Student, professional actors speak candidly about bullying

“I hear people cussing at other kids, trying to bring people’s day down,” says DK Zeleznik, a junior at Palm Springs High School.

Zeleznik is one of a dozen students who performed live alongside taped videos of celebrities like Demi Lovato and Kevin Spacey, demonstrating the emotional effects of bullying.

BOO2Bullying, a local organization aimed at eradicating bullying in our towns, asked two professional actors to join the event in a raw, unscripted discussion about bullying on campus.

Actress Cassie Scerbo, Vice President & West Coast Executive Director for Boo2Bullying, joined actor Sean Kanan (also a Young Men’s Outreach Ambassador)on stage.

The two have overcome bullying as a kid to star in movies and shows like Sharknado 3, Bring it On, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Karate Kid Part 3.

BOO2Bullying founder Dimitri Halkidis says these actors are using their platform to speak candidly about an issue plaguing our nation.

“If we don’t educate and eradicate this, we’re losing all our talented kids.” He continued, “For us it’s about standing up and speaking out. It’s not being the victim, it’s not sitting in the side corner, it’s not how many likes you have.”

Scerbo and Kanan say a family structure of any kind is “ground zero” in molding kids to become positive, productive adults who prevent this kind of abuse.

“Whether you think your kid is listening or not, you are their foundation,” said Scerbo.

Kanan piggy-backed on that, saying of his five children, three are teenagers, and he plays an active role in their lives.

“The push-back from the kids is, ‘Hey, I want my privacy’,” he said. “Let me tell you something. You get no privacy. If my going through your phone or my inserting myself into my child’s life is going to protect them, or give them the best life possible, then sorry. I’m going through the phone.”

Founder Halkidis says BOO2Bullying has a specific plan of attack. “We first target the bully – the child who feels awkward and lashes out at others, by giving them the opportunity to become self-aware.”

The organization’s format is unique, teaching that bullying is like a triangle with three points: The bully, the victim, and the people who stand by. Halkidis says reaching out to each point on the triangle is the key to eradicating the abuse.

To get involved or learn more about the kind of educational opportunities BOO2Bullying can bring to your school, visit ww.BOO2Bullying.org.