LICE NEWS
Parents, Relax. Don’t Keep Them From School. It’s Just Lice.
From www.nytimes.com
By Jane E. Brody
Published September 20, 2010
The mere thought of these tiny critters crawling around a child’s scalp is enough to generate shudders of disgust. Judging from the drastic measures some parents take to get rid of them — from mayonnaise and vinegar to overdoses of potentially toxic chemicals — you’d think they were the worst scourge on earth.
Yet aside from the ick factor and a sometimes itchy scalp caused by an allergic reaction to their saliva, head lice cause no physical distress and transmit no diseases. In a clinical report issued in July by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the organization noted that head lice cause “a high level of anxiety among parents of school-aged children.”
A bigger problem than the lice themselves is that infestations are commonly misdiagnosed. By some estimates, at least half of the young children treated for head lice — even forbidden to attend school, in some cities and states with “no nit” policies — no longer have them or were never infested in the first place.
Schools that check children for lice often rely on nurses and parents ill equipped to detect an active lice infestation. In one study of more than 600 samples of presumed lice or eggs submitted by teachers, parents, nurses and physicians, about two-thirds turned out to bedandruff, scabs, dirt, plugs of skin cells, hair spray droplets, other insects or eggs that were no longer viable or already hatched.
This study, by Richard J. Pollack and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, concluded that “noninfested children become quarantined at least as often as infested children” and that treatments with louse-killing insecticides “are more frequently applied to noninfested children than to children who bear active infestations.”
In the words of the pediatrics academy, “a child should not be restricted from school attendance because of lice; no-nit policies should be abandoned.” And “routine classroom or schoolwide screening should be discouraged.”
Anyone can get head lice. They have no respect for social class, hygiene, hair length or frequency of brushing. They are most often transmitted by direct head-to-head contact, far less often by exposure to the clothing, hats, helmets, hair accessories, headphones or furnishings used by an infested person. Children are more often infested than adults, and whites more so than other groups.
While “it is probably impossible to prevent all head lice infestations,” the pediatrics report stated, “it is prudent for children to be taught not to share personal items such as combs, brushes and hats. However, no one should refuse to wear protective headgear because of fear of head lice.”
Detect Live Lice, Then Treat
Lice are blood-feeding parasites that crawl but cannot fly, hop or burrow into the scalp. Nor can they survive more than a day or so away from the blood and warmth of the human scalp. Females lay about six eggs a day that are cemented to hair shafts right next to the scalp. Only fertile eggs, or nits, will hatch, but even they cannot hatch at temperatures lower than those near the scalp.
“The gold standard for diagnosing head lice is finding a live louse on the head,” the academy report stated. This can be tricky because the insects are tiny — from the size of a strawberry seed to about one-eighth of an inch — and they avoid light and can crawl quickly. The best place to look is at the nape of the neck and behind the ears.
Finding eggs is often easier, but they may not represent an active infestation that warrants treatment. In an interview, Dr. Pollack explained that training and magnification may be needed to distinguish between a nit that houses a live embryo and one that is nonviable, empty or dead. Whereas viable eggs may camouflage with pigment to match hair color, empty egg casings usually appear white. Nits found more than half an inch from the scalp are not in themselves a sign of an active infestation, Dr. Pollack said.
Thus, like the pediatrics academy, he says treatment should be considered only when active lice or viable eggs are spotted. “Itching of the scalp or the perception that something is crawling on the head does not warrant treatment for lice,” he said.
Even when live head lice or viable eggs are found on someone’s scalp, “herculean cleaning measures” are not necessary, according to the recent report on the problem by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
While it is prudent to clean the bedding, bedclothes and hair care items used by the infested person, the report stated, “only items that have been in contact with the head of the person with infestation in the 24 to 48 hours before treatment should be considered for cleaning.”
If one person in the home is infested with head lice, all household members should be checked, but only “those with live lice or nits within one centimeter of the scalp should be treated.”
Washing or drying items at temperatures above 130 degrees Fahrenheit will kill stray lice or nits. Items that cannot be washed can be dry-cleaned or bagged in plastic for two weeks. Furniture, carpeting, car seats and other fabric-covered items can be vacuumed.
As for home remedies, like mayonnaise and vinegar, there is no reliable evidence of their effectiveness. Petroleum jelly applied thickly to the hair could asphyxiate the insects, but it is very hard to wash out. Various “natural” products — oils and herbal remedies — are not required to meet federal standards for safety and effectiveness.
Other chemical products have been studied, and the results are mixed. (See the accompanying article.)
It’s Fine to Nitpick
And what about removing live eggs with a metal fine-toothed comb — better known as nitpicking?
It is tedious, but it can be effective. Nitpicking is easiest to do on wet hair treated with conditioner, and should be repeated after a week or so. There are also commercial nitpicking salons and individuals who charge by the head or hour.
Dr. Pollack said nitpickers are fine “if it’s a personal choice for those with deep enough pockets.” But he said school systems should not bring in unlicensed services to inspect children.
Guidance that Dr. Pollack developed to manage lice infestations at home and school can be found at the Web site http://identify.us.com/head-lice/head-lice-document-download. The California Department of Public Health has an illustrated guide for parents that can be found by doing a Web search for “head lice parents guide.”
By Jane E. Brody
Published September 20, 2010
The mere thought of these tiny critters crawling around a child’s scalp is enough to generate shudders of disgust. Judging from the drastic measures some parents take to get rid of them — from mayonnaise and vinegar to overdoses of potentially toxic chemicals — you’d think they were the worst scourge on earth.
Yet aside from the ick factor and a sometimes itchy scalp caused by an allergic reaction to their saliva, head lice cause no physical distress and transmit no diseases. In a clinical report issued in July by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the organization noted that head lice cause “a high level of anxiety among parents of school-aged children.”
A bigger problem than the lice themselves is that infestations are commonly misdiagnosed. By some estimates, at least half of the young children treated for head lice — even forbidden to attend school, in some cities and states with “no nit” policies — no longer have them or were never infested in the first place.
Schools that check children for lice often rely on nurses and parents ill equipped to detect an active lice infestation. In one study of more than 600 samples of presumed lice or eggs submitted by teachers, parents, nurses and physicians, about two-thirds turned out to bedandruff, scabs, dirt, plugs of skin cells, hair spray droplets, other insects or eggs that were no longer viable or already hatched.
This study, by Richard J. Pollack and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, concluded that “noninfested children become quarantined at least as often as infested children” and that treatments with louse-killing insecticides “are more frequently applied to noninfested children than to children who bear active infestations.”
In the words of the pediatrics academy, “a child should not be restricted from school attendance because of lice; no-nit policies should be abandoned.” And “routine classroom or schoolwide screening should be discouraged.”
Anyone can get head lice. They have no respect for social class, hygiene, hair length or frequency of brushing. They are most often transmitted by direct head-to-head contact, far less often by exposure to the clothing, hats, helmets, hair accessories, headphones or furnishings used by an infested person. Children are more often infested than adults, and whites more so than other groups.
While “it is probably impossible to prevent all head lice infestations,” the pediatrics report stated, “it is prudent for children to be taught not to share personal items such as combs, brushes and hats. However, no one should refuse to wear protective headgear because of fear of head lice.”
Detect Live Lice, Then Treat
Lice are blood-feeding parasites that crawl but cannot fly, hop or burrow into the scalp. Nor can they survive more than a day or so away from the blood and warmth of the human scalp. Females lay about six eggs a day that are cemented to hair shafts right next to the scalp. Only fertile eggs, or nits, will hatch, but even they cannot hatch at temperatures lower than those near the scalp.
“The gold standard for diagnosing head lice is finding a live louse on the head,” the academy report stated. This can be tricky because the insects are tiny — from the size of a strawberry seed to about one-eighth of an inch — and they avoid light and can crawl quickly. The best place to look is at the nape of the neck and behind the ears.
Finding eggs is often easier, but they may not represent an active infestation that warrants treatment. In an interview, Dr. Pollack explained that training and magnification may be needed to distinguish between a nit that houses a live embryo and one that is nonviable, empty or dead. Whereas viable eggs may camouflage with pigment to match hair color, empty egg casings usually appear white. Nits found more than half an inch from the scalp are not in themselves a sign of an active infestation, Dr. Pollack said.
Thus, like the pediatrics academy, he says treatment should be considered only when active lice or viable eggs are spotted. “Itching of the scalp or the perception that something is crawling on the head does not warrant treatment for lice,” he said.
Even when live head lice or viable eggs are found on someone’s scalp, “herculean cleaning measures” are not necessary, according to the recent report on the problem by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
While it is prudent to clean the bedding, bedclothes and hair care items used by the infested person, the report stated, “only items that have been in contact with the head of the person with infestation in the 24 to 48 hours before treatment should be considered for cleaning.”
If one person in the home is infested with head lice, all household members should be checked, but only “those with live lice or nits within one centimeter of the scalp should be treated.”
Washing or drying items at temperatures above 130 degrees Fahrenheit will kill stray lice or nits. Items that cannot be washed can be dry-cleaned or bagged in plastic for two weeks. Furniture, carpeting, car seats and other fabric-covered items can be vacuumed.
As for home remedies, like mayonnaise and vinegar, there is no reliable evidence of their effectiveness. Petroleum jelly applied thickly to the hair could asphyxiate the insects, but it is very hard to wash out. Various “natural” products — oils and herbal remedies — are not required to meet federal standards for safety and effectiveness.
Other chemical products have been studied, and the results are mixed. (See the accompanying article.)
It’s Fine to Nitpick
And what about removing live eggs with a metal fine-toothed comb — better known as nitpicking?
It is tedious, but it can be effective. Nitpicking is easiest to do on wet hair treated with conditioner, and should be repeated after a week or so. There are also commercial nitpicking salons and individuals who charge by the head or hour.
Dr. Pollack said nitpickers are fine “if it’s a personal choice for those with deep enough pockets.” But he said school systems should not bring in unlicensed services to inspect children.
Guidance that Dr. Pollack developed to manage lice infestations at home and school can be found at the Web site http://identify.us.com/head-lice/head-lice-document-download. The California Department of Public Health has an illustrated guide for parents that can be found by doing a Web search for “head lice parents guide.”
From The NPA's www.headlice.org
The No Nit Policy
A Healthy Standard for Children and their Families
The National Pediculosis Association, recommends the No Nit Policy as the public health standard intended to keep children lice free, nit free, and in school.
Pediculosis represents one of the most common communicable childhood diseases and whether or not we understand how this has evolved, it is important to acknowledge head lice as a problem when raising or caring for children.
The Spirit of the No Nit Policy is to minimize head lice infestations as a public health problem and to keep children in school lice and nit free.
Establishing Consistent Guidelines
The No Nit Policy encourages each family to do its part at home with routine screening, early detection, accurate identification and thorough removal of lice and nits. Establishing consistent guidelines and educating the public about procedures in advance of outbreaks helps minimize inappropriate responses.
Early intervention provides the needed assurance for those who have successfully eliminated an infestation that everything possible is being done to prevent new outbreaks when children return to groups where close contact is inevitable. Repeated exposures to pesticidal products put children at risk. Parents need to be informed that chemical treatments may also be dangerous for children with certain pre-existing medical conditions and/or medication regimens. Families with pregnant or nursing mothers should be given advance notice that early detection with manual removal of lice and nits can serve as a safe alternative to pesticidal lice treatment products.
Why The Controversy?
Opponents of No Nit Policies say that "overzealous" enforcement can lead to inappropriate exclusion of children with residual nits, but whose infestation has otherwise been "treated." Those who judge enforcement to be "overzealous" may not consider the broader public health values and preferences of the community. Few who oppose the No Nit Policies would accept infestations for themselves or for their own children.
Without the No Nit Policy, communities are left with a hit-or-miss approach. Indifference about adopting a standardized management protocol permeates the attitudes of health professionals at every level. This in turn gives way to a maze of conflicting opinions and directives that are counterproductive. Public health policies for head lice cannot be based solely on the use of chemical remedies.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends repeating chemical treatments in 7-10 days because none of the available treatment products are 100% effective against lice eggs and that remaining viable nits will hatch lice. Unfortunately, the FDA’s directive does not take into consideration the endemic nature of head lice. Children being managed in this manner can infest others or become reinfested in the interim. Mechanical removal of head lice and nits is less noxious and more likely to be successful than repeated chemical treatments.
Strategies That Will Make The No Nit Policy Succeed
Emphasize Prevention
Promptly inform all parents of a case of head lice. Here is a sample letter to parents:
"A case of head lice has been reported in your child’s group. Head lice continue to be one of the most prevalent communicable childhood diseases among children, and outbreaks are possible whenever and wherever children gather. Screen your child regularly and notify us immediately if head lice or their nits (lice eggs) are detected. (We welcome the opportunity to teach those of you who do not know how to check your child for head lice). Working together helps protect all of the children, including your own. Thank you for your cooperation."
Head Lice Aren't All Bad News
Head lice provide an early opportunity to teach children responsible personal health behaviors. Children can learn communicable disease prevention concepts in a meaningful way and learn to take responsibility for their actions. It is vital that we build consistent and positive public health messages for children who mature into a world of behavior-related health threats including alcohol, drugs and AIDS.
Administrative Advantages of the No Nit Policy
Having the No Nit Policy in place makes the task of the staff of the school, camp, or child care facility more realistic and less subjective. If nits are present upon screening or re-screening, the child is dismissed for follow-up. As an administrative policy, it helps parents understand and assume their responsibility for head lice control. Families are encouraged to respond by carrying out the most effective prevention measures at all times and the safest most thorough control measures possible. For the child whose family is unable, for whatever reason, to comply with the policy, the “system” must go the extra mile to ensure the child is able to return to their group lice and nit free. The reward is an environment of mutual assurance that the child enters a group setting that supports a head lice control program.
Medical and Social Advantages of the No Nit Policy
In 1990, the NPA published a warning to the public that resistant strains of head lice were inevitable based on the way the products were being vigorously marketed and inappropriately used. Again in 1995, the NPA notified leading manufacturers of both permethrin and pyrethrin-based pediculicides that the NPA was receiving increased numbers of treatment failure reports from parents and health professionals alike, indicating possible lice resistance to some of these products.
In 1996, the NPA sponsored independent scientific evaluations of head lice sensitivity which documented permethrin-resistant head lice from children in Massachusetts, Iowa, and Washington. In 1997, the World Health Organization review of treatments for pediculosis noted the issue of lice resistance to almost all of the commercially available pesticide treatments including permethrin-based products. As recently as February 1999, the Journal of Parasitology reported lice resistance in England, following in the footsteps of journal reports from Israel, Czechoslovakia, France and the U.S. Resistance issues alone warrant that people be reminded in advance that products may not provide the positive outcome they seek. Repeated use of these products will not change product performance and may risk children's health and contribute to more strains of resistant lice.
While absence from school or child care is a loss of educational opportunity and an encumbrance to working parents, readmitting an infested child is not the solution. A policy for head lice must consider not only the infested child, but also his or her peers who have already been successfully deloused or who have not yet been infested. All this considered, the No Nit Policy remains a sensible approach that sets the standard to serve and protect all the children in the group.
A Healthy Standard for Children and their Families
The National Pediculosis Association, recommends the No Nit Policy as the public health standard intended to keep children lice free, nit free, and in school.
Pediculosis represents one of the most common communicable childhood diseases and whether or not we understand how this has evolved, it is important to acknowledge head lice as a problem when raising or caring for children.
The Spirit of the No Nit Policy is to minimize head lice infestations as a public health problem and to keep children in school lice and nit free.
Establishing Consistent Guidelines
The No Nit Policy encourages each family to do its part at home with routine screening, early detection, accurate identification and thorough removal of lice and nits. Establishing consistent guidelines and educating the public about procedures in advance of outbreaks helps minimize inappropriate responses.
Early intervention provides the needed assurance for those who have successfully eliminated an infestation that everything possible is being done to prevent new outbreaks when children return to groups where close contact is inevitable. Repeated exposures to pesticidal products put children at risk. Parents need to be informed that chemical treatments may also be dangerous for children with certain pre-existing medical conditions and/or medication regimens. Families with pregnant or nursing mothers should be given advance notice that early detection with manual removal of lice and nits can serve as a safe alternative to pesticidal lice treatment products.
Why The Controversy?
Opponents of No Nit Policies say that "overzealous" enforcement can lead to inappropriate exclusion of children with residual nits, but whose infestation has otherwise been "treated." Those who judge enforcement to be "overzealous" may not consider the broader public health values and preferences of the community. Few who oppose the No Nit Policies would accept infestations for themselves or for their own children.
Without the No Nit Policy, communities are left with a hit-or-miss approach. Indifference about adopting a standardized management protocol permeates the attitudes of health professionals at every level. This in turn gives way to a maze of conflicting opinions and directives that are counterproductive. Public health policies for head lice cannot be based solely on the use of chemical remedies.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends repeating chemical treatments in 7-10 days because none of the available treatment products are 100% effective against lice eggs and that remaining viable nits will hatch lice. Unfortunately, the FDA’s directive does not take into consideration the endemic nature of head lice. Children being managed in this manner can infest others or become reinfested in the interim. Mechanical removal of head lice and nits is less noxious and more likely to be successful than repeated chemical treatments.
Strategies That Will Make The No Nit Policy Succeed
- Proactive Community Education: The community is given a baseline understanding of the louse, modes of transmission and the importance of safe and effective control measures. Information-sharing targets everyone in the circle of responsibility for children -- from parents, siblings, friends and neighbors to school nurses, teachers and principals, to pharmacists, physicians, product manufacturers and government agencies.
- Routine Screening and Early Detection: Vigilant screening of children for head lice and nits plays a pivotal role in pediculosis management. Early detection offers the best opportunity to manually remove head lice and nits without pesticide exposure. This directive is consistent with traditional preventive medical and communicable disease control methods.
- Manual Removal of All Lice and Nits: There are no safe pesticides, "natural" or otherwise, scientifically proven to be 100% effective against head lice, nits or nit glue. Reliance on head lice treatment products that are ineffective promotes repeated use of potentially harmful chemicals and contributes to ongoing infestations, outbreaks, and resistant strains of head lice.
Parents should be discouraged from spending unnecessary time and money on "concoctions" for which there is no scientific basis for claims or evidence of efficacy and human safety. A wide variety of such "lice remedies" are vigorously marketed to consumers especially via the Internet. The result is more confusion for families already deluged with conflicting treatment recommendations. Manual removal is the safe alternative and necessary component to any head lice treatment regimen.
- Temporary Dismissal of Children with Head Lice and/or Nits: Administrators and health personnel must take all reasonable measures to help ensure that infested children do not join the group setting. It is more than fair to expect that uninfested children will be safeguarded while infested children will be cared for with sensitivity. Monitoring with enforcement through scheduled and announced group screenings encourages parental compliance and promotes community cooperation and individual accountability. This does not mean panicked emergency pick-ups. The goal is to avert a crisis mentality by enabling families to keep their children lice and nit free.
There are practical approaches that include readmitting children whose parents have done an excellent job of nit removal but may have missed a single nit. This nit should be removed immediately, a step that both supports the No Nit Policy and allows the child to return to class.
Emphasize Prevention
Promptly inform all parents of a case of head lice. Here is a sample letter to parents:
"A case of head lice has been reported in your child’s group. Head lice continue to be one of the most prevalent communicable childhood diseases among children, and outbreaks are possible whenever and wherever children gather. Screen your child regularly and notify us immediately if head lice or their nits (lice eggs) are detected. (We welcome the opportunity to teach those of you who do not know how to check your child for head lice). Working together helps protect all of the children, including your own. Thank you for your cooperation."
Head Lice Aren't All Bad News
Head lice provide an early opportunity to teach children responsible personal health behaviors. Children can learn communicable disease prevention concepts in a meaningful way and learn to take responsibility for their actions. It is vital that we build consistent and positive public health messages for children who mature into a world of behavior-related health threats including alcohol, drugs and AIDS.
Administrative Advantages of the No Nit Policy
Having the No Nit Policy in place makes the task of the staff of the school, camp, or child care facility more realistic and less subjective. If nits are present upon screening or re-screening, the child is dismissed for follow-up. As an administrative policy, it helps parents understand and assume their responsibility for head lice control. Families are encouraged to respond by carrying out the most effective prevention measures at all times and the safest most thorough control measures possible. For the child whose family is unable, for whatever reason, to comply with the policy, the “system” must go the extra mile to ensure the child is able to return to their group lice and nit free. The reward is an environment of mutual assurance that the child enters a group setting that supports a head lice control program.
Medical and Social Advantages of the No Nit Policy
- Prevents continuing infestations caused by the surviving and hatching of nits.
- Maximizes the opportunity to eliminate repeated chemical treatments aimed at killing head lice that hatch from remaining viable nits.
- Eliminates confusion -- Were these eggs here before or do they represent a new infestation?
- Contributes to improved standards of personal hygiene and self-esteem, protecting children from ridicule and rejection .
- Enhances uninterrupted class time for the majority of the children and prevents lost days at work that can be costly for parents.
In 1990, the NPA published a warning to the public that resistant strains of head lice were inevitable based on the way the products were being vigorously marketed and inappropriately used. Again in 1995, the NPA notified leading manufacturers of both permethrin and pyrethrin-based pediculicides that the NPA was receiving increased numbers of treatment failure reports from parents and health professionals alike, indicating possible lice resistance to some of these products.
In 1996, the NPA sponsored independent scientific evaluations of head lice sensitivity which documented permethrin-resistant head lice from children in Massachusetts, Iowa, and Washington. In 1997, the World Health Organization review of treatments for pediculosis noted the issue of lice resistance to almost all of the commercially available pesticide treatments including permethrin-based products. As recently as February 1999, the Journal of Parasitology reported lice resistance in England, following in the footsteps of journal reports from Israel, Czechoslovakia, France and the U.S. Resistance issues alone warrant that people be reminded in advance that products may not provide the positive outcome they seek. Repeated use of these products will not change product performance and may risk children's health and contribute to more strains of resistant lice.
While absence from school or child care is a loss of educational opportunity and an encumbrance to working parents, readmitting an infested child is not the solution. A policy for head lice must consider not only the infested child, but also his or her peers who have already been successfully deloused or who have not yet been infested. All this considered, the No Nit Policy remains a sensible approach that sets the standard to serve and protect all the children in the group.
I Didn't Know That - Secret Life of Head Lice
AC360 special documentary: The Bully Effect
Premiering Feb. 28, 2013, "The Bully Effect" is a powerful documentary on a movement to end bullying in America's schools.
An extraordinary documentary called "Bully" captured a behavior adults hear about, but rarely see: the way some kids pressure and relentlessly harass their peers. Filmmaker Lee Hirsch was embedded in several schools for an entire year. What he filmed was so raw and eye-opening that the project catapulted a movement, sounding the alarm about the critical and dangerous issue of bullying.
Something profound has also happened as a result. In the time since "Bully" was released, a number of kids and parents profiled in the documentary, and the filmmaker himself, have been on life-changing journeys, and in some instances have experienced remarkable transformations.
AC360° has dedicated the past year to tracing the course of their journeys and personal missions. In partnership with Cartoon Network, we want to share their stories with you in a powerful documentary called "The Bully Effect," premiering on CNN on February 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
When Alex Libby was a 12 year old in Sioux City, Iowa, the slurs, curses and threats would begin even before he boarded the school bus. It escalated to such a frightening degree that Hirsch put down his camera and got involved in his subject's life. He warned Alex's parents and school administrators that he feared for the student's safety.
Today Alex has become an anti-bullying rock star with appearances on national television and a visit to the White House. He also regularly delivers speeches to capacity crowds as an activist, and considers himself a spokesman for the bullied. We'll show you how he overcame the junior high torment to find happiness in high school.
Kelby Johnson came out as a lesbian in middle school and in the years since she and her family have been treated like pariahs in their small town in Oklahoma. Kelby admits to once being a cutter and speaks matter-of-factly about attempting suicide on three separate occasions. Even after she was hit purposely by a van of high school boys while walking back from lunch, she believes it's her destiny to remain in her small conservative town and change a few minds.
Now 19, Kelby says her participation in "Bully" empowered her to raise awareness about bullying targeted toward the most at risk population for suicide – LGBT youth. "I know that being gay, you can feel very alone," she says, "and I hope that when they watch the movie, that goes away and they realize there is someone standing with them who has gone through that." You'll get to hear about Kelby's struggles, the people who abandoned her family, and those who stood by her.
Kirk Smalley's story is both inspirational and heartbreaking. The film introduced him burying his 11-year-old son TY after he committed suicide because he was bullied. Kirk says, "I will fight bullying forever because my son will be 11 forever." You'll see his family turn unbearable pain into motivation to enlist the entire world in the fight against bullying.
Hirsch's mission has continued since his film's release - his goal is for 1 million students to see "Bully" through their schools. He has helped create an anti-bullying curriculum, in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, to be coupled with the film so that students, teachers and administrators can watch together and get everyone involved to stop bullying. "The Bully Effect" tracks his progress trying to reach 1 million students while also traveling back to his own middle school where he opens up about his personal history with bullying.
Anderson Cooper and the producers at AC360° have been reporting for years on the long-lasting damage suffered by victims of bullying. We now want to focus on the change happening in light of "Bully" and campaigns to end intimidation and harassment. "The Bully Effect" reveals how individuals are making a difference in their communities and all over the country. Learn about their stories on February 28 at 10 p.m. ET and share your own on Facebook.com/AC360 or by using#bullyeffect on Twitter.
Something profound has also happened as a result. In the time since "Bully" was released, a number of kids and parents profiled in the documentary, and the filmmaker himself, have been on life-changing journeys, and in some instances have experienced remarkable transformations.
AC360° has dedicated the past year to tracing the course of their journeys and personal missions. In partnership with Cartoon Network, we want to share their stories with you in a powerful documentary called "The Bully Effect," premiering on CNN on February 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
When Alex Libby was a 12 year old in Sioux City, Iowa, the slurs, curses and threats would begin even before he boarded the school bus. It escalated to such a frightening degree that Hirsch put down his camera and got involved in his subject's life. He warned Alex's parents and school administrators that he feared for the student's safety.
Today Alex has become an anti-bullying rock star with appearances on national television and a visit to the White House. He also regularly delivers speeches to capacity crowds as an activist, and considers himself a spokesman for the bullied. We'll show you how he overcame the junior high torment to find happiness in high school.
Kelby Johnson came out as a lesbian in middle school and in the years since she and her family have been treated like pariahs in their small town in Oklahoma. Kelby admits to once being a cutter and speaks matter-of-factly about attempting suicide on three separate occasions. Even after she was hit purposely by a van of high school boys while walking back from lunch, she believes it's her destiny to remain in her small conservative town and change a few minds.
Now 19, Kelby says her participation in "Bully" empowered her to raise awareness about bullying targeted toward the most at risk population for suicide – LGBT youth. "I know that being gay, you can feel very alone," she says, "and I hope that when they watch the movie, that goes away and they realize there is someone standing with them who has gone through that." You'll get to hear about Kelby's struggles, the people who abandoned her family, and those who stood by her.
Kirk Smalley's story is both inspirational and heartbreaking. The film introduced him burying his 11-year-old son TY after he committed suicide because he was bullied. Kirk says, "I will fight bullying forever because my son will be 11 forever." You'll see his family turn unbearable pain into motivation to enlist the entire world in the fight against bullying.
Hirsch's mission has continued since his film's release - his goal is for 1 million students to see "Bully" through their schools. He has helped create an anti-bullying curriculum, in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, to be coupled with the film so that students, teachers and administrators can watch together and get everyone involved to stop bullying. "The Bully Effect" tracks his progress trying to reach 1 million students while also traveling back to his own middle school where he opens up about his personal history with bullying.
Anderson Cooper and the producers at AC360° have been reporting for years on the long-lasting damage suffered by victims of bullying. We now want to focus on the change happening in light of "Bully" and campaigns to end intimidation and harassment. "The Bully Effect" reveals how individuals are making a difference in their communities and all over the country. Learn about their stories on February 28 at 10 p.m. ET and share your own on Facebook.com/AC360 or by using#bullyeffect on Twitter.