'Bully' film screening, town hall gives students and officials opportunity to address issue
Bullying is a common form of violence experienced by young people, and that's the central reason the new documentary film "Bully" directed by Lee Hirsch chose to highlight the issue.
The film has been playing for a few weeks at local theaters, including Rave Motion Theater in Pittsfield Township, where a town meeting was held Saturday morning prior to the showing of the film.
Alex Libby, a 12-year-old in Sioux City, Iowa, is among the kids featured in the movie Bully. Attacked just for being different, Libby is subjected to daily beatings from classmates on his school bus.
Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Co.
The film has spawned the Bully Project, a collaborative effort that brings together organizations that share a commitment to ending bullying. This morning's meeting featured two panels: one made up of Pittsfield Township officials and legislators, and the other made up of students from middle and high schools.
"Bully" has gotten a lot of attention in the region because Greenhills School student Katy Butler was instrumental in the campaign to change to documentary's R-rating to a PG-13 rating so more students could see it. The documentary drew a strong reaction at its Ann Arbor premiere last month at the State Theater.
Rep. David Rutledge, D-Superior Township is a co-sponsor of Public Act 241 that passed in December 2011, also known as Matt's Safe School Law, which requires public schools in the state to adopt a policy to prohibit harassment and bullying by students.
Rutledge told the audience of about 150 people, "When you don't treat others like you would have them treat you, it's serious business. If you can keep your head when others are losing theirs, that's the test."
Also speaking were Pittsfield Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal and Matt Harshberger, director of public safety for the township.
"You can contact the police if you know of or experience bullying," said Harshberger. "We have no problem getting involved and helping out even if there's not a crime involved because we don't want to see it get worse."
Tiffany Small, a police officer in the Saline school district also spoke, as did Saline High School student Julie Soisson.
"Students who witness bullying have the power to speak up," Soisson told the audience.
Milan High School students Clint Lafferty and Shayna Smith, members of the panel, are part of a peer mediation program at their school.
"Peer mediation offers students a nonjudgmental environment to talk their problems out," said Lafferty.
"We help kids solve conflicts before it goes to an administrator or police officer," said Smith. "We promote trust in peers."
Following the screening of "Bully," kids and parents were invited to participate in a videotaped response of what they thought of the movie, and what changes they can make with friends, in school and in the community respecting others.
Comments
hmsp
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 4:07 a.m.
@ Sandra Samons, re: "How about teachers being required to meet the buses so there will not be gaps in supervision outside the classroom?" I knew that someone would be able to come up with something to fill that one hour a day my wife isn't busting her butt in class, talking on the phone with parents during dinner, filling out more and more top-down paperwork requirements at 5AM, etc.
Unusual Suspect
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.
"busting her butt in class, talking on the phone with parents during dinner, filling out more and more top-down paperwork requirements at 5AM, etc." ... filling out the stupid photo sales orders, collecting money for Scholastic orders, collecting money for field trips and chasing down parents who never remember to send it in, resisting coercion from divorced parents who won't talk to each other to get her to pass messages back and forth, trying to figure out who's stealing stuff off her desk, having lunch break stolen from her for a meeting between the principal and a parent who confronted and verbally berated some other parent's child on the way home from school, trying to communicate with a parent about a child's homework when without a phone number or address because they're secret because the parent is hiding from the other parent, trying to communicate with an incarcerated parent. Oh yeah, and foregoing dinner with her own family to handle all the above problems. So yeah, meeting the bus is a great extra task to give to the teachers.
jns131
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 2:46 p.m.
That is what the administration is for. To monitor the hallways while the teachers are getting ready for class. I hear a lot of principals, except Pioneer, for one, that are out in the hallways watching. Thanks to Mr White? The halls are now a lot safer because he is watching the cameras. The bus drivers are doing what they can to eliminate bullying. If it happens on mine? Trust you me. If I am taking them home? Parents will be fully aware.
Sandra Samons
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 2:33 a.m.
How about soliciting suggestions from the local communities? Yes, we need laws and people to enforce them (including counselors and principals as well as teachers), but we also need a groundswell of parental and community support because the schools can't do it by themselves. There will always be to parent who will vigorously defend a bullying child and schools can't take a strong stand if they are standing alone. How about in-services for school bus drivers on how to maintain control of the children while driving? How about parent (and grandparent) training to be volunteer bus riders to maintain control? How about teachers being required to meet the buses so there will not be gaps in supervision outside the classroom? How about intervening with expectations of good social conduct in Kindergarten? If we wait until kids are teens it will be too late. How many other suggestions might we come up with? We CAN solve this problem if everyone is committed!
Unusual Suspect
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 7:13 p.m.
"How about in-services for school bus drivers on how to maintain control of the children while driving?" Because they're busy driving the bus and shouldn't have to babysit the students. "How about parent (and grandparent) training to be volunteer bus riders to maintain control?" Because those who know how to do it and are willing to do it are already doing that with their own kids. And do you really want the other kind of parents doing it? "How about teachers being required to meet the buses so there will not be gaps in supervision outside the classroom?" Because they're teachers, not bus-greeters or babysitters or social workers. Here's a strange idea - how about if parents teach their children how to behave so they won't need helicopter supervision along every single inch of their path between home and the classroom?
Unusual Suspect
Mon, May 7, 2012 : 2:10 a.m.
I think we've heard enough about this movie. Can we move on?
hmsp
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 3:14 p.m.
@ SonnyDog09, re: "have we raised a generation of fragile kids who crumble too easily when subjected to anything other than flowers and lollypops?" I agree 100%! It's just like that nonsense with the Catholic Church! Back in the day, kids knew how to suck it up (so to speak) and get on with life. Now they whine about getting raped! Sheesh!
dogpaddle
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
Yes, SonnyDog09, not only is bullying worse today than when we were growing up thanks to some degree to exactly what we are doing right here, going electronic, but that's only a small piece of it. While there might be some validity to your comment about the fragility of kids, let's not forget who is also responsible: parents of the bullies who refuse to accept responsibility for their actions and lack of in raising their children. Add to that, and I am speaking also as a former educator, I don't know when you, Sonny, were in school, but when I was growing up, teachers and other school employees including custodians who worked for the school, not a private corporation, could address bad behavior which included sending the bully out of the classroom or out of school without fear of losing their jobs or breaking the law that now prevents them from removing an unruly child from class without following a "12 step" process first. Sarah Palin criticized HBO's "Game Change" before even seeing the movie which IMHO made her look better than the opinion I had of her which still isn't high. Have you seen Bully yet? And congratulations to you and your parents on surviving your bullying and to me, too. Perhaps not everyone who got bullied survived when we grew up. Maybe their demise got "swept under the carpet".
jns131
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 1:45 p.m.
BTW? I wish I knew about this discussion. I heard nothing and I am on this place a lot. O well. Great to hear about the town hall meeting. I hope this becomes a grass roots movement. All it takes is one to get the ball rolling. Keep on swimming everyone!
Annie Zirkel
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 12:46 p.m.
Glad to see people wanting a better world for kids. 150 people attending is a strong statement. Of course this needs to be a concerted effort to educate children on how to treat others and how to stand up for yourself. Here is a review I posted on the movie and my experience with working with schools. http://www.annarbor.com/community/community_wall/bully_the_movie_review/
SonnyDog09
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.
Is bullying worse today than it was when we were growing up, or have we raised a generation of fragile kids who crumble too easily when subjected to anything other than flowers and lollypops? Or, is it a combination of both? I was certainly beat up and called names when I was a kid. Was that bullying? We didn't need a law to deal with that. Throwing psychobabble like "Peer mediation offers students a nonjudgmental environment to talk their problems out" will not solve anything.
jns131
Sun, May 6, 2012 : 1:42 p.m.
Bullying is the same as it was 40 years ago and it is today. Why? Because it is now a national spotlight. 40 years ago it was swept under the rug and told it is a school thing and a child thing and let them handle it. Let the children work it out. Not. I was beaten up after school, had things stolen and the list goes on and on. Mine was bullied and I took a stand against the school with threats of lawsuits and the Michigan law. Trust you me, if more parents took a stand? This would not become a national epidemic. I call bullying a plague of sorts that needs to be ended. Stand vigilant students and make your parents understand that there is a problem.