Why Carly Rae Jepsen Is Speaking Out Against Bullying

by Alex Abel

Listen up: Carly Rae Jepsen is singing to stop bullies tonight! In honor of National Bullying Prevention month, she teamed up with USA Network and Flip the Script to stop the pain that 13 million kids feel every year when they're bullied. Carly was inspired by her brother. She described him to us as "that popular boy in school," but she didn't think he was so cool until he did something brave. When everyone was picking on just one kid one day at school, he spoke out, and they stopped. "I remember thinking, 'Wow, this is the coolest he's ever been.'"
She's performing in Las Vegas at #UniteLIVE: The Concert to Rock Out Bullying where she'll announce an awesome contest that you can participate in to try and make a difference too. 13 million seems like a number that's hard to dent, but you can make it happen! If you're a student between the ages of 13-18, you can submit your own commercial that takes a stand against bullying. The winning entry will be professionally produced and will run on-air on USA Network in February 2014.
So let loose and let your creativity shine. If you win, you'll get flown out to LA to see your commercial come to life. You'll also receive an iPad! The contest is open from October 3 to November 20, so get those cameras rolling.
Need extra motivation? Take it right from Carly Rae. "Change doesn't happen overnight," she told us. "We can spark dialogue that will make an actual difference in putting a stop to bullying." And if you do happen to be one of those affected by bullying, just remember to love who you are and "embrace your individuality," she said. "The things that make you different are the things you should love most about yourself."
For live updates right from the concert, follow @CharactersUnite tonight.
How do you take a stance against bullying? Sound off in the comments!

Read more: Carly Rae Jepsen UniteLive Bullying Prevention Concert - National Bullying Awareness Month - Seventeen