With the school year now in full swing, students everywhere are learning how to deal with the issue of bullying. And it’s a topic that has grabbed attention around the state.
To increase awareness of the subject, UWM is holding a series of events in recognition of October’s National Bullying Prevention Month, and it centers on a visit from Lee Hirsch, the director of “Bully.”
The documentary, which has won more than 25 awards, follows the stories of several bullying victims, including several students and two sets of parents whose children committed suicide after years of torture from bullies. The film also looks at how teachers and administrations reacted to these problems.
Hirsch will give a multimedia lecture called, “An Evening with Lee Hirsch,” which is free and open to the public. Through clips and stories about his experience of making the documentary, Hirsch will discuss the effect bullying has on students, parents, schools, and everyone in between.
The UWM series hopes to bring awareness, education, and solutions to an issue that has recently put Wisconsin in the spotlight.
On Sept. 25, Greendale High School senior Nicholas Olson, 17, was arrested on suspicion of writing a bomb threat on a bathroom wall. Olson later said that he had issued the threat after lifelong taunting from bullies made him angry and upset. As a result, prosecutors have recommended his felony charge be replaced by a misdemeanor. The school is examining how to deal with the charges, which, in most cases, would bring disciplinary actions that could include expulsion.
And much more widely publicized is WKBT-TV’s morning anchor, Jennifer Livingston. The La Crosse journalist has made national headlines this week after receiving an email from a viewer who criticized her for being overweight. In the email, the viewer claimed Livingston was setting a poor example for the community, especially young girls.
In a four-minute segment yesterday, Livingston addressed her bully on camera, noting that they don’t know each other and that she didn’t need his comments to see that she is overweight. She told viewers that she was not going to let the comments affect the opinions she has of herself.
Hirsch’s lecture continues this national conversation on Thursday, Oct. 11 from 7- 9 p.m. in the Union Building’s Wisconsin Room, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Photo courtesy of UWM.
The topic of bullying entered the national conversation in the fall of 2010, when the suicides of several gay teenagers led to an outpouring of empathy that evolved into a grassroots, online campaign that reassured victims of harassment with a simple, straightforward message: “It gets better.” 
