Confessions of a Bully

Awards

Bronze Telly Award

Reviews 

Taking a different perspective than most bullying videos, this program describes actual events in the lives of three perpetrators. The information provided by the bullies is not new, but since it is delivered in the first person, it becomes more powerful. First, John describes picking out another student as an easy target, seeing that person as an object, and noticing a lack of support for the victim. He defends himself as one who had been bullied and who also wanted to learn what it was like to have power over someone. He says that at the time he was unable to empathize, and he now regrets his actions. Bully number two, Ebony, could be described as a "mean girl." She enjoyed having a higher status than other girls, and she started rumors about a girl who was dating her ex-boyfriend, ruining her replacement's reputation. Ebony states that her bullying stems from her own insecurity. Being confronted about her behavior helped her to realize what she had done. In the third scenario, Tyler and Scott are involved in relational bullying within a group ganging up on a member's girlfriend to make their friend drop her, and they did nothing to stop it. When the two realized what they had done, they resolved to change. They now travel around the country talking about bullying to teens. These three situations are also discussed by a psychologist, who provides some definitions and background. The teacher's guide includes learning standards, activities, and fact sheets.

—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University
School Library Journal

Recommended  John, Ebony, Tyler and Scott are real students who share their personal experiences as former high school bullies. Candidly, they share the affects on their victims and why they decided to change. As anti-bullying advocates, Tyler and Scott discuss their regrets; which lead them to make a sound commitment to establish a “kindness movement”. The program was created as a service project allowing both to conduct in-person presentations at schools across the United States.

The DVD commentary explicitly focuses on the bully’s perspective and not the victim. In addition, the short film offers a unique glimpse into the world of bully bystanders and examines the importance of social acceptance among teen peer groups. While the film offers a student perspective, it does a good job of incorporating the clinical and professional expertise behind the psychology of bullying.

Bullying remains a growing issue throughout American school systems with limited solutions, but the DVD is a unique resource that can be used in the classroom or for individual use to provide further insight on issues surrounding verbal, physical, and psychological or relational bullying.

The production is formatted well and easy to follow. Confessions of a Bully is recommended for most audiences and should be a part of any school, public, and academic library collection. It conveniently provides a Teacher’s Resource Book; which is one reason why Human Relations Media videos are considered high quality products for educators. 

—Deidra N. Herring, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)