HAS THE NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM "BULLY" BECOME A VICTIM OF BULLYING?

In my last posting, I wrote about the growing public awareness of the negative consequences that the bullying of pupils with disabilities in school generates.  Today, parents and educators nationwide are  collaborating to end the cyclical nature of this violence and abuse. 

School bullying is a major education, public health, and school violence issue.  Data indicates that 13 million pupils are bullied each year and that it is a factor in 3 million school absences every month. 

Bullying interferes with the victim’s ability to learn and succeed in school and results in injuries, emotional and psychological trauma, and even suicides.  Research also shows that pupils with disabilities are disproportionately targeted because of their perceived “differences” and prejudices and stereotypes about disabilities.

Now, an important new anti-bullying documentary, Bully, that can be an important educational tool to stop bullying is in danger of having its potential impact diminished.  Its assigned movie rating may prevent a large part of its targeted audience of youth from ever seeing it.   

As a former bullying victim, the Director was motivated to film Bully.  It interweaves five emotionally compelling stories about families whose children were victimized.  Sadly, the torment they endured caused two of them to commit suicide.

Bully’s graphic portrayal about what it’s truly like to experience bullying can help change how youth perceive and react to bullying.  It encourages pupils to report incidents to authorities and have more compassion for those who’re socially ostracized at school.  Of course, to maximize its effect it must be seen by as many parents, educators, victims, and perpetrators of bullying as possible. 

Unfortunately, Bully was given an R-Restricted rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).  That rating could undermine its effectiveness because pupils under age 17 would need to be accompanied by parent or adult guardian.  One Ohio school district canceled plans to bus 40,000 pupils to see Bully as part of its anti-bullying campaign.

The Director recently lost his rating appeal.  He was informed that the utterance of six “F-words” required the R rating.  It’s an arbitrary decision because the MPAA recently gave a documentary about the Iraq war a PG- 13 rating, even though it used forty-six comparable words.  At the time, the MPAA’s justification was that it needed to be seen by a larger audience because the war was going on. 

Movie critics argue that the MPAA is out of touch with the public’s reactions to such language.  They claim that they are more concerned about parents in small town, Middle America than the general public.  Surprisingly, polls show that those same parents find graphic violence more acceptable than what they view as objectionable language.

The Director could get a better rating if he edited out the language.  However, he believes it was spoken in appropriate contexts and would violate the integrity of the film. 

Regardless of the rating outcome, the disability community should encourage our neighbors, friends, and families to see Bully. The expected healthy debate about school bullying will help support our efforts to combat the bullying of pupils with disabilities.

THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY MUST MOBILIZE TO STRENGTHEN LAWS PROTECTING PUPILS WITH DISABILITIES FROM BULLYING

Historically, the bullying of pupils while in school has not been viewed as a major public policy concern.  Many school personnel and even some parents characterize it as: “kids being kids;” “part of growing up;” or “ways to toughen children for adulthood.”  It's simply untrue. 

All of us have witnessed our classmates with perceived differences or physical characteristics being teased, laughed at, or even beaten. We’ve seen the tears, their fear, and their rejection.  Once a pupil is labeled as being "deserving" of abuse, few ever escape that stigma.  The cuts and bruises may heal, but the emotional and psychological scars last a lifetime.

Many of our community members with both visible and invisible disabilities have experienced bullying.  It is a serious problem for our children because one out of every three pupils with a disability is bullied while in school. 

Children with visible disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy and wheelchair users are often called ugly names or are aggressively excluded from interaction with their peers.  Pupils with invisible learning disabilities report high rates of teasing and physical abuse.  Others with ADHD are taunted because they have higher impulsivity and lower frustration tolerance. 

Today, many participants in the California Youth Leadership Forum reveal they cannot interact with the main student body.  Even in the post-civil rights era, many school campuses are physically segregated and pupils with disabilities can only befriend other pupils with a disability.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community members are also disproportionately bullied in school.  There are thousands of stories from throughout the nation about victims being subjected to extreme, long-lasting abuse and violence.  Tragically, LGBT victims often face severe abuse that can result in serious injuries, deaths, and suicides.

Increased awareness about the pervasiveness of bullying and its tragic consequences is mobilizing anti-bullying campaigns to end this abuse and violence.  Parents, educators, and lawmakers have classified bullying as a major public health and school violence problem. 

Bullying inflicts physical, psychological, and emotional harm and interferes with a victim's  ability to learn and participate in school activities.  It’s been linked to anti-social behaviors like vandalism, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual harassment and violence.

Since 1999, state legislatures have enacted anti-bullying laws. Today, 47 states have anti-bullying laws of various types.  They universally acknowledge that pupils have a right to attend schools that are safe, secure, and peaceful.

The California Legislature enacted its first anti-bullying laws in 2003, but more progress is needed.  “Bully Police U.S.A.,” that monitors state anti-bullying laws only awarded California’s statutes a "B" grade.

In 2011, CFILC supported a bill that may raise our GPA.  AB 9 expands California law to protect pupils bullied because they are, or perceived to be, part of the LGBT community and pupils with a disability. 

Other new laws include: AB 746 that strengthens prohibitions against using social networks for “cyber-bullying,” and AB 1156 that requires more school personnel anti-bullying training and prioritizes school transfers requested by bullying victims.

The disability community and the families of pupils with disabilities must push for stronger anti-bullying laws to protect our children.  We must also ensure they are enforced to combat the debilitating effects of bullying. 

The abuse and violence against pupils with disabilities must STOP!