JCPL Teens

I confess. This trailer for the movie Bully made me cry. I remember how awful kids could be in school; sometimes it feels like a ‘bully or be bullied world.’ I remember feeling sad and alone; the weird kid with glasses.

 I also remember sticking up for the new girl that the other kids were being cruel to. She was so grateful, so desperate to be liked and accepted, that later, much to my lasting regret, I was mean to her too. I didn’t want to be her hero; I just wanted to be like everyone else. She cried and then she moved away. Now I cry every time I think of how awful I was to her.

Bullying can have real and lasting consequences; sometimes even suicide.

But this is a problem that we can solve! This is about changing the norms: Reaching out to others in kindness, defending the weak, not being afraid to be a hero to someone who needs you.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, the library has a lot of materials on how to create strategies to overcome it. Come see one of the librarians and we’ll find a good book or video for you to look at.

This movie, Bully, is a ‘year in the life’ of five families dealing with bullying and will be released March 30 to a limited showing (which means it won’t be in a million theaters near you – maybe just one or two…).

Remember: A moment of kindness today will save you years of regret later.