Film launches antibullying campaign

(Second of a series)

School should be a safe and secure haven for children, but nowadays it can be a setting for violence.

In the United States, more than 13 million children are going to be bullied this school year. Bullying cases in the Philippines are not usually reported so there are no figures on how many have been victimized in public and private schools.

But  Jesuit Basic Education Commission (JBEC) believes bullying exists in the country, even if there are no  official statistics on the problem.

To raise awareness of this “most common form of violence experienced by young people in the nation,” JBEC partnered with Solar Entertainment to bring the acclaimed documentary “Bully” to the Philippines.

Directed by Lee Hirsch, the film focuses on the alarming rise in cases of bullying of teenage students in the United States. It tells the tragic story of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, who both committed suicide after being constantly bullied by schoolmates.

The film also documents the experiences of victims in high schools in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Using the documentary as a springboard, JBEC launched the antibullying campaign “Not in Our School,” with popular television host and basketball star Chris Tiu as endorser.

The campaign is in line with the Child Protection Policy of the Department of Education, “which seeks to defend the student from any form of abuse, including bullying.”

Discuss and reflect

JBEC chair Fr. Johnny Go, S.J., says, “We hope this movie can reach as wide an audience as possible, especially among our students. At the very least, it should heighten awareness of this issue and begin productive discussions and reflections about a real problem that can no longer be ignored.”

Go believes,  through the campaign, other schools will take a proactive stance against bullying, “with each stakeholder committing and contributing to a nurturing and bully-free school environment that is the right of every student.”

Jane Cacacho, high school principal of Xavier School in San Juan City, is inviting other school principals, teachers, administrators and students to “take the ‘Not in Our School’ challenge and pledge now.”

The three-part pledge states: “I will not be a bully, I will help the bullied and I will speak up about bullying.”

The first part is not only a reminder but also a clarification of the real definition of “bullying,” which can be verbal, physical or both.

The second part exhorts those who take the pledge to “confront or stop the bully, convince the bully to stop, call for help or commiserate with the victim.”

Report incidents

The final part urges people to “report incidents of bullying, testify if needed, share personal experiences and keep the issue hot.”

In encouraging people to join the movement, Cacacho says, “Schools need to join forces and support each other’s efforts [to stop bullying].”

Dr. Lou Querubin, associate dean for academic affairs of  Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health and attending psychiatrist at The Medical City, commended the film for helping raise awareness about bullying. But she says it falls short of showing the perspective of the perpetrators.

“Why do children become bullies?” she asks. Querubin says there is a “need for a follow through.”

She adds that “everyone is responsible when someone gets bullied… Bullying is manifested at a very personal level, [but] its solution is systemic and structural. No individual can do it alone.”

“Bully” will have a limited theatrical run starting Nov. 14, after the invitation-only premiere at 6:30 p.m. on the 13th at Robinson’s Galleria Cinema 4.  The movie is rated PG-13 by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

JBEC is offering several Saturday exclusive screenings  for schools at Robinson’s Galleria. Schools can also sponsor campus screenings for a minimal fee. To enhance the film’s use as a formative tool, JBEC will provide teachers and parents with a discussion guide to facilitate processing of the complex message of the movie.

Interested schools may contact [email protected] or [email protected] for bookings.