- Title: Ukrainian Eurovision winner and rapper join forces to battle cyberbullying
- Date: 27th December 2019
- Summary: VARIOUS OF JAMALA AND ALYONA ALYONA SINGING IN RECORDING STUDIO
- Embargoed: 10th January 2020 08:14
- Keywords: Alyona Alyona Jamala Ukraine bullying cyberbullying duo fight against cyberbullying rapper recording song
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA008BBR2PFD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A collaboration of two Ukrainian stars, 2016 Eurovision song contest winner Jamala and rapper Alyona Alyona, led to the release of a single called 'Take it all' and music video which addresses the problem of cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is a form of aggressive behaviour which can be conveyed online via humiliating, threatening e-mails or messages, online blocking or the publication of private information.
The lyrics written by the two artists tell the story of a man who seeks friendship with a celebrity and, when he is rejected, starts bullying her online.
The music video has been viewed nearly half a million times since its release on Dec. 20 on YouTube.
When looking for a subject for the song, both Jamala and Alyona Alyona said they wanted to move away from more traditional subjects like love and relationships.
Prior to finding fame, Alyona Alyona said she was bullied for her looks. Jamala, whose family are Crimean Tatars, said she was bullied as a child for not having much money and for her ethnicity.
Both said they consider themselves victims of cyberbullying after their fame grew, adding that they continue to receive threats and insults via social media, and decided to call attention to the problem through music.
Considering the reasons why people bullied others, Alyona Alyona said she thought it was because bullies were victims themselves, either in the past or in the present.
Jamala said she wanted to embrace her vulnerability to online insults in writing the song, and that she did not want to stay quiet about the problem.
According to 2017 UNICEF research, 24% of Ukrainian children between 11-17 years old were victims of bullying, and almost half of them did not report the incidents.
UNICEF described the figures as "alarming", adding that children are mainly bullied if they look or think differently than the majority of people around them.
In 2019, legislation against bullying came into force in Ukraine and prescribed a fine or community service for perpetrators. If the perpetrator is a child, their parents are held accountable.
(Production: Margaryta Chornokondratenko, Sergiy Karazy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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