"Bully" Movie/Documentary

[monster]

Saw it today. Has anyone else seen it or been following it's release? An Ann Arbor student campaigned successfully for it to be rate PG13 rather than R. So we took our 7th and 8th grade. Is it only a big deal here, or have you all heard about it? What do you think about it? And about the people featured in it? Do you think it could be the turning point for stopping bullying in school?

As I see it the only real way to stop/significantly reduce bullying is to make it uncool. They may be on to somethig here, but only if all kids in the right age group see this and stuff like this. Sadly, I suspect they won't.

My kids go to public school, but it's an alternate magnet program, and -particularly in the middle-school grades- we often end up with (as well as the hippy kids who go there from the get-go) the bullied from other schools, and sometimes the kicked out bullies too. The bullies don't last long if they don't change their ways -our kids are more like family than classmates and they don't take well to newcomers attacking their own or other newcomers. The bullied tend to shine, eventually.

Of course we do have some problems, no school is currently without, but they tend not to be ongoing because it is "uncool" in our school culture and the kids tend to tattle on rather than ignore it.

I got to thinking about this when I asked my 13yo son what was the reaction to the movie and he said the kids all thought "the bullied kids should just come to our school".

This makes me happy for us, but so sad otherwise.

[Clodfobble]

There are too many niche cultures in the US for anything to be a universal turning point. Like you say, in some school cultures it is uncool and leads to ostracization of the bully himself, so it doesn't happen. In others, the majority reaction to the movie would be "Well yeah, look what pansy asses they are, they were just asking to get beat up." It has to start with a tough administration policy, but in the end the youth culture of a school has to step up and refute bullying as well or it won't end.

[infinite monkey]

monster did you like the movie overall? I mean, was it done well? I've heard good things about it and I'd like to see it.

[monster]

It was done well, I can't say I "liked" it because really, who wants to see that? But it was quite shocking to see how the administrators -and in some cases parents- ignore the problem. And then think they're doing a great job, or "the best they can". And the bus drivers. OMG. I know bus drivers here, they would be fired for that. They do not tolerate any crap on the bus. mind you, they also don't bother to find out what's going on -They've thrown my kid off the bus when he was getting beat on by an 8th grade twice his size. But the principal dealt with it adequately. It has never happened again.

[infinite monkey]

Yeah, 'like' was the wrong word.

Elephant, while not a documentary, was a realistic film about school shooters. It's hard to stomach yet I think it's important people don't turn away from the ugliness that exists in this world.

I hope this film accomplishes some of what it is intended to accomplish such as increasing awareness and opening some eyes.

[JBKlyde]

Bulling is a Problem.. when I was in 7th grade there was this little fat kid and I made him say.. "I am a p*ssy I am a p*ssy" then I told him not to let people do that to him. None the less I got bullied myself kind of like Limbizkit telling us if we try to interact our life is on contract. The best way I found to get rid of bullies is to get parents involved. However with this Mob mentality we all have to live with it.

[BigV]

I have seen the trailer. I will be seeing the movie this weekend, I hope. I think it IS a big fucking deal.

I have more to add, but have to go, for now.

[TheMercenary]

So who got their ass kicked?

[monster]

you are such a troll.

[TheMercenary]