Schools and Charity Organizations Show Anti-Bullying Family Film as Conversation Starter

Bullying is a hot topic all over the globe with people of all ages talking about how to stop it. Unfortunately, the public is bombarded online and in news media with sad stories about bullying and videos showing it happening.

Recently a community in West Point, Nebraska took a different approach to present the subject of bullying to students in its schools and adults in the area. They held a movie event with a family film, "How to Beat a Bully" that uses humor to share the message to stop bullying. The 83-minute film is a "Home Alone" kind of comedy that promotes the idea, "It's more fun being friends than bullies."  

Students from the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grades were invited to the West Point Community Theatre to view the film in the afternoon on May 10^th and have a Q and A with one of the film's stars, Eric Lauritzen. In addition, teachers were provided with a companion study guide to offer discussion points for the children in their classrooms after seeing the film. A second screening was held in the evening for adults. Proceeds of the event went to the Juvenile Awareness Group, an organization that works with school districts, behavioral health centers and youth services to provide prevention education for school aged youth. 

"How to Beat a Bully" revolves around a 12-year-old boy who moves to a new town and gets picked on by school bullies. In order to protect himself he uses his brain instead of his fist, and comes up with an idea that not only stops the bullies, but gets them to be his new BFFs. Along the way, there are humorous adventures, in which he gets his dad in trouble with some bad guys, who want to do more than bully him. The kids end up saving his father and becoming town heroes, as well as learning an important lesson about bullying.

Another charity, Prevent Abuse in Neighborhoods (P.A.I.N.) showed the "How to Beat a Bully" film on May 22^nd at an event in the park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Children and adults in the area were invited to enjoy some smiles and laughs watching the movie and have a discussion following it.

Other anti-bullying advocates find it useful as well. A New Jersey Police Officer who runs an Anti-Bullying Program expressed interest in opening his sessions with the fun family film. He feels that getting the participants laughing and in a good mood first will make it easier for them to have a dialog about more serious issues afterwards.

"How to Beat a Bully" screenwriters Marilyn Anderson & Richard Rossner are excited that their clever, fun story can be used to help open conversations about bullying in a gentler way than many of the serious and disturbing stories that are out there. They also found that when the topic of bullying comes up, almost everyone has a personal story of how they were bullied.  

Anderson was bullied in high school. She said, "A tough girl used to hit me every time I walked down the hall. I put that in the movie as something that had happened to the mom." Co-writer Rossner used his childhood experience when kids used to call him "melonhead." That's in the film, too. They indicated these things hurt them as kids, but now they are using it to provide fun and laughter to others. "It shows that you can get through these difficult times, and come out for the better."

Educators and psychologists agree that shared laughter brings people together and can be a constructive way to combat problems and issues. In fact, many comedians and celebrities recount how humor helped them survive their school years.

"How to Beat a Bully" was awarded the Dove Seal of Recommendation for families, ages 12 and up, although younger children and adults enjoy it, too. The family movie won "Best Feature Film" at the L-Dub Film Festival in Lake Worth, Florida.

"How to Beat a Bully" is available on DVD at Walmart stores and can also be rented or purchased through iTunes, Google Play or Amazon.

Educators or Organizations are invited to contact the producers for information regarding special group screenings.  Actors, writers and producers of the film are available for interviews.  Contact HowtoBeataBully at gmail dot com.

Additional information and photos on request.