Bully: Film Analysis

As was seen in the film Bully, individuals very rarely report when they are being bullied for a number of reason some of which include the fear of being bullied more, the fear that nothing will be done and the misconception that they deserve what is happening to them. Sometimes the first time parents hear about their child being bullied is after their child has committed suicide. There needs to be school policies set into place that allow for more effective reporting methods. One of the first steps to this could be anonymous reporting however; disciplinary action cannot be taken solely based on anonymous reports (glsen.org). The importance with starting with an anonymous reporting method as a separate option is that individuals may be fearful

This can be exhibited through student run gay-straight alliances, therapeutic after school activities and other student and teacher run support systems. Gay-straight alliances are in school, extracurricular groups that support LGBT students, those questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity, and their straight friends and allies (Cianciotto and Cahill #). Having this support system is vital for LGBTQ adolescents because even if they are being bullied knowing they have people who support them and care for them can be what they continue living for. In the film Bully, Kelby explains how she had experienced bullying in the past and that she would have never been able to get through it if it wasn’t for her friends. She even makes a comment about how she probably wouldn’t still be here today if it wasn’t for that support. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to have such a strong support system as Kelby did. LGBTQ individuals often differ from other individuals who have been bullied in that even if they are bullied at school they have a support system at home. The majority of LGBTQ individuals lack this privilege and therefore the school is essential the only support system they have. GSAs are often the only school-based place where LGBTQ youth can safely discuss issues associated

When parents send their children to school they expect them to be safe and to have the school protect them against any harm. It is no longer acceptable for adults to say, “Oh, boy’s will be boy’s” in response to bullying. In fact there is no justification at all for the act of bullying and it is imperative that school officials, teacher’s and student’s understand that absolutely under no circumstances will bullying be allow or tolerated. It is unrealistic for school officials to think that bullying does not happen because it most certainly does. The overarching ideal is to create a safe space for all students that is conducive to learning. With programs such as GSAs and creating an all-inclusive curriculum that discusses LGBTQ history and issues, the hope is that bullying will be preventable due to creating a culture of respect. All efforts aimed at combating bullying work to help build a culture of respect. Teachers and administrators need to be trained to learn how to deal with LGBTQ issues and understand that their needs need to be addressed in a different way. At the federal level, the federal civil rights laws need to be rewritten in order to cover harassment based on sexual orientation and existing bullying policies at the school level need to be rewritten in order to incorporate sexual