Does Bully Movie 2012 show too much graphic bullying?

Sweet natured and keen to learn, Alex wants more than anything to fit in. But from the moment he gets on the school bus, Alex is relentlessly bullied by classmates, who pummel him with insults, curses and punches.

 As another school year begins, Kirk and Laura Smalley launch Stand for the Silent, an anti-bullying organization. They won’t be waving their son off to school. At the age of 11, tired of being pushed down, thrown into lockers, and verbally abused, Ty Smalley took his own life.

The above scenarios are from the new movie Bully. Have you seen it yet?
When someone gets picked on all the time – ridiculed, pushed, shunned or trash talked – that’s bullying. It happens to 10 to 15 per cent of Canadian students aged 11 to 15, and to 20 per cent of U.S. students. Bullying really hurts people – not just the kids being bullied but also their families. You can make your school and community safer by doing your part to stop bullying.

See the movie Bully. Take A Stand. Take the Pledge. Contact Cineplex, Empire Theatres. The movie is scheduled for release in select theatres April 6, 2012.

Follow on Twitter @bullycanada #stopbullying

Watch Bully. Then tell everyone about it. Because when we all understand what bullying really does to kids and their families, then we can all work together. Visit www.bullymovie.ca to take the pledge.

What is your opinion? Does Bully Movie 2012 show too much graphic bullying and violence? Let us know what you think with a quick comment.

Bruce Langford – anti-bullying advocate and school presenter
http://www.brucelangford.ca

Bruce Langford talks bullying on Belleville talk radio CJBQ

Bullying was the topic. Toronto, Sarnia, Kingston, Collingwood, Kitchener, London and Cambridge talk radio are no match to the Lorne Brooker Show in Belleville today. Can you believe it? A beautiful white swan graceful swam by as we proceeded to broadcast the Lorne Brooker Show live, on the air in Belleville. Listeners from all over Belleville, Trenton, Hastings, Quinte and Prince Edward Counties were tuned in. We talked about bullying as it was in the past. We talked about cyber-bullying and the bystander. We talked about bullying attitudes. The phone lines lit up and our callers told interesting stories about how bullying had touched their lives. Lorne Brooker made thoughtful comments and confidently steered the conversation in an appropriate direction. Callers shared their views about how money should be spent to help reduce bullying in the Belleville-Quinte area. We talked about bullying in the Hastings Prince Edward schools and how a 10-year old girl named Mary had written a letter about her own bullying experiences that touched a nerve with so many in the community. Her mother helped create a brand new organization called Parents Against Childhood Bullying – PACB. The scenery was so beautiful from the fourth floor studio window, yet the subject was disconcerting at times. Solutions to society’s bullying problems are not easily found, but I certainly agree that one of the steps involves community dialogue.
Talk radio is alive and well in Belleville Ontario Canada!

Bruce Langford was in Belleville as a keynote speaker at The Hastings and Prince Edward Human Services and Justice Committee Conference 2012 along with speaker Dr. Bruce Ballon, Head A.C.E.S. for Problem Gambling. Dr. Bruce Ballon was speaking on the topic of Internet Addiction and Mr. Bruce Langford was speaking on the theme of ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

 

Bruce Langford is an international speaker and presenter on the topic of bullying and cyberbullying www.standupagainstbullying.com

Monitoring software alternative will reduce cyber-bullying in school children

 

Monitor children's web time

Cyber-bullying has become such a concern with parents that many are looking for ways to monitor their children’s activities while on-line.
I recommend limiting the amount of time your children are on the web, and stay nearby while they are surfing. Show interest in what they are doing and encourage them to ask questions if they are not sure about something. Keep their on-line experience positive.
Be supportive and upbeat about the internet. It has tremendous potential as a tool for learning as well as powerful social benefits.
If you still feel it is necessary to use software monitoring, here are some suggestions:
SpytechSpyagent.com
WebWatcher.com
SpectorPro.com  Learn about the above monitoring products before purchasing them. Read some reviews and understand that these tools have the potential to be misused. Use them with care and realize the best parental monitoring is simply being there.

www.StandUpForRespect.com
Bruce Langford is an anti-bullying advocate who presents talks and presentations on bullying and cyber-bullying

6 Safe Strategies to Make Friends Now (and prevent being bullied later)

Here are some great ideas for making friends quickly.

(Good friends can help you through tough situations like bullying)

 

1/ Say ‘hello’ to lots of people even including people you don’t know very well.

2/ Smile at people. It makes them feel warm and fuzzy.

3/ Give compliments to at least three people a day.

4/ Help people out as much as you can. Go ahead, you can think of lots of ways.

5/ Share. That might mean those Choco-Berry treats you just got, or even your gym shorts.

6/ Use good manners. Being polite can make others really feel special.

 

Something as simple as the above proven strategies for making friends can help make sure you avoid being bullied.

Practices the ideas above and you will start to develop great people skills. Who knows, you may even become one of those kids that everybody just wants to hang out with.

 

Stand Up Against Bullying School Assemblies that have lasting effect.

www.standupagainstbullying.com

Toronto school pleased with cyber-bullying student workshop

Gulfstream Public School in Toronto played host to bullying prevention assemblies including a cyber-bullying and cyber-safety workshop by presenter Bruce Langford.

Here is a tip shared with the students during the cyber-bullying assembly:

 Cyberbullying Tip: Unplug your webcam when you are not using it. Your computer could get hacked and if so, everything the webcam is focusing on could be seen by someone you don’t even know.
If your webcam is built into your computer, cover it with a piece of tape or a sticky note.
Don’t take the chance that someone could invade your privacy. Be careful!

 Bullying can happen as a result of computer hacking and a breach of privacy.

Gulfstream Vice-Principal, Donelda Schwartzentruber said “The assemblies were really good – just what we were looking for. The students were very attentive and our teachers were pleased.”

School Assemblies by Stand Up Now Productions www.standupnow.ca

 

Toronto School Assemblies to Stop Bullying Dead in its Tracks

 
As adults, we are responsible for our children and youth. We must show by example how to stop bullying. We must refuse to allow bullying to rear its ugly head. It is necessary for us to understand exactly what bullying is, before we can snuff out its existence. Children also must understand what bullying is and the strategies they can use to stop it. These strategies are taught as part of ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies by Stand Up Now Productions.
Cyber-bullying has become a major problem in our society. Parents must show strength and courage in an attempt to lead children down the right path. A teacher recently commented: “The Stand Up Against Bullying assemblies need to be mandatory in every school, every year. Kids get the concepts through these programs; they just need to be reminded on a regular basis.” 
Bruce Langford and Stand Up Now Productions recently visited Whitehorn Public School in Mississauga for the second time. Their  head-on way to improve their school climate is impressive.  Whitehorn Principal, Mrs. Margaret Patterson knows exactly how to get everyone on board to help stop bullying in its tracks. At her school, students and staff use the slogan ‘Soar To The Peak’ to motivate.

The word peak stands for:
Participation / Effort / Achievement / Kindness
We can all learn from this concentrated effort. Let’s ‘Soar To The Peak’ to reduce bullying!
www.standupnow.ca 1-800-901-8831

Safe At Schools Conference at Nobleton Senior Public School, Greater Toronto

Stand Up Now featured Bruce Langford as the keynote presenter at Nobleton’s 4^th annual Safe At Schools Conference on Monday.

Principal, Ms. Nancy Redmond gave a warm welcome to the students to launch the day’s activities at Nobleton. The students from Nobleton Junior Public School were guests for the day as they participated in crafts, workshops and the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies featuring student dramas, videos and student interaction.
The grade 6, 7 & 8 ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ presentation was geared directly to the intermediate level with stories and discussion which the students could relate to. It also included scenarios acted out by the students as well as life-like situations depicted in video clips.
Following the presentation, a number of intermediate students rushed to the front to find out more information from presenter, Bruce Langford.

A bullying prevention tip that was key in the presentation revolved around declaring Nobleton a bullying free zone by having the grade 6,7 & 8 students take a vow to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Tip: Resolve to take action when you see a bullying situation.

Nobleton Public School is a school where students definitely will take action as they ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’. We thank the students, administrators, and organizer, Ms. Deborah Godin, for a warm welcome to Nobleton and a truly rewarding day with your students!

5 Bullying Prevention Tips Offered at Lambton-Kent School Assemblies

Bullying, respect and cyber-bullying assemblies were all theme driven assemblies we presented at Gregory Drive Public School in Chatham on Wednesday (Lambton-Kent District School Board – LKDSB). Bruce Langford was also guest speaker at the parent evening session designed for parents and children on internet safety, parenting and bullying. We were impressed with the audience size for a school of under 300 students!

There were 46 adults and children present to see videos, student role-plays and participate in a discussion on the topic of bullying.  

Here are some valuable bullying prevention tips we offered in the various assemblies:

1. Beware of on-line polls where anonymous comments can be posted. Comments can be mean-spirited, hurtful and devastating.
2. Unplug your web-cam when you aren’t using it.
3. If someone is bullying you, speak up in a non-confrontational way.
4. Build a small group of supportive, trustable friends. You can help each other if necessary.
5. Don’t meet people you have met on-line as they may not be the person they said they were. Internet luring has become a big problem.

Principal, Ms. Lynn Sulman administers an impressive school. Her staff and students obviously work together to create an excellent, safe school environment making it an amazing Lambton-Kent school! Kudos to you, Ms. Sulman.

Cyber-bullying Q & A

Q. Why do you think children are more likely to bully on the internet, than in person?
A. Some children feel they can be anonymous when they are on-line and therefore no one will know about their cyber-bullying behaviours. Many people find it is easier to be sneaky when using the internet for bullying purposes.

Q. Do you think the technology of the internet encourages kids to bully?
A. Yes. The fact that children are intrigued by the internet and use it frequently for social networking can be part of the attraction. Also, sometimes on-line bullying goes unchallenged. That can encourage kids to continue to cyber-bully other children.

Visit www.atfm.ca for information about cyberbullying prevention assemblies.

PRO Grant Money Used by Parent Council to Benefit all Students at Peel School

PRO Grant Money (Parents Reaching Out) is provided by the government of Ontario to benefit schools and school children all across Ontario. Caledon East Public School has made wise use of their PRO Grant money. They sponsored a Stand Up To Bullying Day with speaker/presenter Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions.

Bruce Langford presented his interactive ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies for all the students of the school. Later, the students brought parents back to learn about the internet, cyber-safety and bullying prevention. The parent session was called ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’.  
Parent Council Chair, Mrs. Jan McFadyen, felt the money was well spent.  More than twenty-five families attended the evening session, representing a good percentage of the school population. Some of the comments made by parents following the presentation were:

“Excellent information and a great way to present it!”

“Bruce made the presentation very interesting and easy to follow.”

“This format kept the interest of both parents and children. Wow!”

“I’ve seen student presentations and I’ve seen parent presentations, but I’ve never seen a successful combination like Bruce achieved tonight.” Mrs. Laurie Allison, Principal, Caledon East Public School.   

Caledon East students work together to achieve a sense of community. They care about each other, their teachers, and their building. They are eager to learn about bystanders and strategies to stand up against bullying. Caledon East is a caring community of people who show respect to each other. Thanks for sharing, Caledon East!
Book programs for your school. Invite Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions. He will present assemblies specifically designed for each division. Website: www.standupagainstbullying.com

How friends can reduce cyber-bullying at Howard Public School, Toronto

Students at Howard Public School in Toronto have their own ideas about how to stand up against bullying. They believe that their friends can help them and that people should stand by their friends. We talked about ways that people can support each other and how you sometimes need to talk with a teacher, a parent or another trusted adult. We saw a role-play about how bystanders can help. We talked about a video that encouraged empathy.

Howard Public School Outdoor Mosaic Mural

Principal, Mrs. Rosanna Sardella spoke highly of our ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies and said she would encourage other schools to host the assemblies.
Bruce Langford’s school assemblies are available for students from kindergarten to grade 8. www.standupagainstbullying.com

Remember, friends can stand up for each other. That can help reduce bullying!

Student Bystanders Show Assembly Audience How to Stand Up Against Bullying

We spent the day today with the students at Redstone Public School in Greater Toronto (Richmond Hill). We talked about the character trait of the month, which for January is optimism. We talked about bullying, the bystander, and how to deal with real-life bullying situations. The students learned by watching scenarios acted out by grade 7 and 8 students. We watched videos and listened to music. The students clapped and cheered at appropriate times and then later were silent when someone was left out of a game during a role-play. The students had empathy for that one person not picked for the team.

Obviously, the teachers and students care about the right things at Redstone School. They care about treating each other with respect and dignity. The Redstone Creed is called their Touchstone. Read it here. What do you think?

 The Redstone Public School Touchstone
At Redstone Public School, we respect ourselves, others and our environment. We are responsible for what we say and what we do. We speak up for ourselves, and others and and we include everyone in all activities.
We treat all people equally and we help others without being asked. We never give up, no matter how difficult the task. At Redstone, everything is possible.
Optimism Quotes:
Optimism is the tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view.
Oxford English Dictionary

 The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.
Unknown

What seems to us as bitter trials, are often blessings in disguise.
Oscar Wilde

 A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

 Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller

Redstone Public School Building

Cyber-bullying & Cyber-safety Workshops for Elementary Students get high marks

St. Benedict Catholic School, Orangeville (Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board) welcomed Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions.
Principal, Mr. Gregory Krar was very pleased with the ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies. “These assemblies were exactly what we wanted for our students. Bruce Langford made the topic of cyberbullying interesting and entertaining for our students. The videos and role-plays made the messages easy to understand.” Mr. Krar was just as pleased with the Stand Up Now workshops when they were presented at his last school, St. Andrew Catholic School in Orangeville.

Students got involved in the dialogue, with one student warning others about the potential dangers of web cams. He explained how your computer can be hacked and the hacker can actually see what your web cam is seeing.
One student said she would use the tip about including numbers or symbols in passwords.
We were impressed with the students at St. Benedict. They really took this topic of cyberbullying and cyber-safety seriously. They interacted positively and were respectful audiences.

Teacher approved Cyber-bullying Assemblies in Kitchener Ontario

Just returned from presenting 3 Cyber-bullying Got 2 Go assemblies at Sandhills Public School in Kitchener Ontario (Waterloo Region District School Board). The students were totally keen to learn how to stay safe in cyber-space. Benny DL asked questions and students got involved with their answers.

Nancy, a Grade 3 Teacher, made the following remark after the assembly: “Your program was just awesome with a very timely message. I loved how you tied our Sandhills Guidelines into your assembly.”

Allison (not her real name) is a grade 3 student who made a special trip back to the gym to tell us: “That was the best assembly we’ve ever had!”

Here is a tip we shared about staying safe on-line. “If someone is mean on-line, don’t even answer the message.”

Remember, if you are having problems with people on-line, it is important to talk to a parent, a teacher or another adult you trust.

The Sandhills Suns believe in living ‘Above the Line’. Living above the line means taking responsibility for your choices, being accountable and being willing to work toward solutions. Living below the line includes quitting, denying, justifying and laying blame.

‘Be Kind On-Line’ Beat Cyberbullying Song

Here is a song we put together to help people learn how to beat cyberbullying and stay safe online. It is called:

“Be Kind On-Line” and the music & lyrics are by Bruce Langford. The song is copyright 2008. The words are below.

1. Online chatting, text messages and e-mails

This is how we check on social details

Try to be friendly, don’t put people down

This is my advice – now spread it around.

Be kind, online.

 

2. Words you use on line are not as private as you think

Stuff that you sent can be found out in a wink

Screens can be printed, captured or saved

You could get in trouble for the way you behaved.

Be kind, online.

 

3. If you show true respect for other people online

You’re showing how we all should be all the time

It’s likely that your friends will start doing it too

‘Cause you’ll set an example of what people should do.

Be kind, online.

 

4. You likely will become the person people respect

Never really knowing how many you effect

Just ‘cause you made up your mind to be fair

You’re helping kids here, there and everywhere.

Be kind, online.

Just try to be kind on-line.

York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) Cyberbullying Got 2 Go Assemblies

Today Our Lady Help of Christians (OLHC) Catholic School in Richmond Hill hosted Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions to present two assemblies. Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go was the name of the assembly for grades 6,7,8 students. Three role plays by OLHC students were featured which emphasized to children about the dark side of facebook, the possibility of cyber predators, and possible cyber stalking. The song ‘Passwords’ was also a feature of the program. It included a number of tips about passwords including the repeated line: passwords – keep ‘em to yourself, tell no one else.

Here is a tip about passwords: Never choose a password by using the name of your pet or your street name. Others can often guess those kinds of passwords. Instead choose 8-14 characters which include lower case, upper case, numbers and symbols.

We remarked to Principal Ms. Gabriela Mastrodi-Casa how impressed we were with her school. Students were keen to learn about the concepts being taught in the assemblies, and the student audience was completely attentive during all the videos, role-plays and songs. They were also respectful as we spoke about the importance of Catholic faith and how it relates to the topic of treating others the right way.

Book Bruce Langford to present programs in your school. 1-800-901-8831 or visit the website at http://www.standupnow.ca

Spirit of Community Assemblies About Bullying, Cyberbullying and Respect at Waterloo Region School

“Respectful students make a respectful school.”

That statement really rings true here in Elmira, Ontario. We found the spirit of community to be alive and well at Floradale Public School in Elmira (Waterloo Region District School Board).

This is a farming community where people really help people. That feeling came through as we spent time with the students today, talking about cyberbullying and respect.  The role-plays  drove home the point that we need to be respectful  in the real world and the virtual world, no matter what. Students at Floradale care about each other. We could feel the passion for respect as we presented the Stand Up Against Bullying assemblies to the students.

Floradale Public School, Elmira Ontario

Floradale School Principal, Leslie McNabb said, “All three assemblies were phenomenal ! The kids were riveted, the teachers were raving, and the students really GOT the messages.”

Arrange to have Bruce Langford present assemblies at your school by contacting Stand Up Now Productions at 1-800-901-8831 or visit the website at www.standupnow.ca

Cyberbullying taken seriously at Coledale School where meanness is not tolerated

Cyberbullying Program at Coledale Public School

The 7 steps to Cyber-safety were talked about and taken seriously by students and staff at Coledale Public School in Toronto (Markham) on Friday.

Step # 4: Never meet people you have met on the web.

The above cyber-safety/internet tip was highlighted in a role-play where two girls arranged to meet someone at the mall. This was no stranger. After all, one of the girls had been chatting on-line with ‘Georgina’ for three months. Suddenly she was in town for a swim meet and offered to meet in the food court at the local mall. Gasps could be heard from the audience when it turned out ‘Georgina’ was not a 13 year old girl at all, but in fact a 43 year old man.
Police became involved and the potential victims were protected from the close call.

Following the assembly, we talked personally with some staff members who commented:
“The role-plays really drove home the points about misrepresentation on the internet and I loved your songs as well. We were very pleased with the Stand Up Now assemblies at Coledale!”
Donna McGann, Principal, Coledale Public School, Markham Ontario, York Region District School Board

“Bruce Langford tapped into the multiple intelligences with his dynamic, clear, engaging way of reaching the audience. This was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at all the schools I’ve been at!”
Karen Monteith, Teacher, Coledale Public School, Markham Ontario.

Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions can be contacted at 1-800-901-8831 or through the website at http://www.standupnow.ca

Anti-bullying videos featured in Thames Valley School, Ontario Canada

River Height Public School Sign

‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’ was the name of the parent/student anti-bullying session at River Heights Public School (Thames Valley District School Board) presented by Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions. During the day, the students learned to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ in two assemblies which took place in the gym. Then the children brought parents back for more videos, music and role-play at 6:30. Benny DL, DJ for radio station ATFM appeared in all the assemblies. Cyber-bullying, bullying and parenting tips were outlined. Free Stand Up Now CD’s were given to the twenty-five families who attended with over 45 children also receiving stickers promoting bullying prevention.

In one video, the ‘Seven Steps to Cyber-Safety’ were featured, which included a tip about not telling passwords to anyone except parents.

Consider arranging assemblies for your school by contacting Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 or visit the Stand Up Now website at www.standupnow.ca

Songs can help children deal with bullying

Music can help us learn & remember

Why do we use songs and music in our bullying-prevention programs? Songs can provide a hook so that children remember the messages. We have all used songs to help us remember facts and details like the alphabet, planets, number of days in a month and so on. Repeated phrases in songs really get the point across and help children remember the message. One example is our Passwords song. “Passwords, passwords, keep ‘em to yourself, tell no one else.”   When we visit schools a second or third time, students often come into assemblies singing “Passwords”, or “Stand Up” or “Confidence”.  We have another song which is a good example of learning through music. It is called “Be Kind Online”. I’ve posted a video below featuring this song. It is in the style of boogie woogie.
In my opinion, children can learn to deal with bullying by remembering the songs in our programs and singing them over. This will trigger memories of other details from our presentations such as videos, stories and role plays.
To book assemblies for your school, call us at 1-800-901-8831 or email us at info@standupnow.ca.
Visit our website at http://www.standupnow.ca/