"Bullied" film used as a teaching tool

MENASHA - About one in six children across the country have reported being victims of bullying.  That's according to a study by George Washington University, but one Wisconsin man is using his personal experience to change that statistic.

Growing up in Ashland Wisconsin Jamie Nabozny was a victim of bullying.  Nabozny told FOX 11 other students harassed him because he's gay.

"The administration said things like, 'boys will be boys' and if I was going to be openly gay I had to expect that kind of stuff and it escalated and got much worse and the last attack actually put me in the hospital and I had to have surgery," explained Nabozny.

Nabozny's story is now the focus of a documentary from the Southern Poverty Law Center called "Bullied."  The film was screened as part of the INCLUDE initiative at UW-Fox Valley Thursday.

Jesse Heffernan told FOX 11 INCLUDE seeks to welcome LGBT members of the community.  He told us  Nabozny's story is an important learning tool.

"It changed a lot of laws and also brought some accountability to schools, saying that, you know, despite what someone's going through they need to be protected," said Heffernan.

Nabozny told us his story isn't just a "gay" issue.  He explained he uses it to try to end bullying of ANY kind.

"It doesn't matter why students get bullied, what the issue is is why don't people do something about it?" he asked.

Nabozny told us he want students to know it's okay to stand up for one another against bullies and he wants adults to teach their children to do what's right.

"This is a community issue, first of all.  It's not just a school issue and we need to take responsibility in the community for the parts that different people play.," said Nabozny.

Nabozny explained if adults and children respect each other's differences, communities could be safer.

It's an idea parents like Sean Feiler appreciate.

"If we educated our kids to be accepting and open and be able to accept others for the differences they have," said Feiler.