The Loser's Club

WHY “THE LOSER’S CLUB”
Bullying is universal. It occurs in high schools throughout the world and it’s language is universal: If you are different in any way you are a potential target for bullying. Bullying is an epidemic. It is rampant, widespread, pervasive and the effects can be catastrophic. It occurs in our communities, in our schools – and sadly – even in our homes. Bullying statistics are staggering, scary and merit serious consideration and immediate action.
Consider the following(pertaining to the United States):
Facts and Statistics
• 90% of students in grades 4-8 report have been harrased or bullied.
• 28% of students in grades 6-12 experience bullying.2
• 20% of students in grades 9-12 experience bullying. (stopbullying.gov)
• In grades 6-12, 9% of students have experienced cyberbulling.2
• Over 160,000 kids refuse to go to school each day for fear of being bullied. (Nation Education Association)
• 70.6% of students report having witnessed bullying in their school–and over 71% say bullying is a problem.
• Over 10% of students who drop out of school do so due to being bullied repeatedly.
• Each month 282,000 students are physically assaulted in some way in secondary schools throughout the United States–and the number is growing.
• Statistics suggest that revenge [due to bullying] is the number one motivator for school shootings in the U.S.
• 86% of students surveyed said, "other kids picking on them, making fun of them or bullying them" is the number one reason that teenagers turn to lethal violence at school.
• Nearly 75% of school shootings have been linked to harrasment and bullying.
• 87% of students surveyed report that bullying is the primary motivator school shootings.
• 64% of students who are bullied do not report it. (Petrosina, Guckenburg, Devoe and Hanson 2010)
These are staggering statistics. The fact that approximately 64% of students who are bullied do not report it is even further evidence that Bullying is a monumental problem in American high schools.

Personal Experience
As a high school English and theatre teacher, I witnessed bullying on a daily basis. Students who were physically or mentally challended, gay or transgender, or just not considered a part of the “in crowd” were often physically and verbally harassed. I stepped in when I could, but I knew the solution to repeated bullying wasn’t necessarily in my hands as I realized that at some point, my interference could actually excacerbate the situation.
At the beginning of 2000, I decided to pursue a Master of Arts Degree. For one of my graduate classes, I was asked to write a one-act play about a topic that I felt passionately about. I chose bullying and 4 months later, “The Losers’ Club was born. I thought what better way to address such a serious topic than with humor.
The play was published in 2012 by Eldridge Publishing and has been produced over 100 times by more than 50 high schools throughout the United States and Australia. The play has garnered more than 15 regional and state high school theatre awards.
“The Losers’ Club has prompted countless discussions in high schools throughout the country as evidenced by the many letters I have received from theatre directors, administrators, and even students.
I am confident that the film adaptation will accomplish far more to eradicate bullying and bring an understanding to what a serious problem it truly is. Perhaps we will one day be able to erase the aforementioned statistics… or at least reduce them dramatically.