The Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention has partnered with Emmy and Sundance Award winning documentary film maker Lee Hirsch and producer and writer Cynthia Lowen, in the making of the ground-breaking documentary “The Bully Project: A Year in the life of America’s bullying crisis”.

More than 18 million young people in the U.S. will be bullied this year. This alarming documentary takes us into a disquieting year in the life of several students joining this staggering statistic. As teachers and parents struggle to find the answers, the students do what they can to survive a day at school. Rare access and emotionally charged footage offer a never-before-seen exploration of America’s bullying crisis and a necessary call to action.

The Bully Project, a character driven film follows the lives and stories of students across the country starting on the first day of school to the last.  The film also delves deeper into some of the tragic stories that have garnered national attention due to suicides, school shootings, and other acts of violence. 

The documentary also features the work of the “Sioux City Project”, a four year concentrated violence prevention program in middle schools and high schools (see Sioux City Project). With unprecedented access to Sioux City schools, “The Bully Project” follows stories over the course of the school year as students, teachers, coaches, principals, and parents battle bullying in the district.

In addition to focusing on the young lives touched by bullying (an estimated three million children will be bullied this year), the film also touches on bullying in the workplace, and on the cultural roots of bullying in America.

The Bully Project was selected for the Tribeca Film Festival having it’s world premiere on April 23 in New York City.

Media/Resources

Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention Website
The Bully Project Website
Lee Hirsch Website
Outreach Website
YouTube