CONSTRUCTING MEANING IN ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN POSTERS: A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Bullying remains a persistent social problem that demands effective intervention to raise public awareness through anti-bullying campaigns. Visual media, particularly anti- bullying posters, are powerful tools to convey moral and emotional messages to foster empathy towards victims of bullying. This study aims to examine how empathy is constructed through visual and verbal elements in selected anti-bullying posters using a Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) approach. Using Kress and van Leeuwen's visual grammar framework, this research investigates representational, interpersonal and compositional meanings to uncover the strategies used to convey messages that encourage empathy. Data was collected through purposive sampling of three anti-bullying posters sourced from international campaigns. The findings show that empathy is built by representing the emotional state of the victim, utilising direct and indirect gaze to engage viewers. Textual components, such as slogans and captions, further strengthen the emotional connection by encouraging viewers to acknowledge and address bullying behaviour. This research contributes to the understanding of the construction of empathy in visual social campaigns and underscores the importance of multimodal resources in shaping public perceptions of bullying. The implications suggest that incorporating strong empathetic appeals in campaign design can increase audience engagement and promote more effective anti-bullying messages.