Bully Bystanders

Gr 7 Up—It is difficult for students to stand up to someone who is bullying a classmate, but inaction often makes things worse. This program follows Jason, an older teen, whose rule of survival in high school is like most students, "MYOB" (mind your own business). Over time, on the bus ride to school, in the classroom, in the library, and in the cafeteria, Jason watches as a classmate is verbally harassed, excluded, and the target of cyberbullying. When he hears that she has attempted suicide—or bullycide—he imagines how this could have been prevented if he had stepped in. This dramatization of the same scenarios, replayed, is effective and constructive as Jason's calm but assertive interjections diffuse the situations and cause the tormenters to back off. Graphics offer factual information and interviews with real teens reveal the trauma of being a victim, the relief of the spectator who isn't the target, and the acknowledgement that bystanders want to intervene, but usually don't. Poignant photos of Carl Walker Hoover, who committed suicide at age 11, are shown as his sister explains that she had no idea that he had been being bullied. The strength of the program is the honest testimony of the diverse group of teens, the simple strategies for intervening, and a focus on the commonly ignored element in bullying—the bystander. This realistic, well-produced film is a must-see for high school students.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia Jr. Sr. High School, NY