Kolton Rice, an eighth grader at Possum Middle School, decided to make the video to spread the word that bullying hurts, he said. Bullying happens everywhere, he said, but mainly at school, Rice said.
“It helps no one in any way,” Rice said. “We can save the world by stopping bullying.”
The video, titled “A Walk In My Shoes,” shows a bully who eventually becomes bullied himself and later befriends one of his earlier victims. The video was shown to students at the school and has about 700 views online, Rice said.
While viewing the video, his parents and school officials cried, Rice said.
“There was a lot of crying,” he said.
One day at recess, Hannah Beers, a seventh grader, and Rice saw another student being bullied and decided to stop it. That’s when the discussion began about producing the video to spread awareness about bullying, she said. By making the video, the students felt they were making a difference, she said.
“It took a lot of time, but it was awesome,” Beers said. “It was a good experience.”
Damian Wilson, an eighth grader at Possum, was asked by Rice to be a part of the video after being bullied at a different school, he said. People care about and try to help each other at Possum, Wilson said.
“When I moved here, it all changed,” Wilson said.
The Sheriff’s Office was shown the video on Christmas Eve by Deputy Mark Lane, one of the Educational Service Officers, Kelly said. They felt the video was worth of recognition, Kelly said, including badges.
“The first charge of the sheriff is to keep peace in the county,” Kelly said. “I thought these young people show what the sheriff is about, and they were trying to make Possum a more peaceful place.”
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