Bully (ATOM Study Guide)

Over 13 million American kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the United States. Bully profiles five victims of bullying, the children and teenagers behind the statistics. Twelve-year-old Alex Libby, fourteen-year-old Ja'Meya Jackson and sixteen-year-old Kelby Johnson share their stories of ongoing persecution by their peers. Seventeen-year-old Tyler Long and eleven-year-old Ty Smalley's experiences of being bullied are recounted by their parents. The torment of their situations eventuated in both boys taking their own lives.

More than anything, Alex Libby wants to fit in. He downplays the violence of the bullying at home, telling his parents that his peers are only 'messing with him'. The school administration offer the excuse that 'boys will be boys', dodging responsibility and denying the seriousness of the conflict. Ja'Meya Jackson was picked on every morning and afternoon of the hour-long bus ride between home and school. Her desperate decision to brandish a loaded handgun to scare her tormentors means that she is now incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility. Kelby Johnson's decision to come out as a lesbian has made her the target of her classmates and teachers' intolerance. The once all-star athlete has been forced to give up her sporting commitments and adopt a low profile in her small hometown. Kelby has attempted suicide several times.

David and Tina Long and Kirk and Laura Smalley, tell heartbreaking stories of their sons' experiences of bullying. Tyler Long committed suicide in October 2009, after years of abuse by his peers. Ty Smalley's suicide was also bullying related. Both the Longs and the Smalleys are now intent on raising community awareness about bullying and forcing school administrations to make a real commitment to confronting the problem.

Hirsch takes us into classrooms and cafeterias, on school buses and inside principal's offices, providing an insight into how bullying is ignored and downplayed. For school administrations, Bully is a wake up call. The crisis is real and the consequences of failing to confront the bullies and change school cultures are devastating. Bully also shows us just how difficult it is for parents to help their children, access support and find solutions.

Recommended viewing for teenagers, their parents and their teachers, Bully is a powerful and provocative documentary that seeks to inspire real changes in the way we deal with bullying as a society.

Bully (2011) is a feature documentary directed by Lee Hirsch. Bully is suitable for secondary students in Years 10 to 12. The documentary can be used in pastoral care classes and with year levels as part of a student welfare program. Within this frame of reference, Bully provides opportunities for students to develop: self and social awareness; and self and social management. Bully is suitable for students undertaking English, Health and Human Development, Psychology and Media at these year levels.