(IOWA & OKLAHOMA) In recent weeks, the issue of bullying has come into focus when a 14-year-old Primghar, Iowa, boy took his own life after being bullied because he was gay.
The story of Kenneth Weishuhn is just one of many.
A new documentary released just days after his death highlights the struggles of five children who were bullied. Part of the film chronicles the life of Alex Libby, a boy bullied during his 7th grade year at East Middle School here in Sioux City. The torture so bad, his family was forced to move. Now he and his family are sharing their story, as local educators and students react to the movie's message.
Alex Libby had just started a new school: East Middle in Sioux City when he says the bullying started.
"I wanted to make my parents feel like they had made the right decision, so I didn't tell them," says Alex Libby.
"He had completely disconnected from life and at that point we felt there was only one other way he could disconnect," says Jackie Libby, Alex's mother.
For a year filmmakers followed Alex, documenting his and his family's struggle. But not even Alex's parents understood the extent of the problem until they saw the movie for the first time.
"The first bus scene where somebody bashes Alex's head into a bus seat I gasp in horror and then sob the entire time," says Jackie.
It was after that, that Alex's family decided to move. They enrolled him in November at Edmond Memorial in Oklahoma.
"I met some of these wonderful people and I became friends with them," says Alex.
Now, his part in the movie has raised not only Alex's celebrity but awareness for the issue.
"It's definitely opened my eyes for the need for change, for the seriousness of the situation. It is a national problem," says Carrie Higdon, Edmond Memorial Freshman Principal.
And now, right here in Siouxland, schools are stepping up to the plate to combat the problem.
"It's very important to us to do diligence to make sure that we do our best to get some of these situations to stop as soon as we can," says Jason Klingensmith, Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School Principal.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School Principal Jason Klingensmith says even though enforcing the bully policy is difficult, students, parents and teachers all need to work together.
"The better we can be as a school to have open communication, I think it would definitely help and I think we need to be very conscious of that," says Klingensmith.
And students at East High School - where Alex would have been a freshman this year - are standing up for those who can't.
"I think it's important for those kids to know that there is a support system here, they just need to know who to go to, because there are people who love and care about you," says Grace Rants, East High School junior.
Bullying is a problem that doesn't always have a happy ending. But the Libby's are lucky.
"We've watched him over the course of the year, change back into who he used to be, that is the gift that we got, we got our son back," says Jackie.
Alex's family chose Oklahoma because of the other two families featured in the movie from Oklahoma. The documentary BULLY is in theaters now.
Check for local show times online:
Sioux City Promenade 14 Theater: http://www.mainstreettheatres.com/
Sioux City Southern Hills 12 Theater: http://www.carmike.com/
Learn more about The Bully Project at http://thebullyproject.com/.
Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@kmeg.com.
Friend her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ErikaThomasTV.
