THE LONG STORY

Ana Gabriela Avendano
The Signal
Tyler Long, a 17-year-old high school student from Murray County, GA came home from school one night and retired to his room. The next morning, his father found him dead; he had hanged himself.

Tyler dreaded the start of school each year; he had been bullied and picked-on since fifth grade until he took his life on Oct. 17, 2009.

“Children with disabilities are 60 percent more likely to be bullied,” said Tina Long, mother of Tyler long. “Schools aren’t equipped or trained to deal with disabled children.”

“Bully” is a 2011 documentary film directed by Lee Hirsch about bullying in U.S. schools. In the film, Hirsch gives a voice to bullying victims and follows the struggles of victims parents, like David and Tina Long, parents of late Tyler Long, as they mourn the loss of their son as a consequence of bullying and take on the school system that failed him.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and intentionally excluding someone from a group.

“It was so hard to film for this;  Lee showed up just five weeks after Tyler’s death,” Tina Long said. “Our emotions were very raw, but we are now thankful that Lee walked into our lives.  It has helped with our healing process.”

Tyler Long had Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD). WebMD defines PDDs as a “group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate and to use imagination.”

Tyler was a victim of bullying for years at school. David and Tina Long fought for their son when he was alive and they continue to do so today.

“After Tyler’s death, we vowed to raise awareness of the issue of bullying,” Tina Long said.

The Long’s believe Hirsch produced a beautiful work with the “Bully” film.

“The movie starts with Tyler looking into a video camera. After seeing the movie, conversations about bullying are started,” Tina Long said.  “It shows what really happens to our children.  If one life can be saved, then the movie has done its job. Parents, administrators, teachers, and children are creating anti-bullying programs after seeing this film.  It is inspiring!”

The Long’s involvement with the movie “Bully” began after Tyler’s passing. A local news anchor, David Carroll, organized a town hall meeting to bring the community together to discuss bullying. Hirsch read about the meeting and decided to call the Long family from New York and told them he was coming to Georgia to film a documentary about bullying.

“Like a lot of kids who are ‘different,’ Tyler was victimized by bullies,” Carroll said.

Students with disabilities are much more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers explains PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The Center works to unite, engage and educate communities nationwide to address bullying through creative, relevant and interactive resources. One study shows 60 percent of children with disabilities report being bullied regularly compared to 25 percent of all students.

Tina and David Long say they feel honored to be part of the “Bully” film and project. As a result of the documentary, many resources have been created, one of which is a toolkit directed for parents who have children being bullied that was made by The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). The Longs have partnered with NCLD and “Bully” to help promote the available resources.

Bullying affects the entire family. Kids are targets of physical and verbal abuse, which can result in feeling powerless and depressed; on the other hand, parents often struggle with feelings of frustration and helplessness to protect their children.

“If we all come together, we can make it a ‘Bully Free World,’ tolerance is the key,” Tina Long said. “The bystanders have to be supported when they stand up for someone. If we don’t use this movement to make a change, then this issue will continue and more children will be lost.  Now is the time…. Do it for Tyler.”