Bully (Movie -- Documentary)

Title: Bully (documentary)
By: Lee Hirsch
2013
The Weinstein Co.
Anchor Bay Entertainment

I discovered this documentary from an Amazon.com recommendation based on my past purchases. I usually don’t buy movies. I just rent them on Netflix.

I saw this movie on the shelf at Sam’s Club, when I was looking for items for my business. I decided to go ahead and get this movie.

I learned a lot from this documentary.

Summary of the documentary:

Teenagers who are bullied are covered in this documentary. It follows three teens and the story of one (11-year-old boy) who committed suicide due to bullying. These stories take place in: Iowa, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Mississippi. However, cases like this are happening all across the United States and even possibly around the world.

Here are some of the bullying issues that are happening:

• Name-calling
• Threats of violence
• Actual physical violence: poking, shoving kids, hitting, strangled
• Have things knocked out of their hands
• Take items from them
• Take clothes in P.E. class so child has to walk naked to get them back
• Mental abuse
• Humiliated

It doesn’t stop at school. It also occurs on the bus ride to and from school. It also occurs by cell phones and the internet.

 Here are how teens who are bullied feel:

• Feel like outcasts
• Feel like it isn’t getting better
• Don’t feel welcomed or accepted
• Feel like nothing is getting better
• Feel targeted

Here is how some teens deal with it:

Thinking about cutting self, some do cut self, thinking about suicide, attempt suicide, one child in the documentary did commit suicide. Some want to become a bully themselves.

 Some teens could benefit from:

Learning how to make friends
Learning how to communicate better/ express selves
Building self-esteem and self-confidence

Here are some solutions:
 
The best solution reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi's quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Change isn’t going to happen overnight. I think change must start from inside the teen culture. Any one teen can start to make a difference and be a change agent for the good. It will be a long process

Some of my ideas (based on my experience working with teens and from the movie)

• Validate how the teen is feeling and not discredit her (or his emotions)
• Promote acceptance of others. Be inclusive and welcoming
• Help teen to build social support and friendships
• Provide unconditional support
• Start a Make a difference club or organization that accepts all kids.
• Teach kids to be a friend to a kid in need.
• Teach kids to help them out.

 Here is the link for the movie:

Here is a link to the web-site:

http://www.thebullyproject.com/

Here is a link to my Kindness Card Game Project that attempts to decrease bullying by promoting pro-social behaviors:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/DannyPettry/popular-a-fun-card-game-for-everyone/