The Bullying Project

If you were like me you might know that bullying does exist out there, especially among middle school and high school students, but do not know how big of a problem it is in our community.  I was fortunate enough to go to a school where this was not a huge problem (or at least I never saw it in the halls), but that might have stemmed from the fact that I graduated with a small class and most of us had grown up/gone to school together for years.

Recently, thanks to a video preview which is going viral, I came across the Bullying Project.  This powerful documentary follows: 

"five kids and families over the course of a school year, the film confronts bullying’s most tragic outcomes, including the stories of two families who’ve lost children to suicide and a mother who waits to learn the fate of her 14 –year-old daughter, incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With rare access to the Sioux City Community School District, the film also gives an intimate glimpse into school busses, classrooms, cafeterias and even principles offices, offering insight into the often-cruel world of children, as teachers, administrators and parents struggle to find answers."

What astounded me after visiting the project's website were these two statistics:

• 13 million children will be bullied in the United States each year
• 3 million children are absent from school each month because they feel unsafe at school

The documentary will be released on March 30th in select theaters.  Until then I would urge you to check out the project and get involved and see what you can do to put a stop to bullying in your community.