Bullying
Hi everyone! I can’t believe we’re already at the middle of another week :).
I absolutely loved reading your comments on my last post about things that you love!
Last week in one of my classes, a group did a presentation about one of the ways that occupational therapists can work on prevention (most of the time we are working on helping someone after a problem has already happened). This particular group talked about the role of an OT when it comes to bullying. They showed us this movie trailer and after watching it I really want to see it.
Bully, is a documentary that is being released nationwide this Friday. Whenever I read or hear the statistics about bullying I am extremely disheartened and it makes me really sad. According to The Bully Project website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year. And that number is just for kids in America. I dunno about you, but that’s an astounding number and it’s incredibly sad to think of all those kids being harmed in some way.
I was never actually bullied in school, but I was definitely someone that was made fun of on occasion and I wasn’t considered a “popular kid” and therefore wasn’t accepted by some people. Middle school was a really hard time for me and I can only imagine how much worse a person must feel when they are constantly being bullied…and being bullied to an extreme.
I’ve seen and heard about kids being bullied and it angers me. I’ve also heard about it going “unnoticed” or not addressed by the people that can stop it and this also angers me. Kids are becoming depressed and actually committing suicide after being bullied to an extent that they can no longer handle. I know there are many people who do actually try to stop and prevent bullying, but I think it’s something that everyone can and should work on stopping. I’m not saying we all need to go rally and protest about it, but there are little things that I’m sure all of us can do to help in anyway that we can!
I really want to see this documentary. I know that it will most likely make me incredibly sad and angry. But I want to support this cause and see what bullying amongst kids today actually looks like and is doing to those who are impacted by it.
Anyway, sorry for ranting a bit haha. I was just really shocked by the level of emotion that this movie trailer caused me to have, and I think that sharing the message this movie is trying to make is really important!
I hope you all have a great Wednesday :).
Question:
What are your thoughts about bullying and how bad it has gotten?
Posted on April 11, 2012, in Mind, Movie, Random. Bookmark the permalink. 33 Comments.
In Sweetness and In Health 
As someone that works in the schools, I have definitely seen how bullying has gotten worse over time. The social media and technology has just given kids even more ways to be mean … it’s so sad. I wish kids could truly understand what they are doing to each other when they are unkind. Of course, I guess you could say the same for adults … they’re just not as obvious. 😉
i just saw that preview last night, and kinda got emotional. Let me know if you see it!
I’m dying to see that movie, I thoroughly hope every kid and parent out there sees it. Bullying has gotten out of control, hopefully this flick will make a difference and change schools for good! 🙂
I definitely want to see the documentary – there’s so much hype about it!
Bullying is terrible, and it keeps getting worse because of the internet and social media. I saw the trailer for the movie, and I heard that it’s really intense, but I’m sure it’s good for adults and parents to watch!
I do not understand bullying at all. Kids can be SO harsh. I’ll definitely have to see this!
bullying makes me SO angry and sad. i never personally got bullied, but my cousin would tell me when she was younger how she got bullied sometimes and it made me SO frustrated! glad you’re wanting to do something about this! 🙂
Aw, that would have made me so frustrated too!
I was never bullied in school but I went to a small private school and I don’t really think anyone was. I read things about what goes on in other schools and I am shocked. Its amazing to me too that kids are commiting suicide over being bullied. Something needs to happen in school and at home to prevent this!
This topic lights a fire in me, as well. I wasn’t bullied to the point of physical abuse, but I was certainly made fun of, excluded and ignored for a few years in middle school. And because of the way I was treated, I carry a few insecurities in my adulthood.
The thing about bullying is that it doesn’t stop at adolescence. Adults bully each other in the work place, social circles, etc. It’s hurtful and inexcusable – something we should all be aware of.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Oh absolutely! It amazes me how much bullying goes on in the adult world…it’s crazy!
I was shocked at the trailer for this movie, that sweet kid just kept getting punched. I think I will have a difficult time watching this movie, but I know it is needed to show kids that you cannot take those punches and hurtful words back.
I am glad you are sharing this Lindsay.. . any way of getting the word out on this is essential! I know a lot of my self-image and body-image issues come from being teased when I was younger. Kids can be little ass holes to say the least (haha, but true!) more of this type of information and education needs to happen!
It makes me so incredibly sad to see hoe bad bullying has gotten. Kids can be just awful, I have experienced some mean girl in high school and just can’t understand what would make people act so cruel to another person. It breaks my heart. Especially seeing young children who commit suicide. I really want to see that movie, I get emotional even talking about it because its such a huge and upsetting issue. Thanks for the post on this, its so important!!
I do too…I almost cried when I first saw the preview!
I did cry! My sister thought I was nuts haha
Bullying is SUCH a sad thing!! I believe that if we can strengthen our homes -at home- our kids will be better off emotionally (and physically). It all begins with a strong, good marriage at home!
Bullying is something that I feel has gotten much worse even since I was a kid. I coached little girls in cheer easing last year and it was awful to watch how many of them interacted with each other. I made it a point to choose partners and try and mix the girls up. I hoped that in getting to know each other, it would break down any barriers. If that didn’t work, I would make them run laps and condition if I saw bullying. I may not have been able to control the girls’ behavior, but I wouldn’t tolerate bullying right in front of my face!
Good for you for doing something! It can be really hard to control people, but it’s great that you took a step toward doing something about it when you noticed it 🙂
I am a teacher, and everyday I witness different forms of bullying. It’s very sad to see how one child uses intimidation to assert their authority over another. I feel as though I am constantly policing it. You need have a clear understanding of what bullying is, and it does include intimidationg. There are people who I have worked with, teachers!!!!, who I have seen use bullying tactics on students and fellow teachers. It’s very disturbing.
I can only imagine how much of it you must see! And that is so bothersome to know that teachers use bullying tactics on students…ugh
I agree that bullying has gotten much worse and it’s really disheartening. My sister is quite a bit younger than me (she’s 11) and she has experienced some bullying because she is a little overweight and it makes me really sad. I think it’s important to make people aware of this issue and it looks like this will be an eye opening documentary for a lot of people!
Aw, well I’m sure she looks up to you and feels comfortable to discuss issues with you if she ever needed to!
I have heard so much talk about bullying lately and I’m so glad society is taking awareness of it! I feel sad to say I had no idea growing up about how bad bullying is. I fortunately was never bullied and I guess just thought no one else was either, but I know that is not the truth now. I wish I would have know more about it and could have helped those suffering!
These kinds of documentaries only make me sad and angry as well, but they are very helpful in bring light to such a sensitive yet important subject! Thanks for sharing the trailer, I really want to see this!
So emotional. 😦 I was never bullied but it’s a shame how often and severe it is now. I really want to see this!
I really want to see this movie and support this cause too…bullying is a ridiculously serious issue all over our country right now and it needs to be addressed and taken care of. I teach 4th and 5th graders and even children that young are significantly affected by bullying. The adults of this country need to stop bullying though too–we see it every time we turn on the television, look at a magazine (especially the nasty/crappy gossip ones), and it just all has to stop.
I get so passionate about this issue too—everyone, especially kids, have to know that they have SO much value!
YES! I totally agree with you…kids need to understand their worth. I’m so glad that you are a teacher, because I have a feeling that you can make kids feel that way!
I was never really bullied in school, but I know how bad it is. We need to start cracking the whip in schools 😉
I just saw the trailer for this movie in the past day or two ~ I think it looks fantastic! I also think it’s great that this conversation has really been coming to the forefront of people’s minds lately. It’s about time.
I was one of those kids in school who was not popular, not unpopular. I definitely had my share of being picked on, but I also had close friends. I was never bullied, to that extreme. However, I had a horrible self-image and a fear of standing out, so I was one of those people who would see bullying and know it was wrong, but wouldn’t say a word against it. Sometimes I would even laugh along, without meaning it.
I hate thinking back on those times, but I also know it’s just part of my story. I’m definitely not that person anymore, and I hope I can do my part to pass on better behavior through my parenting and mentoring.
So funny that you posted this today, because my school is actually in the middle of a huge anti-bullying project called “Rachel’s Challenge” started by the family of the first girl to be killed in the Columbine shootings. Even though it’s sometimes difficult to get my students to take ALL of the activities we’ve been doing seriously, it can be really cool to see some of them start to understand how bullying really affects others. I’ve heard about this documentary and I so want to see it and hope there’s a way we can show it to the kids at my school. As a teacher, I try and intervene as soon as possible when I see ANY form of bullying, because I know that as a middle school students, there was a lot of small-scale bullying that took place that no one ever took any action on.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m really glad that this documentary is being put out. I can’t even believe the things that kinds do and say!
I definitely went through a few mean girls back in middle school. It was definitely hard on a fragile adolescent ego!
I hate bullying! It makes me so sad to see a child or even an adult be talked down to or demeaned by a peer. Why can’t everyone just get along?! The world would be a much brighter place 🙂
Wonderful post! And thank you for writing about it. I was bullied before my first ED occurred and we still think that was a contributing factor. Oh I hate bullying and it really is so sad how bad it is 😦