Would YOU help a child being bullied? Experiment tests the compassion of bystanders as two teenagers pick on young girl at bus stop... and the results will restore your faith in humanity

  • Tear-jerking video shows teenagers picking on a young girl at a bus stop
  • Experiment tested whether people would intervene to help the poor victim 
  • Girl is told she can't sing, needs to wear make-up and has no friends
  • Thankfully kind members of the public step in to reprimand the bullies
  • Some invite girl over to join them and one man plays her the harmonica 

One in three children are victims of bullying. Most would agree that statistic is truly awful, but would you actually do anything if you saw a child being picked on?

That was the question posed in this experiment which saw two schoolchildren pretend to bully a girl in front of bystanders at a bus stop.

The tear-jerking video shows the bullies continually harassing the young girl, telling her she can't sing, needs to wear make-up and has no friends

Awful: Two teenagers bullied a young girl in front of members of the public at a bus stop in this experiment

Awful: Two teenagers bullied a young girl in front of members of the public at a bus stop in this experiment

The tear-jerking video shows the bullies continually harassing the young girl, telling her she can't sing, needs to wear make-up and has no friends

The tear-jerking video shows the bullies continually harassing the young girl, telling her she can't sing, needs to wear make-up and has no friends

To begin with members of the public appear to ignore the teenagers picking on the younger girl, as they ask her: 'Do you have any friends at all?'

To begin with members of the public appear to ignore the teenagers picking on the younger girl, as they ask her: 'Do you have any friends at all?'

When one of the bullies tells the young girl she needs to wear make-up, a woman sitting nearby snaps back: 'No she do not!'

When one of the bullies tells the young girl she needs to wear make-up, a woman sitting nearby snaps back: 'No she do not!'

To begin with members of the public appear to ignore the teenagers picking on the younger girl, as they ask her: 'Do you have any friends at all?'

In each clip the mean girls persist in picking on the poor girl - but it only takes so long before other people waiting at the bus stop intervene.

When one of the bullies tells the young girl she needs to wear make-up, a woman sitting nearby snaps back: 'No she do not!'

The secretly recorded footage then shows other people stepping in to stop the bullies, including one young man who tells them to stop 'talking s**t'.

One middle-aged woman turns to the girls and berates them for being so mean.

The secretly recorded footage then shows other people stepping in to stop the bullies, including one young man who tells them to stop 'talking s**t'

The secretly recorded footage then shows other people stepping in to stop the bullies, including one young man who tells them to stop 'talking s**t'

Perhaps the most heartwarming moment is when a security guard comes to the bullied girl's aid after she is called 'a freak' for reading books at school

Perhaps the most heartwarming moment is when a security guard comes to the bullied girl's aid after she is called 'a freak' for reading books at school

On three occasions adults ask the girl if she wants to join them instead, with one woman complimenting her bag before telling her the bullies are 'nasty'

On three occasions adults ask the girl if she wants to join them instead, with one woman complimenting her bag before telling her the bullies are 'nasty'

In each clip, the mean girls persist in picking on the poor girl - but it only takes so long before other people waiting at the bus stop intervene

In each clip, the mean girls persist in picking on the poor girl - but it only takes so long before other people waiting at the bus stop intervene

Another woman asks if she would like to ride the bus with her, while an older gentleman invites the girl over and plays the harmonica to her

Another woman asks if she would like to ride the bus with her, while an older gentleman invites the girl over and plays the harmonica to her

She asks: 'How would you like it if somebody who was a little bit older than you came and told you that you weren't any good?

'You don't hurt someone's feelings and intentionally do it.' 

Perhaps the most heartwarming moment is when a security guard comes to the bullied girl's aid after she is called 'a freak' for reading books at school. 

First he turns to the teenagers and tells them: 'Quit messing with her.'

He then says to the girl, 'You keep reading,' before putting on his cap and turning away.

On three occasions adults ask the girl if she wants to join them instead, with one woman complimenting her bag before telling her the bullies are 'nasty'.

Another woman asks if she would like to ride the bus with her, while an older gentleman invites the girl over and plays the harmonica to her.

The video was made by UpTV to raise awareness of bullying. Click here for advice on bullying.

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