UCSB- Gevirtz School Co-Sponsors Free Premiere of Submit

The event is free but patrons must reserve a space due to limited seating; rsvp to Tara Schonhoff by Friday, June 14 at tara@education.ucsb.edu or 893-2238. The screening will be introduced by the film’s director Les Ottolenghi and will be followed by a panel of BRNET scholars, moderated by Dr. Shane Jimerson of UCSB’s Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology.

Submit – directed by Muta’Ali Muhammad – compassionately tells the stories of children and families who are affected by the harsh reality of cyberbullying. The shared experiences, testimonials of survivors, and experts on this phenomenon allow you to peer into the rapidly growing world of cyberbullying. Submit educates parents, teachers, counselors, and bystanders and how they can help the victims of bullying and stop cyberbullies.

Bullying has taken on a new and powerful shape. Technological anonymity and unlimited access to digital devices have propelled an uprising of cyberbullies. In today’s digital generation, we stay in-touch with the world and our friends through phones, tablets, and laptops. Texting and social media are vital to communicating with friends and connecting with new people.

Producer Les Ottolenghi explains why he created Submit, “I came home from work one night and turned on the local news and saw the story of an 11 year old boy who had been cyberbullied and then committed suicide. I thought about my 1 year old son and thought this can’t happen again this can’t happen to anyone else’s child this can’t happen to our child. So I made this movie so these wonderful and powerful technologies that can be used in very good ways were not used in bad ways. I made this film so that all of you that are watching it become aware and not bystanders.”

The Bullying Research Network (BRNET) serves as a virtual clearinghouse to support national and international research initiatives in effective bullying prevention and intervention. The network unites developmental, social, clinical and educational researchers investigating prevention and intervention to further understand the complex social ecology underlying bullying dynamics. BRNET members conduct both basic and applied research on school violence and bullying; engage in web-based dialogue about frontline methodologies and strategies; collaborate on research grants and contracts; implement exemplary, evidence-based models in field settings; and disseminate this information to educators, students and parents. Currently, BRNET has 115 members from 14 different countries.

The film screening is part of a larger event to be held at UC Santa Barbara June 17-19: the third annual BRNET Think Tank and conference. The last conference, held at the University of Virginia, led to research written up in four articles that are included in the latest issue of the Journal of School Violence.

[Shane Jimerson is available for interviews; contact George Yatchisin at 805 893 5789]