Reviews & Quotes | Confessions of A Social Bully

Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) | Andrew Koval, MSLS
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED "Confessions of a Social Bully concisely demonstrates the importance of mental health in junior high school. [...] Audiences will gain a better understanding of the importance of mental health for youth, particularly in a school environment. Best suited for school libraries. To be shown in classrooms or workshops for students, staff and faculty coordinated through a school’s guidance office."

University of Michigan School of Social Work | Todd Herrenkohl, PhD, Professor
“This film [Confessions of a Social Bully] provides a glimpse into the mind and thinking of a young person who comes to realize the impact of what is too often construed as normal adolescent behavior. It’s a powerful example of how self-reflection can help untangle the meaning of behavior gone wrong. Viewers will find the film a very helpful device to open conversations about the nature of bullying and strategies to prevent it."

University of North Carolina School of Education | Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD, William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education
"For too long, we have failed to recognize that youth who bully others are in need of intervention just as much as their targets, and until we understand the motives undergirding perpetrators’ actions, the efficacy of our interventions will always be limited. The Confessions of a Social Bully program refreshingly and effectively addresses this gap. Its message will resonate with middle school youth."

Seattle Public Schools | Gretchen Salter, Teacher
"My students connected immediately to the film. They were drawn to the true account of words, actions and emotions of the perpetrator. In the post-film discussion, many students shared their own encounters with bullying, whether they had been targets, bystanders or perpetrators themselves. The film opened up an honest discussion, especially for my quieter students. After class, one student informed me of daily teasing he was experiencing on the playground. The film gave him the courage to speak up and get the help he needed. ‘Confessions of a Social Bully’ empowers students to recognize bullying even when it seems subtle, and to speak up for others and themselves."

NYU School of Medicine | Jess P. Shatkin, MD, MPH, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, and author of Born to Be Wild - Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe
“An important story to which parents, teachers, and kids should all bear witness – ‘Confessions of a Social Bully’ tells the all too common tale of relational bullying and its potentially devastating effects. More importantly, this beautifully rendered film provides an opportunity for each of us to examine our own behavior and how we can help our children and our schools to limit the terror of bullying.”

School Library Journal | Recommended DVDs for Elementary, Middle School, and High School Classrooms
"A brief yet powerful conversation starter, with a bully most middle schoolers can relate to. Natasha’s self-reflection tells viewers that the bully and the bullied can and should ask for help."

Video Librarian
"Natasha explores her motivations for past behaviors, realizing she acted this way as a means of taking away the pain of feeling bad about herself and being in control. Because the focus is on girls bullying each other, this probably works best for that audience, but boys as well can benefit from learning more about the causes, effects, and types of social bullying. Recommended."