MLB and ESPN join anti-bullying platform
MLB announced on 21st August that it will work with ESPN on its initiative called Shred Hate, an innovative program created to put an end to bullying in schools and to encourage youth to choose kindness.
More than 10 million students report being bullied each year in the U.S., according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Education, and those are just the ones who report it. That translates to nearly one in every four students.
"Young people should be able to enjoy a positive and formative time in school and in sports," Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "Students who are experiencing anything less deserve our support."
To that end, MLB is adding this significant active bully-prevention scheme to its overall youth character education programming, one day after using its platform to stand in solidarity with youth through the inaugural Little League Classic.
No Bully, a non-profit group that trains schools how to activate student compassion to eradicate bullying and cyberbullying, will work directly with local school districts through this program.
Shred Hate will be active during the 2017-18 academic year in schools within three MLB markets - Chicago, Washington and Minneapolis - and will expand to additional cities following the initial launch year. MLB and ESPN will collaborate with No Bully on its curriculum and will support the initiative through various multimedia platforms and other promotional activities.
"Major League Baseball and our clubs believe in creating respectful, non-discriminatory and anti-harassment environments in our ballparks, clubhouses and front offices," Manfred said. "We are proud to extend that approach through Shred Hate as we work with our partners at ESPN and No Bully to make a meaningful impact on the development of our society's future leaders."
"Bullying has become an epidemic across our country, and the timing couldn't be more critical to take action," said ESPN president John Skipper. "We're thrilled that MLB has joined ESPN and X Games to eradicate bullying through Shred Hate. With our combined resources and reach, our impact will be tangible."
Many of the programs listed on the MLB Community website include character education programming, so Shred Hate's practices become part of a broader year-round effort off the field that allows MLB to reach youth who need a helping hand. Some of the many other examples would include Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life; Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI); the MLB Urban Youth Academy in ever-increasing locations; and Boys & Girls Clubs of America events to foster safe learning environments.
MLB will apply best practices and share key learnings from Shred Hate through its various youth initiatives. Additionally, No Bully will work with both MLB and ESPN to integrate baseball themed-components into curricula after the initial launch year.