Definition of Bullying

Power Imbalance - "...the word is being overused", she says, "expanding, accordionlike, to encompass both appalling violence or harassment and a few mean words." In order to tackle bullying properly it needs a tighter definition, says Bazelon - something like "abuse carried out over a prolonged period of time, involving a power imbalance". This may not fit in either case of Bailey O'Neill or Amanda Todd. There was no history of intimidation that led to the punch thrown at O'Neill, a district attorney said. While for Todd, the fact that she reported conflicts with classmates led many to ascribe her death to bullying when "her account of online seduction, stalking and blackmail cries out for...police investigation..." - The Independent, March 12, 2013 (READ MORE)

Traditional Definition - "...Bullying has traditionally been defined by three elements: aggression (the intent to harm), a power differential, and repetition. The predominant term used in research within the United States has been “peer victimization”, which focuses somewhat more on the experience of children who are victimized and less on the intent of those who perpetrate the bullying..." - Prevnet (READ MORE)

The Victim or The "Target" - "...Bullying is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The behavior can be habitual and involve an imbalance of social or physical power. It can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. If bullying is done by a group, it is called mobbing. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "target". Bullying can be defined in many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying, while some U.S. states have laws against it. Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more "lieutenants" who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his or her bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse. Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism. A bullying culture can develop in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home, and neighborhoods...." - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

All Forms of Harassment - "...Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. Cyberbullying refers to bullying through information and communication technologies. Bullying can involve humiliation, domination, intimidation, victimisation and all forms of harassment including that based on sex, race, disability, homosexuality or transgender. Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved including bystanders. Bullying can happen anywhere: at school, travelling to and from school, in sporting teams, between neighbours or in the workplace...." - NSW Public School (READ MORE)

Workplace Bullying - "...Persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating or insulting behaviour, abuse of power or unfair penal sanctions which makes the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable, which undermines their self-confidence and which may cause them to suffer stress...Bullying is a compulsive need to displace aggression and is achieved by the expression of inadequacy (social, personal, interpersonal, behavioural, professional) by projection of that inadequacy onto others through control and subjugation (criticism, exclusion, isolation etc). Bullying is sustained by abdication of responsibility (denial, counter-accusation, pretence of victimhood) and perpetuated by a climate of fear, ignorance, indifference, silence, denial, disbelief, deception, evasion of accountability, tolerance and reward (eg promotion) for the bully..." - Bullying Online (READ MORE)

Problem Behaviours - "...Common, clearly understood definitions of bullying, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are the cornerstone of any successful program. Definitions and consequences of engaging in these problem behaviours should be posted in common areas and classrooms and reviewed regularly. Students must be engaged in this process. The definitions found below have been tested out on large student populations in many countries. With the exception of the sexual harassment definition, they should be used for grades four and up. Due to developmental reasons, the definition of sexual harassment should only be used for those in grades eight and higher. The definitions found below are based upon the West Vancouver School District Safe School Surveys and the World Health Organization’s definitions of bullying in the international Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children surveys. To harass someone is to bother, make fun of, trouble or attack them, and this is done repeatedly. Someone who harasses wants to hurt the other person (it's not an accident), and does or says the same things over and over again...." - CPHA (READ MORE)

Psychologists' Definition - "...All the misdiagnosis of bullying is making the real but limited problem seem impossible to solve. If every act of aggression counts as bullying, how can we stop it? Down this road lies the old assumption that bullying is a rite of childhood passage. But that’s wrong. Bullying is a particular form of harmful aggression, linked to real psychological damage, both short and long term. There are concrete strategies that can succeed in addressing it - and they all begin with shifting the social norm so that bullying moves from being shrugged off to being treated as unacceptable. But we can’t do that if we believe, and tell our children, that it’s everywhere. The definition of bullying adopted by psychologists is physical or verbal abuse, repeated over time, and involving a power imbalance. In other words, it’s about one person with more social status lording it over another person, over and over again, to make him miserable. ..." - Emily Bazelon, New York Times, March 11, 2013 (READ MORE)

Related Reading:

• What is 'bullyside' and what can you do to prevent it?
• Online or Off, Bullying Proves Harmful
• I witnessed the seeds of bullying and hatred
• Bullying Definition
• Bullying Definitions
• Bullying at school
• Defining Bullying Behavior

don’t ever give up on ’em

CBC: - “...It hurts,” he told the crowd gathered at Fraserview Hall. “It don't make no difference how old or what grade you in when people laugh at you.” Holyfield, speaking at a fundraiser for the Amanda Todd Legacy Fund, says he was laughed at as a child because he couldn't read. “They started laughing at me in kindergarten,” he said. “It is amazing in kindergarten when they say you don't know your alphabet and you sitting then there seeing people the same age and everybody laugh and the teacher don't stop them.” Amanda Todd's mother Carol said Holyfield’s involvement is a huge help to the cause. “It was like, ‘Wow. This is big news having someone like him wanting to be attached to the [Amanda Todd] Legacy Fund,’” she said..." - CBC News, Evander Holyfield fights bullying at Amanda Todd fundraiser, Jan 29 2013 (READ MORE)

Vancouver Sun: - "...Like many of his generation, Holyfield lamented the fact that today’s kids “are putting things on (Facebook and other online forums) and doing it to themselves, putting your whole business on a website. “Who in the world wants to put your business on the website when it’s going to be on there forever? Somebody can be reminding you of everything you do wrong. People don’t understand what they doing to themselves by all this publicity.” Holyfield has 11 kids of his own by six different women. Several of them, he put into private school, he says, to make sure they got every opportunity to succeed. Some of them jumped off the right path, he admits, “but they got back on. I don’t ever give up on ’em..." - Gary Kingston, Evander Holyfield hopes to help knock out bullying, Vancouver Sun, Jan 26 2013 (READ MORE)

The Province: - "...Well the Amanda Todd organization I will be going down and speaking on their behalf. I’ve realized the discipline you have as a fighter, you go in the ring, and everything ain’t always well, some days you don’t feel good. You have to show up, you have to stand up. It’s pretty much your confidence that allows you show up all the time, speak up when things are not right, you open your mouth and speak. I think the same thing goes for the bullying program. I spoke with a lot of people about it. I said, everybody is vulnerable, a lot of times with bullying, a lot of people look at it a little different. My mother taught me at a young age don’t be afraid, you cannot worry about what people say about you, do what you have to do. We have to talk to parents; it’s our responsibility to equip our children for what life is really about. When I was a kid and they talked about bullying I thought, wow, I thought bullying was when you were picking on someone and that person gets scared, that’s a part of bullying. I didn’t know the bullying they were talking about mean people saying things. In the neighborhood that I lived in, it’ one of those things where people call you nicknames, people came up and called you names. If you didn’t have thick skin, you would have a tough time. Parents need to prepare their kids. We as parents have to say, we live in a society where people feel that the freedom of speech is to embarrass you. I saw the other day, I was surprised, but President Clinton said he was bullied. I thought, people jumped on him? No, he was fat. He spoke about it. The thing with Tyson I realized, you can talk about it all you want, but you have to stand up, and that comes from your parents. Nobody chooses their parents, but learning this comes from your parents. It’s the parents’ job to make that effort..." - Lev Jackson, A conversation with Evander Holyfield, The Province, Jan 27 2013 (READ MORE)

Arbitrage: - "...Amanda Todd, a grade ten student from British Columbia, broke the hearts of Canadians when she committed suicide on October 10, 2012. Like many teenagers, she made a mistake due to a lapse in judgement and paid for her mistake as the result of bullying..." - Chantelle (Tilly) Wark, Bullying - The Amanda Todd Case, Arbitrage, Dec 24 2012 (READ MORE)

Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American professional boxer. He is a former Undisputed World Champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal." After winning the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he debuted as a professional at the age of 21. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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• The end game: How sports stars battle through retirement
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• Evander Holyfield - A voice on Anti-bullying (Amanda Todd Legacy Foundation) (Video)

Lance Armstrong: “Yeah, I was a bully...”

The Globe and Mail: - “...Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah is likely to be the start of the long and difficult process of repairing his brand as well as limiting any damage to the Livestrong brand and organization,” said Manish Kacker, associate professor of marketing at McMaster University. Complicating his attempt to rebuild his reputation is the mountain of lies he built to sustain the myth that he was clean. In 2007, in a conversation with Bob Schieffer at the Aspen Ideas Festival, he said there was “no way” he would take drugs after beating cancer. “I came out of a life-threatening disease, I was on my death-bed,” he said “Do you think I’m going to come back into a sport and say ‘okay, okay doctor, give me everything you got, I just want to go fast.’ No way. Would never do that.” Not only did he repeatedly deny doping throughout his career, he attacked critics as jealous liars. He undermined the careers of competitors who tried to blow the whistle “Yeah, I was a bully,” he acknowledged to Ms. Winfrey. He admitted being embarrassed now as she showed him video of several particularly cynical statements from his riding days. “[I had] this just ruthless desire to win, win it all ... and that defiance, that attitude, that arrogance, you cannot deny it. I mean, you watch that clip, that’s an arrogant person. I look at that and [I say] look at this arrogant prick. I say that today. It’s not good...” - Oliver Moore, The Globe and Mail, Lance Armstrong's way: Doping, lying, bullyingJan 17 2013 (READ MORE)

Slate: - "...For children in school, the standard definition of a bully is someone who verbally or physically abuses a target over whom he or she has more power, repeatedly and over time. Import that to Lance Land, and, yes, you’ve got a bully. But in his interview, Lance wanted to own the word without any of the consequences. "Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn't like what someone said I turned on them," he told Oprah. But when she asked if he threatened to kick cyclist Christian Vande Velde off the team when he wouldn’t get with the doping program, Armstrong denied it. Similarly, he admitted he was the kind of person who always goes on the attack. But then he said he’d only become a bully after going back to his cycling career, post-cancer. Hard to imagine that he has grappled much with this side of his character, much less come to regret it, if he can’t get his timeline straight..." - Emily Bazelon, Slate, Jan 18 2013, Lance Armstrong Was a Bully-and That Hardly Covers It (READ MORE)

New Republic: - "...The catalogue of bad behavior got worse. He admitted that there was an “expectation” that his younger teammates would also use dangerous performance-enhancing drugs, if they wanted to make the A team. He acknowledged calling a team employee, Emma O’Reilly, a drunk and a whore. (Oprah did not approve.) He admitted calling Betsy Andreu, wife of a former teammate and close friend, a “crazy bitch”—but then insisted, “I never called her fat,” as if that made it okay. (It didn’t, and Oprah really did not approve of the fat talk. ) He laid out a catalogue of sociopathic behavior—and then failed to apologize for much if any of it. There was no apology to Betsy or her husband, Frankie, whose lives and careers he made much more difficult. There was no apology to Greg Lemond, a colleague and superior sportsman who he persecuted for years. There was no apology to his former teammates, or to the many people he’d sued or threatened to sue. “You're suing people, and you know that they're telling the truth,” Oprah huffed. “What is that?” “I think all of this is a process for me,” he said, in the course of not really answering her. “One of the steps of that process is to speak to those people directly, and just say to them that I am sorry, and I was wrong. You were right..." - Bill Gifford, Lance Armstrong: No More Mr. Nice Guy, New Republic, Jan 18 2013 (READ MORE)

Lance Edward Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson; September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. Armstrong had won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005, before being disqualified from each of those races and banned from cycling for life for doping offenses by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012. He is the founder of the Livestrong Foundation, originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides support for cancer patients...In October 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy. In February 1997, he was declared cancer-free and the same year he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation...On October 22, 2012, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sport's governing body, announced its decision to accept USADA's findings. Armstrong chose not to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and in January 2013 Armstrong admitted doping in a television interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey, despite having made denials throughout his career. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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• Official web-site: Lance Armstrong
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• Lance Armstrong even worse than we thought he was
• Lance Armstrong, Prisoner's Dilemma, and Why Lying & Bullying is Worse Than Doping
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grant them equal rights

The Observer: Shepard said she wants to promote acceptance rather than just tolerance of diversity. "It's just not that hard," she said. "This is about humanity and being kind. You tolerate bad hair — you don't tolerate people. You accept them." In order to promote the end of hate crimes against the gay community and minorities in general, Shepard said everyone must work to remedy this issue by speaking with state representatives and voting. She said it is not a matter of liking gay people or not. Rather, it is a matter of respecting people for who they are and affording them the civil rights they deserve, especially the right to marriage. "You don't like gay people getting married? You don't like gay weddings? Then don't have one," Shepard said. "I'm not asking you to become their new best friend, I am asking you to grant them equal rights." Overall, Shepard said the problem of hate could be changed through education and acceptance. "Educate, educate, educate," Shepard said. "Bring light where you see darkness, bring freedom where there is fear because you are who you are and you love who you love." (Shepard speaks against hate).

Judy Shepard (née Peck; born 1952) is the mother of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at University of Wyoming who was murdered for being homosexual. She and her husband are co-founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and an advocate for LGBT-rights. On Monday, February 15, 2010; Heritage of Pride, the producers of the annual LGBT Pride March down 5th Avenue in New York City announced that Judy Shepard has been selected as a Grand Marshal for the March along with Lt. Dan Choi previously announced (Wikipedia).

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Official Web-site: Matthew Shepard Foundation

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stick to who you are

Pink News: "...When I read about suicides and gay teenagers it’s so tragic. I don’t think teenagers realise that it actually does get better. The minute you’re done with high school your life gets better. If I’m the go-to for new gays, and if I can be someone that gay teenagers can look at as someone who’s happy and who has made a good life for himself, then that’s great. I had people like that for me when I was growing up, and it was very important. The Scissor Sisters front man added: My advice would be to just stick to who you are. There are sacrifices you have to make, there are crosses that you have to bear. You’re always going to be portrayed in a certain way, you’re always going to be pigeon-holed. That’s the price that you’re going to pay. But it’s a price that’s worth it. It’s a responsibility. So that would be my advice - remain exactly who you are..." (READ MORE)

Pink Paper: "...When asked about life as an openly gay celebrity figure, Jake speaks out: "If you’re going to be a closet-case then just lie and say you’re straight. It bugs me when they say “why are you asking me if I’m gay? It doesn’t matter.” Well it matters a lot to the fifteen year-old at home who’s going through it. It’s a highly offensive statement and it makes me angry. On being labelled as just a gay band, he continues: "We’re still thought of as a gay group a little, but we hope we’re growing out of it. After living in New York where being gay was fine, the idea of going back into the closet to sell records was wrong. It wasn’t an option for us. I don’t know if that gay band label will ever go away, but that’s okay because at least we’re thought of as something." .." - Stu Hurford (READ MORE)

Examiner: "...Shears is poignant in his video admitting to the difficulties and hardships he experienced coming out. I was harassed, I was followed, I was threatened," Shears says in his video. "Kids wanted to kill me. I couldn’t go from class to class without being accosted. Kids would throw desks and chairs at me in class. I thought about killing myself a few times during this period in my life and I’m so glad that I didn’t because I’m living the dreams now that I created when I was fifteen. It’s such a rewarding life that I’ve gotten to lead. If I'm the go-to for new gays, and if I can be someone that gay teenagers can look at as someone who's happy and who has made a good life for himself, then that's great. My advice would be to just stick to who you are. There are sacrifices you have to make, there are crosses that you have to bear. You're always going to be portrayed in a certain way, you're always going to be pigeonholed. That's the price that you're going to pay. But it's a price that's worth it. Remain exactly who you are..." - Robyn Chelsea-Seifert (READ MORE)

Jake Shears (born Jason F. Sellards, October 3, 1978, Mesa, Arizona is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters...Shears is known for provocative dancing, flamboyant outfits, and near-nudity. (During his early years while he was struggling to make it in New York, he would often earn extra money as a Go-go dancer and male erotic dancer at gay-oriented strip clubs.[7]) His musical influences include ABBA, Blondie, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Roxy Music, The New York Dolls, Queen, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Pet Shop Boys, The Beatles, and Dolly Parton. .[8] The Scissor Sisters video for Filthy/Gorgeous was directed by John Cameron Mitchell after Shears met him at a gathering of the Radical Faeries... - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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• Official Scissor Sisters website Shear Madness – Out Magazine interview with Shears  
• When Elton met Jake  
• The Worst Advice Dan Savage has Ever Given 
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• Travelin' like a rock star: how Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears does it on the road  
• Scissor Sisters are desperate to prove they can still cut it  
• Scissor Sisters Interview (Video)

the complex issue of bullying

We Got This Covered: "...Maybe I’ve been a little hard on South Park recently, but I think it’s justified to expect constant hilarity from two creators that so regularly have weaved smart satire with obscure toilet-humor. Is it so wrong to want a solid reason for the Kony 2012 director reference time and time again? Sure it’s contemporary. But if that’s the only requirement for a critical joke here, then Stan might as well have just been having dinner with Rick Santorum at the end of this episode. It feels like the writers are losing their grip on Butters’ character. Two weeks ago he sat in a classroom the whole ep with a gun in his mouth, and now he’s beating up talk show hosts and standing up to his grandma for this weeks resolute. Sure characters require a certain amount of personal growth throughout the years, but Butters’ humor relies on his brave ignorance that’s just short of being overt. If last weeks episode was the tip of their funny bone, we are all in for a boring season. The writing room needs a little more energy, it’s obvious. Maybe Matt and Trey should hire some strippers for the office, or blow lines off their dry erase boards. I doubt they do that stuff anymore though. Either way, I hope they can at least pretend to enjoy making this show after 16 seasons. Although, they have an additional 3 season contract since last November. They might not have to care..." - Ryan Levee (READ MORE)

Wired: "...I am not saying I am for bullying either. I don’t like bullying, and can’t imagine anyone does, even the bullies themselves. Bullying is the recourse of the weak and insecure, usually coming from children that have some sort of family, personal, or social situation they don’t know how to deal with. Many bullies come from broken homes or are abused. Many (and most of mine) were simply privileged children with a chip on their shoulder and an imaginary social standing they felt they had to reinforce. I don’t hold a grudge. I’m doing fantastic while many of them are working part time at a car wash. This past week on South Park in the episode titled “Butterballs” the gang tackled the complex issue of bullying by bullying each other into a political stance on bullying. Stan created a video speaking out against bullying, saying that it should kill itself. The video Stan makes is actually called “Make Bullying Kill Itself.” There are multiple references to the movie Bully as well as a “jack it in San Diego” reference, which is a direct dig on Kony 2012 creator Jason Russell. Once again South Park was able to take a complex social issue and break it down in a 22 minute chunk of hilarity that we all should take a lesson from. Why is it that the most obvious lessons in life tend to come from cartoons? Because they are able to cross the lines that we are afraid to cross, and say the things that we can only think without fear of retribution. While I anticipate the backlash to this article will be hefty, it’s worth it because of the end message..." - Curtis Silver (READ MORE)

South Park is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language and dark, surreal humor that lampoons a wide range of topics. The ongoing narrative revolves around four boys—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick—and their bizarre adventures in and around the titular Colorado town. Parker and Stone, who met at college, developed the show from two animated shorts they created in 1992 and 1995. The latter became one of the first Internet viral videos, which ultimately led to its production as a series. South Park debuted in August 1997 with great success, consistently earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program. Subsequent ratings have varied but it remains one of Comedy Central's highest rated shows. It is Comedy Central's longest running program; a total of 226 episodes have aired, and the series is slated to run through at least 2016.

Each episode bar the very first one, which was produced by cutout animation, is created with software that emulates the cutout technique. Each episode is typically written and produced during the week preceding its broadcast. Parker and Stone continue to perform most of the voice acting, and Parker is the primary writer and director. The series has received numerous accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a #3 ranking in the Channel 4 2004 documentary The 100 Greatest Cartoons. The series' almost instant popularity resulted in a feature-length theatrical film, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut which was released in June 1999, less than two years after the show's premiere, and became a box office success. Almost all episodes of the series feature a TV-MA rating, however, in syndication and in reruns on Comedy Central before 8:00 PM the episodes are altered to be TV-14. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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“South Park” Takes on Bullying, and I’m Conflicted.
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South Park - Stop Bullying song (Video)

Speak Up

Babble - Strollerderby: "...Hirsch gives a lot of credit to East Middle School in Sioux City, Iowa, where the documentary was shot: “It took a lot of courage for them to allow us to make this film. It was very brave. Most schools wouldn’t have done it. This is a district, a superintendent wanting to be better. Even Alex’s own parents were unaware that he was being bullied like this. They knew only that “something” was wrong: their son was not the same child he had been. He was unhappy and withdrawn. “If you have ever searched for an answer to a problem and were unable to find it, and felt completely defeated … only to find that the answer was the worst answer in the world — that’s how we felt,” explains Jackie Libby, Alex’s mom. But though Alex is now at a different school and has many friends, she insists he hasn’t changed. What she sees is who he used to be. “It is incredible,” she says. “My family and I discussed it: there is no greater gift than getting your child back. The Longs don’t get that option, so we want to pay it forward. We want this for more families.” Hirsch describes Alex as a “joy to watch,” and Alex himself now offers advice to kids experiencing the same struggles he did. “Tell someone about it,” he says. “Being alone makes you feel worse. Speak up. If you see it happening to someone else, tell a friend..." - Danielle Smith (READ MORE)

The Daily Beast: "...Hirsch said he would love for children and teens to understand the power they have to stop bullying the next time they see or hear it happening. There are so many ways for kids to be change-makers, he said. Some kids have the comfort level to stop bullying directly, while others have different strategies that include sending a note or finding the victim later and saying, “Come sit with me,” or “Let’s talk to someone together.” His final advice: simply be creative with ways to become an upstander..." - Emily Anne Rigal (READ MORE)

National Post: "...Hirsch, 39, says the censors wanted him to clean up the language, but, he says, “Unfortunately, bullying is about language. It’s about how people are insulted. It’s about what’s said. And to clean all that up, our movie would look like the poster, which is PG-approved, which has words like ‘loser’ and ‘dork.’ That’s not how kids are bullied. They’re bullied with profanity. There’s not a student in Canada or anywhere else that doesn’t hear these words a thousand times a day.” Coincidentally, Bully comes out at the same time as the PG-rated film, The Hunger Games, set in a dystopian future when teenagers kill one another. “The release of Hunger Games in the same breath as Bully has really helped people to realize the hypocrisy of the MPAA,” Hirsch says. The real shocks in Bully, though, come in its depiction of bullying itself, especially in the case of Alex. The filmmakers were embedded in classrooms, in school halls and on the buses, capturing endless scenes of abuse on their small, unobtrusive camera. The boldness of the bullies is a surprise, especially in the presence of adults. Hirsch says he was transparent with school officials, faculty and students about what he was doing, but he quickly started to “blend in with the walls..." - Jay Stone (READ MORE)

Lee Hirsch (born 1972) is a documentary filmmaker. Hirsch is a graduate of The Putney School in Vermont, and a graduate of Hampshire College, in Amherst, Massachusetts. He wrote and directed the documentary Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony...His film Bully premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Bully follows several families from across ethnic, cultural and geographic boundaries as they grapple with the tragedy their family has faced as a result of bullying. Several of the families profiled in the film had lost a child because he or she became fed up with the mostly mental and sometimes physical abuse they experienced on a daily, even hourly basis at school, on the school bus, and in their communities. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

Related Reading:

• IMDB: Lee Hirsch
• Official Web-site: Lee Hirsch
• Behind Every Harassed Child? A Whole Lot of Clueless Adults
• Bully Will Disturb You and Give You Hope, But Ultimately It Misses the Mark
• The Big Picture: Can ‘Bully’ sink the MPAA?
• The Bully Movement: An Interview With Lee Hirsch
• Lee Hirsch Talks 'Bully' at Film Premiere (Video)

living your life

Sports Illustrated: "...Phelps remains an ordinary kid suddenly leading an extraordinary life, and he works hard to maintain some balance. His agents always ensure that there is security on hand to help him navigate big public appearances, but otherwise Phelps likes to travel unencumbered; that morning he had taken a train up from Baltimore by himself, only partially disguised by a droopy, Spitzian mustache that he was overly proud of (and later would be crestfallen to have to shave off to look presentable for the awards show). Phelps sat undisturbed in a commuter car as he fiddled around on a laptop with a Wi-Fi card, and upon arriving in New York he made his way through Penn Station and flagged down a yellow cab on the street without a single autograph request, a 21st-century Mr. Smith arriving in his Washington, with iPod. "You can't stop living your life," he says..." (Sportsman of the Year: Michael Phelps)

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions. In doing so he has twice equaled the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. His five golds in individual events tied the single Games record set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics, his eight at the 2008 Beijing Games surpassed American swimmer Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at Munich in 1972. Phelps' Olympic medal total is second only to the 18 Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won over three Olympics, including nine gold. Furthermore, he holds the all-time record for most individual gold Olympic medals, at nine. Phelps's international titles and record breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. He has won a total of fifty-nine medals in major international competition, fifty gold, seven silver, and two bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. As a participant in the US Anti-Doping Agency's "Project Believe" program, Phelps is regularly tested to ensure that his system is clean of performance-enhancing drugs (Wikipedia).

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ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation"

Advocate: "...Players James Van Riemsdyk, Mark Fayne, Frans Nielsen, Tyler Bozak, George Parros, Brandon Prust, David Steckel, Andy Greene, RJ Umberger, and Brian Boyle make appearances in the project's recently released video, according to Towleroad.com. "My brother Brendan fought for tolerance, equality, and gay rights in sports," Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, says in the PSA. Brendan was a student manager for his college hockey team and came out as gay shortly before his death in a car accident. Brendan and Patrick's father, Brian Burke, is president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs..." - Josh Hinkle (READ MORE)

Ottawa Citizen "...In an online video posted Monday on the organization’s website, youcanplayproject.org, the 19-year-old University of Ottawa student predicts the organization’s new campaign will save the lives of gay teens dealing with their sexual orientation, especially in the macho world of sport. While playing hockey, football, basketball and softball, Heggart says, he was witness to constant gay slurs from teammates who didn’t know he was gay. This not only kept him in the closet, but made him loathe himself — or at least his sexual orientation. “When I was 13 and thinking about killing myself, this campaign would have made a world of difference,” he says in the video. “I love hockey … For me to have been able to watch as my heroes looked into a camera and said that it’s OK, it’s fine, and that they would treat me the way they would treat anyone else … I don’t know if I would have ever thought about suicide. I would have had a much easier time accepting myself,” he says. He adds, “This campaign is going to be a big reason why lives are changed, and why lives are saved..." - Shelley Page (READ MORE)

Huffington Post: "...Brendan Burke was killed in a February 2010 car crash at age 21, leaving the family to carry on his legacy. Brian Burke has been active in gay rights initiatives around Toronto and marches annually in the city's gay pride parade, while Patrick founded the "You Can Play" project along with Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman, who run a Denver-based gay hockey team called GForce. In its mission statement, the "You Can Play" project says it aims to ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation." That ideal comes directly from conversations Patrick Burke had with his late brother. "When Brendan came out it didn't change anything between me and him," said Patrick. "It turned into a great moment for us, a great bonding moment for our family because when something like that happens when you're not expecting it, you have to evaluate: 'What do I look for in a brother? What do I look for in a friend?' "We had a very open relationship where I asked him a lot of questions because I didn't know anything. ... And hearing some of the stories that young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) athletes face really touched me and made we want to do something in Brendan's honour to help those kids..." - The Canadian Press (READ MORE)

You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation. You Can Play works to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team’s success. You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete’s skills, work ethic and competitive spirit. - Official Web-site (READ MORE)

Brendan Gilmore Burke (December 8, 1988 – February 5, 2010) was an athlete and student manager at Miami University for the RedHawks men's ice hockey team. The younger son of Brian Burke, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and of the US Olympic hockey team, in November 2009, he made international headlines for coming out, advocating for tolerance and speaking out against homophobia in professional sports. Burke's coming out was widely praised and supported by sports news outlets and fans, generating multiple discussions about homophobia in sports, and in hockey in particular. He was viewed as a pioneer in advocacy against homophobia in hockey, described as "the closest person to the NHL ever to come out publicly and say that he is gay." Burke was killed in a car crash on February 5, 2010. Following his death, Burke's memory and contribution to LGBT awareness in hockey was honored by several hockey teams. The "Brendan Burke Internship" was later established in his honor by USA Hockey for his work in hockey management and a documentary entitled The Legacy of Brendan Burke aired on CBC Television in November 2010. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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so untimely and unfortunate

stuff: "...She spent most days at home writing, a friend told People magazine. Amy had been working on her eagerly anticipated third album, a follow up to 2006's Back to Black, recently. It was due to be released earlier this year, but that never transpired. It's understood Amy had told her record company she wanted to work on some of the lyrics as she felt they were too concerned with her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Meanwhile, Cee Lo Green has spoken of his sadness following the star's passing. Despite rumours earlier this year claiming Amy and Cee Lo had recorded a track together, Cee Lo has revealed they never made it to the studio but they had been keen to collaborate. "We were discussing working together. We have a mutual friend, [producer] Salaam Remi. "There was a rumour that we had already recorded together. It wasn't true and I don't know where that came from. But we did grow fond of each other and thought we could work together," he told E! Online. "I could listen to her and she registered to me as the real thing ... It's so untimely and unfortunate. What a loss. Music has lost a daughter..." (Winehouse 'spent last days writing')

Reuters: "...Winehouse’s breakthrough “Back to Black” album, released in America in 2007, sold 37,000 copies for the sales period -- virtually all of that between Saturday morning, when her death was announced, and Sunday night, when the SoundScan sales week closed...Her numbers could be as big or bigger on next week’s chart, which will reflect a full week's worth of posthumous interest in the tragic star. Her far lesser known debut album, “Frank” -- which was only issued in America after “Back to Black” became a smash -- also reentered the chart, at No. 57, after selling 7,600 copies over the weekend. According to Nielsen SoundScan, more than 95 percent of Winehouse’s album sales were digital downloads, which is not surprising, given how most music retailers shy away from carrying catalog nowadays and might have had one CD, at most, in stock..." (Music Charts: Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black' Back in Billboard's Top 10)

Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British female to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times, one in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game", among other distinctions. The album was the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom. Winehouse is credited as an influence in the rise in popularity of female musicians and soul music, and also for revitalising British music. Winehouse's distinctive style made her a muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld. Winehouse's problems with drug and alcohol abuse, violence, and her self-destructive behaviours were regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death. She and her former husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were plagued by legal troubles that left him serving prison time. In 2008, Winehouse faced a series of health complications that threatened both her career and her life. Winehouse died at the age of 27 on 23 July 2011, at her home in London; police have said that the cause of her death is "as yet unexplained". Winehouse's family and friends attended her funeral on 26 July 2011. She was later cremated at Golders Green Crematorium (Wikipedia).

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Victory for Chris

Do Something.org: - "...This past fall, students at the University of Michigan faced a disappointing reality. Sometimes the big bullies who shout names down the hallway or write hateful, hurtful comments on their victims’ Facebook walls don’t grow out of it—they only grow up to become even bigger bullies, making attacks from their corner offices. Chris Armstrong, the first openly gay student body president of the University of Michigan, was the victim of aggressive online attacks from Andrew Shrivell, the Assistant Attorney General of the state of Michigan last fall. In addition to repeatedly protesting Chris’s presidency in various locations around Ann Arbor, Shrivell made a website called “Chris Armstrong Watch” in which he accused Chris of maintaining a “radical homosexual agenda.” In his first post, he wrote “RESIGN” on a photo-shopped picture of Chris’s face next to a rainbow flag with a swastika in the center. In the first student government meeting after the attacks peaked, Chris addressed the bullying publicly. He said, “I will not back down. I will not flinch. I will not falter. I will not succumb to any unwarranted attacks. What I will do is I will carry on with the utmost pride and vindication.” Despite Chris’s strength in the face of a grown up bully, Shrivell continued his attacks on Chris for months—both online and in person. And since Michigan is one of only five states without anti-bullying laws, he was within his rights to free speech. Ultimately the website was shut down and Shrivell resigned from his position as Assistant Attorney General. This past Friday, Chris filed a lawsuit against Shrivell for stalking, invasion of privacy, and defamation. ..." (READ MORE)

ABC News: - "...The "Chris Armstrong Watch" blog, created by former Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell, 32, accused openly gay University of Michigan ex-student body president Christopher Armstrong of enticing minors with alcohol and recruiting people to become homosexual. The U.S. District Court jury Thursday awarded a $4.5 million civil settlement to Armstrong, 22, who said he suffered distress as a result of Shirvell's actions. "I'm just incredibly humbled by what happened today," Armstrong said Thursday. "This is truly a victory, not just for myself, but for a lot of other kids out there." Michigan alum Shirvell blogged that Armstrong, who graduated in 2011, was "a radical homosexual activist, racist, elitist and liar..." - Kevin Dolak (READ MORE)

Michigan Daily: - "...Elected in a landslide victory last Friday, LGBT Commission Chair Chris Armstrong of MForward is now the first openly gay MSA president — a fact he said he hopes will have large implications not only for the LGBT community on campus, but also for the greater University community. Armstrong said he hopes that being gay and holding a position as assembly president will demonstrate that any University student can represent the “spirit of Michigan.” In an interview with The Michigan Daily yesterday, Armstrong recalled how he did not expect to ever be elected MSA president, after hiding his identity throughout high school and staying out of the public eye. He admitted that he only came out to a few friends and his parents by the end of his senior year in high school. Elected at the end of his freshman year to be a MSA representative, Armstrong said he was “impressed” by the other representatives and the atmosphere of the MSA Chambers, but never thought he was capable of holding such a leadership position as a gay man. Over the past three months of campaigning and forming MForward, Armstrong said he became even more sure of himself that he was ready to fulfill the role as president, despite his sexual identity....His work in bringing the Midwest LGBT Conference to campus next year came from his work with the Victory Fund - a national political action committee that trains LGBT leaders to hold political positions in the government and across the country. Victory Fund also helped Armstrong - who interned with the committee last summer - in his MSA campaign, he said. Armstrong cited that Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, another openly gay politician, also worked with Victory Fund. Armstrong said Pugh's political success inspired him and proved that he could lead a similar role. ...Javier said Armstrong is a great role model for every student who is struggling to find his or her identity. “It’s really great to have a role model like Chris out there who can show that it’s possible to be a student leader and be out and be successful as a gay person,” he said..." - Elyanna Twiggs (READ MORE)

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Chris Armstrong Wins $4.5 Million In Lawsuit Against Cyberbully Andrew Shirvell

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Gay Student Leader Takes Harassing State Attorney to Court

AC360 - Chris Armstrong On Attacks By Mich. Asst. AG Andrew Shirvell (Video)

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(Video)

Days of Our Lives and Freddie Smith

Windy City Times: - "...It's great to see positive feedback. Through Twitter and fan mail, people tell me how much they relate to the character. Years ago, [LGBT] people had no stories they could relate to. This is an important part of life.'' The actor said that the show's approach to the bullying issue will differ considerably from what's usually seen in the media: "We're showing both sides of it. We'll see where Sonny is coming from, and where the bully is coming from. It'll be great to see people grow and mature." Some of Sonny's onscreen support will come from Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), Days of Our Lives' longtime leading lady. Viewers know Marlena as grandmother to Will (Chandler Massey), the show's other gay character. Marlena has been a rock for young Will. WCT asked Smith if there was any chance of a romance between Sonny and Will. "Their friendship is growing closer," Smith replied. "There will be romance for Sonny." But the actor didn't specify if it'll be with Will. For the time being, Days of Our Lives is the only project on Freddie Smith's plate. With the series producing five episodes a week, he said it is quite a workload. "I'm totally consumed with Sonny," the actor stated. "I live and breathe Sonny. This story is going to be intense..." - David-Elijah Nahmod (READ MORE)

Outlook Columbus: - "...Freddie said he often gets asked how he prepared for this role, but he said there is no difference in playing characters with different sexual orientation. He is portraying love either way. “My preparation was taking the past experience I have had and applying them to the show,” said Freddie. The character of Sonny showed up to Salem very confident, but in an upcoming plot twist, he becomes a victim of bullying because his attacker, “T,” believes Sonny made Will, another young character on the show, gay. “It’s very emotional to be bullied. When you go through it it’s a big part of your life,” said Freddie. “I’m hoping I can make an impact and show how bullying negatively affects people and make a difference. I think that everyone will be able to relate to this storyline, so it is important to the show.” He said that viewers are going to see a different side of Sonny after he experiences being bullied. Freddie mentions that before Sonny came to Salem, he had much tougher time being openly gay. “It brings him back – he thought he was home free. Its disappointing to him,” said Freddie. “He was very bullet proof at first. You’re going to see that he does have flaws. You’re going to see Sonny make mistakes and deal with those mistakes.” Will struggles with coming on out the show, something viewers didn’t get to experience with Sonny. Freddie said he liked they brought on the second gay storyline to the show, having one character that is extremely comfortable being gay and another that is dealing with the emotional experience of coming out. “It showed that it’s great to have a support system. It made it easier for him to come out,” said Freddie. “It was a great idea that the show did.” In July, Freddie spoke to congress during the Children Uniting Nation’s (CUN) seventh annual national conference titled, “Keeping the Promise to Our Children.” He encouraged legislation to be passed on bullying and the importance of keeping physical education in schools...." - Alisa Caton (READ MORE)

SDGLN: - "...Smith is coy in describing the major gay subplot coming to DOOL, but he teases that Will and Sonny may become romantically involved. “Sonny has a romance coming up,” Smith said. “You’ve got to check out Sonny’s big storyline.” Again, not one to spoil a storyline, Smith will go as far as saying that his character will be the victim of anti-gay bullying. “Sonny was picked on for being gay early on,” Smith said. “So it has developed slowly, like it does in real life. And what’s interesting is that the bullying is being done by different people.” Smith is adamant that bullying is so very wrong, and that Americans must rally to stop it for once and for all. He admits he faced mild forms of bullying and hazing as a youth growing up in Ashtabula, Ohio, but that he saw an even uglier side of bullying when kids would egg his cousin’s house. “She had it really bad,” Smith said. “It’s such a problem that something must be done,” he said with conviction. “This is an opinion of mine, but parents are playing a huge role in it. Kids 5 or 6 are too young to know what it means, so they must be learning it from home or on the playground. Parents need to stand up for what’s right.” DOOL’s demographics will reach the right audience, mostly women from 20 to 90, and many of them are stay-at-home moms. “I hope our audience learns something” from this storyline, Smith said..." - Kevin Williams (READ MORE)

Freddie Matthew Smith (born March 19, 1988) is an American television actor. He is known for his portrayal as Marco Salazar in the new franchise of 90210 aired on The CW. He is also known for his character, Sonny Kiriakis, the first openly gay character of the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives...Freddie grew up as an only child and graduated in 2006 from Edgewood Senior High in Ashtabula, Ohio. On July 19, 2012 in Washington, D.C, Freddie spoke to congress about bullying, keeping sports programs in schools and foster care mentoring. “I wanted to let people know that parents need to get involved at an early age. They need to understand that it isn’t just funny, it has a negative affect on people later in life,” said Freddie. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)

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