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Bullying in any form is socially unacceptable, and the nerd/geek community is often the target because we continue to love stuff that other people have outgrown. Filmmaker Thomas Keith‘s documentary Bullied: You Are Not Alone examines the nature of the beast, and I feel it’s a must for every high school curriculum to show in Social Studies. It’s important for teachers to also encourage discussion so everyone can have an easier time in school instead of doing something they may regret later, like dropping out of society (and life). This subject really should be relabelled History, but I digress.
This work brilliantly shows us how bullying behaviour developed over time, and the range is from the cave man days to where we’re at in the 21st Century with cyber-bullying (on any social media platform). When looking at the statistics revealed about Americans, the numbers concerning those being harmed are terrible! Correcting this universal problem is not easy and in what makes this work special is that it shows us possible solutions to change this troubling aspect of society.
The stories we see here aren’t about those facing a challenging social life in school. There’s also workplace bullying and how people treat others when one may have a disability or other characteristic (like race) the other doesn’t like.
To live in a Utopian society also means not displaying passive aggression too, which this film nicely examines. This aspect of bullying is rarely explored, and to achieve a sane society is possible. Some folks may think they aren’t bullies themselves, but they’d be surprised!
Thankfully, individuals like Kirk Smalley of Stand for the Silent speaks for those who can’t. We also have scholars. Jennifer Green, an assistant professor in Special Education and a child psychologist, at Boston University, and Rheeda Walker, psychiatrist at the University of Houston offer their valued opinion on where society is at with bullying. The list is huge. We even have Jonathan Singer, host of the Social Network Podcast, giving valuable insight to what we can do to correct.
Special educational programs have been developed to enlighten people about the negatives of bullying behaviour. It’s not just about those rotten apples–namely pointing a finger at a certain former American president–setting an example, but also with how everyone can help. This documentary also reflects on how some folks do nothing when witness to an incident. Amongst teens, the idea of social currency is brought up. Some kids think being a bully will make him or her look superior to others.
Hollywood’s contribution suggests the bully is bullied themselves at home by an elder and they take it out on others when away. True or not, the influence media has a deft examination in this piece.
It’s rare to know how the victims feel when the situation gets worse. Sometimes it leads to being murdered or committing suicide to escape. This work shows some of that pain. Nobody wants to experience it. The parents of the victim’s get their say here and the cold-hearted can’t say get over it. Those not directly involved can’t either comment, “I’m sorry at their loss.”
Society’s ills are expertly examined, warts and all. If this world is to become a Type II civilization from a sociological perspective than tech, we need to be good to ourselves and our fellow man. Yes, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure pop to mind, and what’s revealed here is why that movie is loved. The fix has to start with the individual learning about their self worth rather than asserting others around in order to get their way.
4 Stars out of 5
Thank you for this post! As a survivor of vicious and chronic school bullying, I definitely want to see this film!