Prevention: the poster child for anti-bullying efforts in America’s schools

Claudia Garcia, a graduate of SMSH.

“In school I was bullied so much for being smart or just knowing answers … that I had to switch out [of] classes several times,” said Claudia Garcia, a 2011 graduate of South Miami Senior High in Miami who said she had been bullied since middle school. “Once the teacher sided with the students who were trying to make me help them cheat,” she added. While much attention has been given to alleviating active bullying, the question of how to prevent it from happening in the first place remains.

Stan Davis, an educational consultant for greatschools.org, explains that clearly worded rules and policies defining expected student behavior are one of the keys to building a bully-free school, such as, “No teasing. Teasing is name-calling, starting rumors, gestures, or other actions that are likely to make students feel bad about themselves."

But on the other spectrum of Davis are some experts, teachers and school officials say “bullying policies are never as important as what actually happens in school,” according to a Minnesota Public Radio article by Tom Weber, published in May 2011 after a six-month investigation on bullying in Minnesota schools.

The investigation revealed that many schools are indeed taking action - having students make posters attacking bullying and holding student- and adult-led assemblies.

But even these efforts may not prove effective.

Garcia, who is now a student at Miami Dade College, said, “What schools can do is pay more attention, not ‘heighten’ security because that never works, but just be more aware of what happens outside like in the field and cafeteria.” Faculty in particular need to actually listen to students’ complaints instead of shrugging them off, insisting that they’ll “handle” it. She explained that faculty do not spend much time talking about bullying in a serious manner, opting instead for “hip” pep rallies to glorify the subject.

Commenting on the problem of cyberbullying, Garcia said, “Kids are so private these days and parents refuse to think of their Billy as nothing less of an angel. As parents they have a right to question their Internet history and stuff.”

She said prevention starts at home. “If you're taught from an early age that making others feel inferior is wrong then it will most likely sink in,” she said.

Prevention: the poster child for anti-bullying efforts in America’s schools

"Antwone Fisher" / Difficult Situations

Film poster for Antwone Fisher (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is a difficult situation when a child's caretaker is his foremost bully. Because unless malnourishment or exile from living quarters is the case, at the end of the day, however disrespected or belittled, that adult gives the child a home and a meal every day. It's not a situation you can run away from easily because it's not like you have another place to go. And if you do, it's likely less hospitable than the one the child is presently in.

So it's a difficult situation. Of course, the effect of such an upbringing on a child is anything but positive.

But Antwone Fisher, a 2002 film, shows that rugged characters can defy these odds and grow to become respectable men and women that carry on day-to-day with these harrowing tales kept secret from the public eye.

It's remarkable to be able to see someone succeed  despite such trauma. It's also remarkable to see them become able to speak of their childhood experiences.

That kind of development occurs in Antwone Fisher, and it's incredible to see on film. The movie definitely concentrated on the actions and thought processes of Antwone and the reactions of his military shrink. They form a duo of sorts that communicates the arduous nature of Antwone's self-discovery immaculately and emotionally.

It's truly a treat to watch. If only Antwone's story wouldn't have been true.

"Antwone Fisher" / Difficult Situations

"Cyberbullying"

ABC Family Original Movie, Cyberbully. 

The ABC Family Original Movie, Cyberbulling, is an interesting film that stands at a crossroads between being a gritty exploration of seemingly nonsensical teenage harassment and a cautionary tale of what you should and shouldn't do on the Internet as orated by adults frustrated by the new medium.

The film tells the tale of young Taylor Hillridge, who opens up a profile on a risque spin-off of Facebook, called "Clicksters". Everything is fun and games until Taylor's best friend opens up a fake profile - unbeknownst to Taylor - sporting the picture of an attractive male teenager that starts flirting with her online, sometimes defending online attacks that Taylor's acquaintances at school launch upon her and sometimes adding to the fire.

Hillridge's life enters a downward spiral, leading to near suicide. Luckily, the film ends on a positive note. 

The issue with Cyberbully, as a film, is its intended audiences - families who may have children Taylor's age and whose children may in fact be in the same situation. Therefore, there's lots of scenes of adults speaking in politically correct terms regarding legislation against cyberbullying, adults admonishing children on their rude acts over the Internet, and lots of scenes of conveniently naive teenagers that are incapable of simply unplugging themselves from this Internet torture. 

But the fact that the film feels as innocent and convenient as it does plays on how those same traits are characteristic of teenagers that may be experiencing cyberbullying.

While cyberbullying is a difficult problem without an easy fix, one of the more effective methods is also the most ignored: unplugging yourself. If a message thread on Facebook or Cyberbully's "Clicksters" proves too nasty to read, just don't and ignore the whole thing. The fact that Taylor constantly returns to the network to check up on her latest messages - which are never nice ones - is tantamount to Taylor physically beating herself up and is reflective of teenage stubbornness and its exacerbating effect on cyberbullying.

It's an interesting movie - with flaws - but above all, it communicates a clear message about teenagers that beat themselves over the head, unnecessarily, with cyberbullying. Like putting salt on an open wound.

"Cyberbullying"

"I guess movie critics are heartless souls"

Réalisation d'un film (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To review movies takes skill, one that I feel like I'm developing, but that I definitely don't have fully under my wing yet.

I read such witty, sarcastic, and wry reviews of films that receive much lower scores than I thought they'd receive. This makes me feel like I am naive when it comes to criticizing movies, like I award positive words to films that apparently don't deserve it.

That characteristic of movie reviews has made me become such a pessimist when I watch a movie I have to review. I go in looking for flaws as opposed to the looking for what's been done right.

But the fact that I have been impressed by apparently half-baked efforts of filmmaking is a testament to not just my naivete but also a nod to the human impact of successful editing. Often, the scenes that create the most emotion in a film's viewers do not feature award-winning dialogue or incredible camera work. Rather, they're simple shots of an enamoring actor's solemn face, often littered with tears (or about to be), set to an overdramatic, preferably instrumental music track. These elements combine to produce lasting dramatic impact on the human viewer, somehow.

So when you watch a movie and you get so easily taken aback by such scenes, it's no wonder I always feel so right about the reaction I write to a movie. But I guess movie critics are heartless souls.

"I guess movie critics are heartless souls"