The Bully Project

A day when 12-year-old Alex is merely ignored is a good day for him. His classmates often call him names like "fish face" and beat him viciously. His daily hell begins on the school bus, where ghastly threats are directed at him. He'd rather bite off his tongue than tell his father what is going on. Director Lee Hirsch films five bullied children and their parents. Two families lost their children to suicide as a consequence of bullying. This documentary is intended to raise awareness among fellow students, teachers, and school administrators about the seriousness of this problem. It allows courageous teenagers who are being subjected to this misery to have their say. A 16-year-old lesbian explains how she has been excluded and abused, and even hit by a car. And a 14-year-old girl is placed in a youth detention center after going berserk and waving a pistol around as a result of endless tormenting. Combined with shocking scenes of physical abuse and victims walking through school corridors with hunched shoulders, these harrowing stories spark clear questions. Who bears the blame for all this misery? The bullies? The parents who allow their children to bully without fear of punishment? The schools? And, more importantly, what are we going to do about it?