To view PREVNet's Scientific Co-Directors and bullying experts, Dr. Wendy Craig and Dr. Debra J. Pepler, discuss bullying and ways to prevent it, check out the menu on the right hand side.

Short Stories and Documentaries

Highlighting bullying issues.

Please note that inclusion on this list does not constitute any sort of endorsement by PREVNet of a particular resource’s quality or effectiveness.

For Kids:

“Apples and Oranges” 
Directed by Lynne Fernie 
Written by Lynne Fernie and Laura Kosterski 
Produced by NFB/OFN 2003 (17 minutes)

In this fun and thought-provoking video, children's paintings magically transform into two animated adventures of Anta, Habib and Jeroux as they deal with homophobia and bullying at school. In a lively talk about why names are bad and hurtful, stereotypes about gays and lesbians are dismantled and new views are put into place by the children themselves. Apples and Oranges challenges young viewers to think about their responses to people and families different from their own.

For more information or to order a copy of "Apples and Oranges" contact NFB/ONF at: 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website. 

“Door to Door/Porte à porte” 
Directed by Zabelle Côté 
Written by Zabelle Côté 
Produced by NFB/OFN 
1992 
(4 minutes)

An animated film for five-to eight-year-olds that presents the familiar situation of big kids bullying little ones in the schoolyard. This time, however, the little kids refuse to accept it and their constructive efforts in their own defence prove that might does not necessarily mean right. Door to Door/Porte à porte is a film without words.

For more information or to order a copy of "Door to Door/Porte à porte" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

"Glasses" 
Directed by Brian Duchsherer 
Produced by NFB/OFN 
2001 
(23 minutes)

The tale of a boy who doesn’t see things the way everyone else does. This puppet animation film explores what it’s like for a little boy who doesn’t see things quite the way other children do but longs to fit in. Children will be amused by this funny, poignant story that helps to encourage discussion of issues that affect many young children: peer pressure, fear of feeling left out, friendship, and acceptance. 

For more information or to order a copy of "Glasses" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

“It's A Girl's World” 
Directed by Lynn Glazier 
Written by Lynn Glazier 
Produced by CBC and NFB/ONF 
2003 
(67 minutes)

It’s A Girl's World is a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and National Film Board of Canada/Office national du film du Canada co-production resulting in a television program and a three part radio program. This social documentary by award-winning filmmaker Lynn Glazier follows two sets of girls and their families, a group of 10 year old girls in Montreal, Quebec and a clique of teenage girls in Mission, British Columbia. The camera captures a disturbing picture of how deliberate and painful these relationships can be when girls use their power to hurt each other. The film shatters the myth that social bullying among girls is a part of growing up.

For more information on the film version of "It’s A Girl's World" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

For more information on the radio version of "It’s A Girl's World" contact CBC at 1-800-995-7711 or visit their website.

“Learning Peace: A Big School with a Big Heart” 
Directed by Teresa MacInnes 
Written by Teresa MacInnes 
Produced by NFB/ONF 
2002 
(57 minutes)

Learning Peace production chronicles a year at Annapolis East Elementary. A school where over 700 kids play, study, meet and - like kids everywhere - sometimes fight. But thanks to an anti-violence program introduced in 1996 by principal Heather Harris, bullying and fighting have become a rarity. Peace education has been fully integrated into the school curriculum. Meanwhile, a peer mediation program helps students settle disputes, good behaviour is rewarded at monthly assemblies, and a full-time counsellor devotes his days (lunch hours and breaks included) to helping kids address anger. Over the course of a year, it becomes clear that peace is hard work - but well worth the effort. This film is a companion piece to Waging Peace and is geared to children in elementary school.

For more information or to order a copy of "Learning Peace: A Big School with a Big Heart" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

For Teens:

“Waging Peace: A Year in the Life of Caledonia Junior High” 
Directed by Teresa MacInnes 
Written by Teresa MacInnes 
Produced by Triad Film Productions and NFB/OFN 
2001 
(70 minutes)

At Caledonia Junior High - like at so many schools - students and teachers live in an environment of disrespect and potential danger. Enter Edy Guy-François, Caledonia's fifth principal in four years. Drawing on her own experience as a kid headed for trouble, Edy resolves to change the school. She comes down hard on kids who break the rules, but she also encourages a new peer mediation program, institutes monthly dances and celebrates with a wild winter carnival. Waging Peace looks beyond the sensational headlines on school violence to offer real solutions. The film shows the hard work that goes into turning a troubled school around. It lets us know how students really see school and demonstrates the positive effects of trusting teens and giving them some responsibility. This film is a companion piece to Learning Peace and is appropriate for students in junior and senior high school.

For more information or to order a copy of "Waging Peace: A Year in the Life of Caledonia Junior High" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

“One of Them” 
Directed by Elise Swerhone 
Written by Nancy Trites Botkin 
Produced by NFB/OFN 
2000 
(25 minutes)

One of Them focuses on a group of high school students who want to raise awareness about racism, sexism, and homophobia. Jamie is shocked when she and her best friend become victims of homophobic name-calling. But she must face up to her own reactions as she realizes that her friend is one of them, and needs her support. And Jamie's boyfriend must decide if he will support Jamie.

For more information or to order a copy of "One of Them" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

“Angel”  
Directed by Kenji Takahashi 
Produced by Sir George Ross Secondary School 
(22 minutes)

A powerful video that follows the life of a high school student who is victimized and bullied at school. The high-quality production dramatizes the story of a bullying victim, using black-and-white, slow-motion images with a powerful soundtrack by Sarah McLachlan.

For more information and ordering please contact Susan Dale, Thames Valley District School Board Safe Schools Learning Coordinator, at (519) 452-8748 or via email.

"Laugh at it and you're a part of it!"  
Childnet International 
2007 
Documentary in which Students record their responses to cyberbullying with extracts from their devised drama. A full practical drama lesson plan accompanies this film. To view the film for free visit their website.

For Parents and Teachers:

“Bully B'ware: Take Action Against Bullying” 
Produced by Bully B'ware Productions 
(13 minutes)

This International Award Winning "Best Education and Training Video" is very appropriate to use with students from Grades 1-10. The video is comprised of four scenarios involving realistic bullying incidents between middle school students. It offers students practical advice and skills for handling these difficult situations.

For more information or to order a copy of "Take Action Against Bullying" contact Bully B'ware Productions at 1-888-552-8559 or visit their website.

“Make the Change... Don't Be a Bully”

Produced by Ryse Productions 
2003 
(20 minutes)

The film profiles a young boy who has a troubled home life and acts out by becoming a school bully. He is befriended by the school custodian, who helps him realize the effects of his behaviour on others and shows him how to change his ways. The objective of the video is to assist school staff, parenting advisory councils, and community agencies in promoting strategies to prevent such behaviour. The video is appropriate for young audiences.

For more information or to order a copy of "Make the Change...Don't Be a Bully" contact NFB/ONF at 1-800-267-7710 or visit their website.

“Bullied, Battered, and Bruised” 
Produced by CBC's The National 
2000 
(58 minutes)

A powerful documentary that looks at the significant psychological and physical implications of bullying, and profiles the way two schools are dealing with this difficult and pervasive problem. First, several students, parents and community members in a Manitoba town who, despite the threat of a community backlash, publicly voice their concerns about the bullying in their schools, and participate in candid and emotional discussions about the problem and its effects. In interviews with school administration, the reluctance to acknowledge and address the issue is evident. Next, we visit an elementary school in B.C. that has successfully implemented a zero tolerance policy toward bullying; how the principal and teachers deal with the behaviour is presented. Following the documentary, experts discuss bullying in interview segments interspersed with personal testimonies from bullies and victims of bullying. A sixmonth update on the Manitoba community concludes the documentary revealing some dramatic changes for both the victims and the community.

For more information or to order a copy of "Bullied, Battered, and Bruised" contact CBC Non-Broadcast Sales at 1-866-999-3072 or or visit their website.

“This Secret Shame” 
Produced by CBC's the fifth estate 
1996 
(25 minutes)

This story concerns a terrifying ritual that at one time or another becomes reality in the life of so many Canadian youngsters - bullying. It can go far past teasing and name-calling; it can come to feel like a death sentence. And that's how it felt for Wesley Oleksuk, the constant target of vicious bullying. The summer before his first year of high school, when this secret shame became too much to bear, Wesley turned to what he saw as his only way out: suicide. A noted psychologist elaborates on the all too pervasive, often overlooked and seriously harmful behaviour of bullying.

For more information or to order a copy of "This Secret Shame" contact CBC Non-Broadcast Sales at 1-866-999-3072 or visit their website.

Public Service Announcements:

Family Channel

PREVNet has partnered with Family Channel to produce  Alone, a 60-second stop-motion animated public service announcement (PSA). The film was painstakingly fabricated out of paper dolls in a paper world to convey the message, "If you see someone being bullied, let them know they're not alone".

Concerned Children's Advertisers 

In consultation with PREVNet, Concerned Children's Advertisers (CCA) have produced three public service announcements on bullying. In addition, they provide professionals with resources to support these announcements. 

Watch these videos on our site:

Tell Someone was produced with the expert counsel of bullying researchers, Dr. Debra Pepler and Dr. Wendy Craig, who ensured that the latest research and information was at the root of this campaign.

Walk Away

Words Hurt