"Bully" documentary comes to Mason

The documentary film "Bully" was screened in the Johnson Center Cinema on Thurs. March 21 followed by a small group discussion on preventing bullying on college campuses (photo courtesty of bullyproject.onmason.com)

Frustrated or motivated? Disappointed or empowered? Heart-broken or happy?

Consider a documentary that could make you feel all of these emotions.

At 6 p.m., March 21, Geroge Mason University students were invited to a viewing of the award-winning documentary “Bully” in the Johnson Center Cinema. Following the film, students moved into small group to discuss the topics of the movie.

The documentary takes a deeper look into bullying in public schools throughout the country. The forms of bullying in this movie included physical and verbal abuse based on isolating those who are different, judging others based on their appearance and prejudice towards the LGBTQ community. The movie chronicles five young people’s challenges with bullying.

“Speak up and communicate if you see something happening or if something is happening to you,”urged Amena Johnson, the Program Coordinator for the LGBTQ Resources office, at the screening.

Though “Bully” focuses specifically on middle and high schools, bullying still persists past adolescence and on college campuses as open and diverse as Mason .

Though students may not be pushing one another into lockers, there is still an issue with acts of bullying at Mason.

“Have you heard people gossiping? Starting rumors?” Johnson said. “Do you see someone who always gets left our?”

Johnson highlighted that these acts are forms of bullying that happen everyday on campus; in person and online.

During the small group discussions, students were provided an opportunity to talk about the issues discussed in the film and the issues they see each day on campus.

“Students need to recognize the issue of bullying within the Mason community,” Johnson said.

The documentary “Bully” has shined light on the issue of bullying, but students on campus need to understand the forms of bullying that are common within the Mason community. Students need to learn to communicate with one another without bullying.

The use of social media sites has changed how students communicate and relate to one another.

“Bully” shows how middle school and high school students use harsh words and physical harassment to put one another down.

“Image if you are in their shoes,” Johnson said, as a way to affectively prevent bullying.  

The screening of “Bully” gave students the opportunity to see the cruel effects words can have on others as well as discuss what can be done now to stop the issue in the future.

For more information on Bully, check Mason's anti-bullying website.