Student buy-in continues to be a major hurdle for the effective implementation of evidence-based anti-bullying programs. Giving students the opportunity to drive a portion of the program will increase students’ enthusiasm for participation. Find out more about how students at schools in the Las Vegas valley have taken ownership of anti-bullying messages at their school and been the driving force in combatting the issue of bullying.

As initially conceived and driven by the R&R Partners Foundation, Flip the Script sought to heighten awareness in our community to impact the issue of bullying to provide resources for victims of bullying, parents, students and educators. Campaign objectives also included generating legislative and policy changes at the state and school-district levels.

Case Study

The Work

Following the legislative session in 2011, during which R&R Partners’ government affairs team worked closely with Governor Brian Sandoval and members of the Nevada State Senate to pass some of the toughest anti-bullying legislation in the nation, the Flip the Script campaign launched with public service announcements in print publications and on TV and radio; distributed collateral statewide in order to inspire students to embrace the campaign and feel empowered to put an end to bullying; and developed a comprehensive website, flipthescriptnow.org, which provided a range of solutions and resources to young people, parents and educators.

The R&R Partners Foundation also developed appropriate social media tools and organized town hall meetings on the subject of bullying (conducted and broadcast by Cox Communications), which included expert panelists such as Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto, students, parents and educators who shared their real-life experiences with this issue.

In 2013, Flip the Script launched nationally with support from USA Network’s Characters Unite and a special event, #unite LIVE: The Concert to Rock Out Bullying. With Carly Rae “Call Me Maybe” Jepsen to help kick off our national contest launch, the Flip the Script Commercial Challenge encouraged youth from across the country to use their voices to help communicate and grow awareness of bullying by creating their own 30-second PSA/commercial. The winning commercial, submitted by Lauren Bush of Dallas, Texas, was produced in early 2014 and ran on USA Network throughout that year.

The Results

With more than 12 million earned media impressions valued at over $6.4 million, Flip the Script has become a powerful tool in the fight to stand up against bullying. Results achieved to date include:

• During USA Network’s Concert to Rock Out Bullying, the hashtag #uniteLIVE trended nationally. @FliptheScript was tagged in most of those tweets. The concert created more than 41 million earned media impressions including coverage by USA Today, Seventeen Magazine, Billboard and the Hollywood Reporter.
• R&R Partners, in partnership with National Association of Broadcasters and Cox Communications secured $4.5 million in donated media, which delivered more than 170 million impressions via TV, radio, leading print and digital media outlets across the state, and in regional or state editions of publications that include Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Time and Oprah.
• Flip the Script became a regional campaign in partnering with the Utah Anti-bullying Coalition and Stop Bullying AZ.
• Three legislative sessions have resulted in stronger and more effective anti-bullying legislation.
• R&R Partners Foundation was awarded the Governor’s Points of Light Award for its significant contributions to volunteerism in the state of Nevada.