Issues of
bullying are portrayed and discussed in all types of media today, including
music, movies, television shows, and literature. However, the biggest
entertainment industry that brings to light the issues of bullying is movies.
Movies have been used to show how bullying can effect children emotionally and
socially, ways children can take a stand against bullying, and the struggles of both bullies and victims. Below
are some examples of movies that highlight these issues of bullying.
Mean Girls (2004) shows how easy it can be
for children to move roles from being the victim to becoming the bully and vice
versa. Cady is the new girl at school who plays a joke on the popular girl at
school, Regina. She is sucked into the idea of popularity and tries to bring
Regina down by turning the other girls against her. Regina goes from being the
bully to becoming the victim of bullying in a matter of weeks. Mean Girls shows the spectrum of the
relationship between victim and bully, showing that roles in the relationship
can shift.
Toy Story 3 (2010) shows how even a bully can
be experiencing struggles of his or her own. Though
Lotso is initially an unsympathetic character, the movie reveals that his owner
abandoned him. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Lotso now believes that love doesn't
exist, and wants to ensure that everyone around him is also miserable. However,
the toys join together in standing up to Lotso and eventually become his
friend. Toy Story 3 also shows that genuine connection with others can
be an effective coping technique when dealing with bullied ... be they stuffed
animals, or humans.
Cyberbully (2011) shows us the
negative effects cyber bullying can have on teenagers, when Taylor is subjected
to bullying through a social network website. We can see how the bullying affects
Taylor at school and at home, making her unable to function, ultimately bringing
her to consider suicide. Taylor’s family and friends come to her rescue by
supporting her and by helping her stop the bullying from continuing. The movie
also shows us how a good support system of friends and family can help
teenagers overcome the negative effects of bullying.
Written by: Kelcie Silvia