Bullied (2010) - 2 stars out of 10

Bullied (2010) - 2 stars out of 10

School bullying is an important topic that needs to be addressed but it seems as if "Bullied" has a secondary agenda that shines through a bit too strong.  This documentary is the story of Jamie Nabozny, a homosexual high school student who was bullied and abused by several of his peers.  Using flashbacks, it recreates his suffering throughout middle and high school and tells the story of his suicide attempt, psychological breakdown, and running away from home.  While effectively strikes a nerve with anybody who has ever been bullied or witnessed this cruelty, it just comes off as an attack on the public education system.  First of all, it sends the wrong message to kids by mistaking Jamie's perseverance for success.  We should not be teaching our children that running away from home and suing your school district is a measure of success; rather, this film should stress that Jamie persevered and anybody can.  The antagonists of the film are not the bullies.  Instead, the fault is placed on a few school teachers who handled the situation incorrectly (if we can trust the witnesses that testified and the information shared by the film editors).  These "bad guys" are turned into a representation of the public school system.  This subject matter strikes close to home since I am an educator, but I was offended at the inference that this story is representative of all public schools.