New Documentary Addresses Bullying In Schools [VIDEO]

Bullying in schools today is an on-going battle, with many parents, teachers, and school administrators taking the stance of "Well, kids can be cruel" and not even attempting to fix the problem.  Thousands of children every day are subjected to bullying in some way at school, either physical violence or verbal attacks to break down their self esteem and ideas of self worth.  It's a problem that has been allowed to spiral out of control to the point that some students see no resolution other than taking their own lives to end the torture.  As someone who was bullied on a regular basis when I was younger, I hear parents and teachers justify the actions of bullies or refuse to address the issue and all I can think is, "They were bullies when they were younger and don't want to admit fault."

The documentary "Bully" was shot over the course of the 2009-2010 school year, following five students and their families from Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Georgia, and Iowa.  The documentary also covers the lives of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, two students who committed suicide because of being bullied.  Originally given an "R" rating by the MPAA, the film makers have started a petition to have the rating lowered to "PG-13" so children will have access to the film.

I truly hope this kind of film ends up being shown in schools across the country, not only for the benefit of the students, but the school staff as well.  At one point during the trailer, one school administrator openly shoots down a mother's claims of bullying on the school bus, saying she's been on the bus and the students were all well-behaved, followed up with video of the bullying on the bus.  Bullies feel free to continue their ways knowing that parents and staff won't do anything to stop the situation, and parents and teachers who don't step in to stop it, or justify the actions of the bullies, are to blame just as much as the bullies themselves.

via Spill