Millions of children across the continent have been bullied, continue to be bullied or will be bullied this year. Chances are likely we all know someone who has been a victim of bullying at some point. The fact that bullying is the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the United States makes it a sad reality, one that is very difficult to face. It is a crisis that we do not want to accept and worse still, it is an issue for which we seem to have no right answer. In an attempt to shed light on the pain and suffering endured by those affected by bullying, Lee Hirsch delivers a new  documentary film called BULLY, which offers "an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched five kids and their families." 

 

You hear about it in the news. You read about it in the paper. You may even come across a tweet or status update on Facebook. When a child takes his own life, we are instantly devastated by the tragedy, especially when the child is merely 11 years of age. And it isn't until you walk a mile in someone's shoes that you can begin to comprehend how bullying can affect a young child so deeply that he feels the only way to end the suffering is by ending his own life, such as 17-year-old Tyler. Or how a victim of bullying can reach a certain breaking point that she feels her only recourse is to take a gun onto a school bus to defend herself, such as 14-year-old Ja'Meya. The film BULLY tells the stories of five children and their families and reveals an alarming need to take action. It is a film that will have you in tears within the first five minutes and leave you in tears at the very end, shaking your head over the senselessness of it all.

It's time to take a stand.

After watching BULLY, it will be hard to forget about the tragic stories of real victims of bullying. And so it should be. We can no longer ignore the issue. We must take a stand and join together as a community of parents, students, educators, administrators, neighbours, brothers and sisters. I encourage one and all to watch this movie then take a step back and open our eyes to an unnecessary evil. We all need to be a part of the change.

Everything starts with one.

For more information on BULLY and on how you can join the movement, visit www.thebullyproject.com. There is also an educator's DVD and toolkit available at a cost of $29.99 plus shipping.

Thanks to eOne Films, I have an opportunity to select five of my readers to receive a copy of the movie BULLY. I will be selecting one winner this Wednesday and two winners on both Thursday and Friday of this week. To be eligible to win, please fill out the entry form below. You only need to enter once to be eligible for all five drawings, however you may only win once. Open to residents of Canada only. Winners will be selected using Random.org. By entering your information below, you acknowledge that it will be shared with eOne films only if you are selected as a winner for the sole purpose of shipping your prize.

UPDATE:

Wednesday's Winner: Jenn Annis
Thursday's Winners: Dorothy Steel, Melanie Ashman
Friday's Winners: Mandi Naismith, Anne Taylor

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this movie to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.