The Bully Project

In the United States alone, over 13 million kids are bullied each year, making it the most common form of violence experienced by young people. Of these kids, the number two reason for being bullied was their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression. 9 out of 10 LGBTQ teens report being bullied at school – with half of these teens reporting being physically assaulted. LGBTQ teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens.

The Bully Project is a full spectrum advocacy campaign inspired by the award-winning film BULLY. Powered by partnership, we build will and capacity for social and emotional learning practices as the key to creating safer schools and improving emotional outcomes for all.

BULLY follows the story of Kelby Johnson, a teen from Oklahoma, who comes out as a lesbian in her small town. She, along with her family, faced severe ostracism from their church and community – not only from classmates but from teachers and adults as well. It eventually would get so bad, that she would have to be pulled out of school. Her story is one that is incredibly familiar to teens around the world – particularly those who identify as LGBTQ. 

The Bully Project continues to push for change not only at school but on a political level as well. In Spring 2012, BULLY screened at The White House, Capitol Hill, The US Department of Education, The Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus and for the U.S. Department of Justice in South Dakota. On The same day that BULLY screened at the White House for political advisors and NGOs, President Obama announced his support for the Student Non-Discrimination and the Safe School Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation that would help prevent bullying and harassment. 

BULLY has successfully created a bipartisian consensus around the issue and conservative leaders such as Rush Limbaugh and Mike Huckabee both publicly supported the film even though it puts a spotlight on homophobia. In fact, in May 2012, Senator Howard Stephenson broke with Republicans in order to support a pro-LGBT anti-bullying proposal and cited BULLY as an influence. In June of 2012, during the LGBT Pride Month Reception at The White House, President Barack Obama citied Lee Hirsch and the film for his work on raising awareness for bullying.

 The Bully Project website, social media channels and tools are the go-to resources for thousands of schools seeking to address the serious issue of bullying. To date, over 3.2 million kids have seen the film in conjunction with educational resources. To accomplish this, The Bully Project has created an Educator’s DVD and Toolkit which contains the film with a public screening license, educational materials and classroom decorations (more information can be found here: http://shop.thebullyproject.com). Sold at cost so that it is readily available to as many people as possible, over 8,000 kits have been sold to date. There are also free, printable resources available online for anyone interested in bullying prevention.

 

The Bully Project continues to work towards its goal of reaching a tipping point where bullying is no longer considered acceptable in the minds of students and teachers around the world. Using the film and the corresponding campaign to strengthen and sustain meaningful work far beyond in-school events and online activities, fueling a shift in the cultural norm from a society that turns a blind eye to bullying to one that actively engages in the prevention of these harmful activities.