At only 13 years old, Sawyer Sharbino interviewed celebrities in support of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and has been named to their Youth Advisory
Board. He hosted an anti-bullying fund raiser in conjunction with his 13th birthday and many young Hollywood celebrities and influencers were in attendance.
At the moment, Sawyer Sharbino is currently in talks to star in a online streaming web series that addresses the issue of cyberbullying and the struggles kids face in 2019
Sawyer Sharbino has published Youtube videos dedicated to ending bullying by raising teens’ self-esteem and to help kids experiencing bullying (https://www.youtube.com/
In this exclusive interview, we spoke with Sawyer about his efforts fighting back against bullying and pushing the movement to new levels at age 13.
Congratulations on the wonderful work you are doing and for being invited to the youth advisory board at PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. How are you looking forward to your role on the board? Thank you, it is an honor to be invited to Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center’s Youth Advisory Board. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the board to find new ways to support those experiencing bullying and to help promote positive environments which will reduce meanness and bullying
Do you have your own experiences with bullying that you would like to be open to? Can you elaborate on what happened? I experienced bullying more this past year than ever before. I started making Youtube videos with some influencers that had a bigger following than I do. I found that some people use their social media followers as a power base to hurt others, especially those with less social media presence. I wanted to work as friends and making fun content but I had to step back when I saw other kids in the group were being ostracized and bullied. My decision to separate and get distance made me become the target of their bullying for a while. They encouraged their followers to make rude memes & cyberbully on my social media. When I followed the principle of not responding to the hate, people made fake screenshots of DMs using my profile picture to keep the drama going. It was hard for me.
I’m from a family already somewhat in the spotlight and my sisters had already experienced some cyberbullying. My sister, Brighton Sharbino, played Lizzie Samuels in The Walking Dead. When her character died on the show, she experienced hate comments on her social media. It was easier for her to separate herself personally from attacks on the character she played as the hate was a result of the character and not her personally. We realize that unhappy and hurt people are the ones sending hate. So when I started being bullied by fans of these social media influencers, I knew it wasn’t personal because they didn’t actually know me. But to retaliate would have spread negativity to the ones dishing it on me. I felt that if it was hard for me with the experience I already had and the support of my family, it must be very hard for someone in a typical middle school to deal with similar situations. I wanted to find more ways to support and encourage them which also helped me get through my hard time. I interviewed some teen actors and had them share their experiences and advice on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTEm5F6_bbE&list=PLQUpUn3YEWTwItGc0gQFbl3MLLO_akQUF&index=2&t=2s
What was your motivation to fight against hate & bullying? My motivation is to help others get through the difficulty of being bullied. I know first hand, its easier in theory, but when you are going through the bullying, it is hard for yourself and others. My motivation was the cyber bullying I was dealing with when I stopped filming with a more well known Youtuber/social media influencer.
What were the greatest obstacles you faced? The biggest obstacle I faced was the fear that spreading the antibullying message would anger the people that were bullying me at the time and make it worse for me.
We all know bullying doesn’t necessarily stop after finishing school. What advice do you have for professionals who may be dealing with bullying in the workplace? For any age, I think the important thing to remember when you are being bullied is that the person sending hate is the person with the problem. It’s not personal. It’s about them, their fears, their insecurities and the threat you bring to them. It helps to try to empathize with them and understand the place they are coming from but at the same time, protect yourself by removing them from your life as much as possible and keeping your own sense of self as your priority. I love the quote by Martin Luther King “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Because when they’re being mean to you, it’s easier to hate them than love them but if you hate then you are just like them.
What is your top tip for kids and teens who are having a tough time at work to boost their confidence back up? Tell an adult even if you’re embarrassed or think its somehow your fault. An adult can help you figure out your coping strategy and what you should do. It can be a parent, a teacher, a coach, a relative, anyone you feel comfortable talking to as long as you tell an adult.
How can others help you on your mission on stopping bullying? Others can help me on my mission by visiting www.linktr.ee/SawyerSharbino where I have tips, merchandise, events, and updates on how you can support me on my mission to stop bullying and empower others.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH SAWYER SHARBINO?
Visit Pacer’s resourceful site:
Sawyer’s Social Media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawyersharb
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SawyerSharbino
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sawyersharbino/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQUpUn3YEWTwItGc0gQFbl3MLLO_akQUF
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