Throughout history, bullying in all its forms – from schoolyard fights to catastrophic international wars – has destroyed millions of lives. Tragically, the global reach and 24-hour accessibility of today’s Internet and social media platforms make cyber-bullying an even greater problem because it affects more people and is more rapidly spreading. Victims can easily be abused anywhere, anytime, to an audience of millions, with just the push of a button.
Children who are bullied lose the innocence of their childhood, and many are unable to live with their shame, anger and fear. Left unaddressed, some of the victims commit suicide. Others become bullies themselves, and in their new role, create another generation of bullies.
As children grow older, the likelihood they will be bullied increases. Over half of all adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and many are tormented on a regular basis. Often these victims are too ashamed to tell their parents or ask for help, and can develop severe psychological problems.
Cyber-bullying is also very destructive to the bullies themselves. They can face serious legal charges, along with their parents, even when fake identities are being used. The online attacks teens post now never disappear completely, and can do great damage to them later in life when they apply for college or a job.
The solution to ending this cycle is education.
One of the greatest ways to capture the attention and teach our world about bullying is through film. One healing film that goes viral can quickly impact more hearts and minds than one million classes on the same subject.
After watching “Admissions,†John Viscount’s celebrated short film for peace, the highly esteemed Global Activist, Academy Award® nominated actress, and mother of three adopted children, Sharon Stone, asked John to write “The Principle†for her. She loves the script, and is excited to play the role of the enlightened teacher, similar to James Cromwell’s award-winning role in “Admissions.” Ms. Stone and the filmmakers plan to introduce the film to school curriculums around the world.
“Admissions†was funded on Kickstarter in 2011. It has been honored with 26 International Awards, translated into Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew and Farsi and broadcast to 80 million people worldwide.
For more information, please visit it’s Kickstarter page.