On April 5, 2012, the new documentary movie Bully, which had originally been rated “R,” received a revised rating of “PG-13” after an extensive petition drive. The Motion Picture Association of America had designated Bully an “R-rated” film because one curse word was used six times. Director Lee Hirsch eliminated three uses of this word to compromise with critics. (more…)
On October 26, 2010, the U. S. Department of Education released an excellent letter to schools about the need to take a more comprehensive approach to combating bullying. In general, schools often view bullying as isolated incidents, rather than perceiving underlying patterns of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. The hostile, unsafe environment created by bullying hurts students physically and psychologically; bullying also interferes with students’ learning and achievement. (more…)