JR Mitchell doesn’t know how he would react to a child of his being a victim of bullying because he has yet to experience fatherhood. But he knows the damage it can cause to a youngster’s psychological well-being.
Mitchell, a 1995 graduate of Mercer Island High School, spent the past 10 years as a director/editor in Los Angeles, working on shows like “Big Brother,” “Fear Factor” and the promotional campaign for Conan O’Brien’s new show on TBS. Now, he is back home on Mercer Island and working for KIRO TV as their new image producer, and working on documentary films.
“Bullying: Breaking the Cycle” is the first of four original documentaries scheduled to air on KIRO this year. A KIRO 7 Family Connection Special Presentation, Mitchell said KIRO is the only local station with a documentary team; this is its first project.
“Bullying is a hot topic right now,” Mitchell said. “We feel it has great scholastic merit.”
He said the crew went all around King County profiling families who have lost a child due to bullying, and talking to kids who have been victimized either in person or online. The effect of bullying on any one child is difficult to quantify, he said. It depends on the viciousness and level of malice.
Most deaths from bullying in King County are suicide, Mitchell said.
“They are intimidated to the point they can’t take it anymore,” he said.
He said middle school and high school are the worst, citing an example of some kids setting up a Facebook page to “like” a certain 16-year-old girl. Under the guise of the page being positive, it turned vicious quickly.
The documentary also spotlights the online “It Gets Better” Project created in response to the seven suicides in three months of teenagers who were being bullied for being gay or perceived as gay. The Web site is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender can see the levels of potential and positivity their lives will reach if they can make it through high school and their teen years.
“Bullying” airs on Thursday, March 17, at 10 p.m. on KIRO 7.
It will be rebroadcast on Saturday, March 26, at 8 p.m.
