NAS Anti-Bullying Video

[ScienceGeek]

I just got an e-mail from the NAS about the anti-bullying video as part of the think differently campaign. A warning some people might find this video distressing. I've found watching these videos quite hard but only this one has hit so close to home that I was distressed by watching it. What do you think?

[Mumble]

I don't like it at all - and that's not because I was badly bullied at school and it's difficult to watch, but because of the assumptions underlying it. I don't like the way the boy with an ASD is portrayed as a 'victim', I don't like the way he is 'directed' (if that's the right word) to conform to the dx criteria of ASDs and I especially don't like the stereotyping of the 'bully' - semi-shaved head, ear-piercing, scruffy uniform, football player. Whatever happened to individuality?

 

What about doing something about identifying and tackling the root causes of bullying rather then spending money on promoting what we already know happens in schools, both to ASD and NT kids (I know ASD children are statistically more likely to be bullied, but plenty of other children are as well).

 

[Flora]

I wasn't bothered by the sterotyping. The other kids who played the 'bullies', looked like average teenagers... ie I've seen worse and I've seen better. I was trying to think about what Bill would have done in that situation and he would have either ignored them and kept walking, or if he had replied I would think it would have been 'yeah, ok' (with the raised eyes) or he would have corrected them in much the same way as the actor did.

 

I think they've tried to use shock tactics by making the beating really bad... However, unless you've been on the receiving end or witnessed physical bullying it's hard to make a judgment on that.

 

In short, it's very evokative, but whether it evokes the response they want it to is another matter. Like most negative campaigns I would imagine that people will think it's awful (the bullying), but whether it will be succesful as a learning experience remains to be seen.

 

Very sad, and sadly very realistic.

 

Flora

[Kathryn]

I couldn't catch the first "typical" resopnse - what was it?

 

Yes it's tough to watch, watching any person being ganged up on and beaten up is distressing. But who is this video aimed at and what is the intended effect? It's a bit predictable: doesn't say much about ASD in particular, just that some children get bullied in schools, and it's not really representative of the type of bullying that normally goes on anyway. Bullying does not always equal serious physical assault: most bullying is psychological, persistent, low key, less dramatic and less obvious, but just as devastating, more so because it's less easy to catch and deal with- especially when the bullies are good at sussing out people's particular weaknesses and dreaming up ever more creative ways to needle them..

 

The video also implies that the victim gets beaten up as a direct result of his "autistic" response, whereas a "smart" response would have deflected the bullies (and got him the girl into the bargain). Subtext - the victim is responsible for the reaction he provokes in others and can therefore choose to change the situation by doing something differently. Some educators already hold the view that the victim isn't trying hard enough to fit in, and try to deal with bullying on this basis - the NAS could have done more to challenge it.

 

I'm all for anti bullying campains, but the emphasis should be on teaching bullies that their behaviour is wrong and won't be tolerated.

 

K x

 

[Suze]

It was pretty brutal and uncomfortable to watch,but watching the second clip when the boy was being"autistic"........did,nt strike me as autistic either, so don,t know what to make of it, it could have been done exactly the same for any minority or person being bullied, there was,nt anything that would point me to autism.Alot of other kids would have given a similar response .

[Flora]

It's interesting isn't it the different responses and the different things we see in it?

 

The thing is, if the video was covering hf/AS then you can't always spot the autism. To me, the subtlety of the autism was the best part of it, that they didn't make it obvious and hopefully it means with a follow up of literature to go with the clip, that they are aiming to teach youngsters to stop and think about their own perceptions of people. That's if there is anything to follow it up and contextualise it of course (I do hope so!). I think they were trying to portray the autism through the lad's literal response (I'm not a baby and I don't wear nappies).

 

I do think it was overly brutal, but hopefully they will cover different types of bullying in different videos. Lots of 'ifs' aren't there?

 

Flora

[bikemad]

The bullying one made me come close to tears cos my lad is being bullied a lot so it struck a cord. The other page with 4 videos on my god it could have been my lad in the videos!

[Cat]

 

I have helped two parents in the last couple of weeks whose SEN children have been beaten in a very similar way tp the one shown in the NAS film clip. One of the children, not autistic but with a hidden disability, was so badly beaten he will probably never father children and may still lose one of his testicles. The second child who is autistic was 'got' in a changing room and it was filmed on a moblie and blue toothed round the school

 

I have no problem with the film because not all children with autism look autistic and I think that that is probably the point. What I do have a problem with is that this type of thing goes on on a regular basis and that we have so far not found a way to stop it. I live no so far away from a Comprehensive School and what I see on a daily basis makes me shudder.

 

Cat

[Kathryn]

Terrible stories Cat. I hope I didn't come across as dismissive of physical bullying - my daughter has suffered it too. I think the point needs to be made that psychological bullying also has severe long term effects and should not be treated lightly (perhaps this is part of the NAS campaign - I haven't looked into it). Girls often bear the brunt of this type of bullying- and I hope the publicity will reflect this.

 

K x

[warrenpenalver]

Id have probably said the same thing as that boy, and maybe if i was feeling brave a totally innapropriate or excessive return insult likely to increase the beating!!!

 

It does highlight the subtle differences between someone with and without ASD and how its only a few words in the right place that can make a huge difference. The "witty" reply in the typical response video is something ive aspired and wished i could achieve all my life, but never succeded except occasionally online in slow time!

[ScienceGeek]

I'd probably have responded in the same way as a teenager, infact I'm sure I did in a lot of occasions and sometimes I would reply stupidly with an insult that the bully was too stupid to understand thus making the beating worse

 

In all seriousness a lot of kids get bullied at school and I don't know wether schools have improved (I'm thinking probably not). When I was at school they had an anti-bullying policy that amounted to nothing but a bit of paper and nothing was actually done about it. It's horrible how I was bullied for years by certain people and nothing was done, but I lash out once and suddenly am demonised

[Zosmum]

My DD is often bullied at school but she doesn't always realise that what happens is bullying. An wful lot of anti-bullying campaigns focus only on the physical side of bullying and not on the mental side of it. Z is often refered to as a freak, weirdo, thicko etc by kids in school but also told to grow up, act your age not your shoe size etc by teaching staff.

 

She doesn't see this as bullying as she isn't being punched and kicked but it has had a really bad effect on her. So bad that she is now on Fluoxetine (anti-depressant) and often wants to die as she hates herself for being different

 

As for the video, it was really difficult to watch but perhaps they should include more subtle forms of bullying in these kind of things

[Cat]

Terrible stories Cat. I hope I didn't come across as dismissive of physical bullying - my daughter has suffered it too. I think the point needs to be made that psychological bullying also has severe long term effects and should not be treated lightly (perhaps this is part of the NAS campaign - I haven't looked into it). Girls often bear the brunt of this type of bullying- and I hope the publicity will reflect this.

 

I did not see you post as being dismissive of physical bullying at all Kathryn. I detest all bullying. My eldest none ASD son was chronically bullied at school for being clever A great deal of what happened to him was psychological although it did become physical. What really is concerning me is the fact that I am hearing more and more about kids being given a beating. What is being done to stop this? I watch the kids roaming around in packs on a lunch time and what I see I do not like. You can 'see' the attitude and it appears that it is cool to walk around like this. It gives them street cred. Another issue which is coming through more and more is that the siblings of autistic children are also being targeted and bullied. As a society we really need to be doing something about this. As always the powers that be can 'talk the talk' but seldom 'walk the walk'

 

Cat

[Flora]

. Another issue which is coming through more and more is that the siblings of autistic children are also being targeted and bullied. Cat

 

Not autism, but my brother has a 20 yo daughter who is severely physically a mentally disabled. Some boys were teasing his youngest son at school with 'your sister's a spacka, and you've got a spacka's car' (motibility), so he went over and thumped one of them and ended up being suspended. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have been disciplined for his reaction, but my brother had to go and have several meetings at the school before the teachers 'got it', that he had been severely provoked and the other boys should have been equally disciplined (which they were not!). If they had been teasing him because his sister was black, they would probably have been arrested!

 

Flora

 

 

[Cat]

Not autism, but my brother has a 20 yo daughter who is severely physically a mentally disabled. Some boys were teasing his youngest son at school with 'your sister's a spacka, and you've got a spacka's car' (motibility), so he went over and thumped one of them and ended up being suspended. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have been disciplined for his reaction, but my brother had to go and have several meetings at the school before the teachers 'got it', that he had been severely provoked and the other boys should have been equally disciplined (which they were not!). If they had been teasing him because his sister was black, they would probably have been arrested!

 

Flora

 

I really do fear that society is actually becoming more intolerant and less inclusive. We appear to be living in a world where normality rules even though I firmly believe that there is no such thing as normal. We are ALL different but anyone who it is decided is different is often subjected to both physical and psychological bullying. I really admire Roz Blackburn, who having being called a 'spacka' while out feeding the ducks one day, yelled back at the morons taunting here 'Wrong diagnosis try again!'. That does not make what happened to her any the less disgusting.

 

Cat

[warrenpenalver]

I think we are in a much more selfish/selfcentered society and when only yourself matters its easier to bully/hurt others as they dont matter.

 

A lot more Parents seem to be self centered a lot now, thier family is the only important one in the world. You just have to look at the behaviour on the school run, supermarkets , shops etc. And that rubs off on the kids and thier behaviour too. Not saying all parents are like it but an increasing number.

 

Theres no "community spirit" it seems to me now. I remember as a child the estate used to gel together to help those with problems and those struggling with things like ASD's. Yeah sure they didnt understand really but tried. People at least attempted social inclusion.

 

It seems now if theres any difference then you are excluded and all the child protection paranoia seems to rub off so anyone different is a "freak" "wierdo" etc I get the impression some parents consider kids with LD's /ASD's etc as a threat. Sad really.