The Sun Online and The NSPCC launch the Block The Bullying campaign to stop the filming and sharing of children attacking other children

THE SUN Online today launches its Block The Bullying Campaign with the NSPCC in a bid to stamp out the sharing of vile videos showing children being attacked.

Our aim is to educate children, parents and schools about the horrendous effect filming an act of bullying, then sharing it on social media, can have on children.

We are becoming all too used to seeing sickening footage of a gang of youths attacking a defenceless child or teenager in front of a baying crowd.

The physical assault is a truly horrendous experience that can leave the boy or girl deeply traumatised.

But what many people don't realise is that filming the attack and sharing it on social media can be just as damaging to the child as the violence they have suffered.

Within seconds their entire school can watch the humiliating moment again and again.

Imagine what it would be like to come into class on a Monday after being beaten up and have everyone glued to their phones laughing and sniggering at one of your darkest moments.

Kids have to keep reliving their ordeal, and it can haunt them for months or even years to come.

Not only that, but the presence of a camera often spurs the attackers on and makes them more determined to inflict as much damage as they possibly can.

We are not seeking to demonise these kids, we want them to realise just how much their actions can damage the futures of their schoolmates AND themselves.

By posting a video like this they are leaving a digital footprint that could hinder both their professional and relationship prospects in future.

To show how committed The Sun Online is to this campaign, we pledge to stop showing these videos, unless we have express permission. We hope others will follow suit.

Over the next week, along with information and guidance, we will run a series of harrowing interviews with children who have been victims of this epidemic.

We will also tell teens what to do if they see a bullying video on social media, how parents should react if their child is a victim and we will ask readers to

The first is Amelie Johnston, 13, who was lured down an alley way by so-called friends and then set upon by an older girl, who smashed her head into the pavement again and again.

All the while the girls she previously trusted were filming the attack before immediately sharing it on Snapchat.

Within minutes almost everyone in Amelie's school had seen it.

Amelie said: "The fact people were filming it made the situation so much worse because more people could see it and could comment on what happened. Some of the comments were really hurtful.