I Support the Bully Project

I’ve been hearing a lot about the bully project lately. I can’t believe that bully has been rated R and now people have to petition to get a PG-13 rating for the movie. I haven’t seen the movie, but if it’s about what I think it’s about then these kids today need to see it. I’m not worried about the foul language or strong themes. Any high school student, whether in public, parochial or private school has heard and perhaps said far worse than whatever is in the video. When I was growing up, I wouldn’t dare curse in front of an adult, but I have students yelling curse words up and down the hallways at my school. I have overheard graphic conversations about everything from drugs to sex. These kids know no shame. I have to demand the respect I deserve. I have to almost raise my hand and shout “Hey, there’s an adult within earshot of you and I don’t want to hear that.”


I have had to take class time and explain to my students that the “teasing” they are doing has crossed the line in my classroom and that bullying is not tolerated in my room. The main problem is that the students don’t know when to stop and some of them are so out of it that they don’t know when they have crossed the line. There are others who do know and who are malicious, but I haven’t witnessed that personally and I think part of the reason is because I try to nip situations in the bud as soon as I either figure out what’s going on or overhear something. I have drawn the principal’s attention to several students who I deem as bullies because I don’t want to be that teacher who just assumes that everything is a joke. People have feelings and I know that some students laugh in order to hide the hurt.

Check out the bully project for yourself.

Status: Wondering why some offensive movies about sex, drugs and sometimes violence have PG-13 ratings, but a movie about the harsh reality of bullying has to petition for a PG-13 rating.