol in Flanders and Brussels, but now the initiative is gaining momentum in Wallonia as well. RTBF, the Belgian public broadcaster, will launch its first HOPE (Harcèlement, On s'y oppose et On en Parle Ensemble) campaign in November. Loïc Nottet is ambassador of the anti-bullying theme week. From Monday, November 4 to Friday, November 15, RTBF’s programming will also focus on HOPE, featuring various shows dedicated to the theme.
Annemie Gulickx, Channel Manager at Ketnet : “When we started STIP IT on Ketnet, we could never have dreamed that the campaign against bullying would grow into a broad campaign with impact that would resonate at home and abroad. We are therefore delighted that RTBF also wants to use the four dots to eradicate bullying from the world.”
Nicolas-Xavier Ladouce, Head of "Thématique Services aux publics" for HOPE at RTBF: “HOPE is a key initiative in raising awareness and combating harassment. Hope provides a valuable opportunity for teachers to discuss this crucial issue with their students in the classroom, fostering open dialogue and encouraging them to speak up. Through HOPE, children are given a safe space to express their feelings and work together towards a future free from harassment.”
STIP IT Crosses the Border to the Netherlands
The four dots have become a well-known symbol in Flanders and Brussels, and now the campaign is gaining traction across the border. NPO Zapp—the children’s channel of the Dutch public broadcaster—launched its first STIP IT campaign in January 2023. Presenters Anne-Mar Zwart, Nizar El Manouzi, and Stefania Liberakakis are ambassadors for the Dutch Anti-Bullying Week.
Annemie Gulickx, Channel Manager at Ketnet: "Since 2012, Ketnet has been mobilizing children to take a stand against bullying. Since 2022, we've also had the support of Radio2 and MNM to engage adults and teenagers. We're thrilled that STIP IT is inspiring our Dutch colleagues as well.
Liesbeth Demmenie-Lergner, Genre Coordinator for Children's Content and Project Leader of Stip it at NPO Zapp: "This year, Stip it is coming to the Netherlands for the first time, and we at NPO Zapp are extremely proud of that. We hope the campaign will spread here, just as it has in Flanders. We already see many Dutch celebrities and Zapp presenters joining Stip it and sharing the four dots through their channels. Bullying can cause so much pain for children. That's why it's important that every child and adult who displays the dots commits to the four anti-bullying agreements. Together against bullying: we’re in!"
