Dismissed bullying in a school setting

Abstract

Bullying is a negative social issue that must not be dismissed as it leads to emotional and psychological long term effects. The objectives of the study are; to investigate three cases studies of dismissed bullying in school settings, observe how they are handled by school personnel, and determine the effects bullying causes in relation to the victim. Taking these into consideration, the project aims to portray dismissal physical and emotional bullying by an authoritative figure through the combination of 2.5D animation and the use of satire. 2.5D animation gives the project a platform that is seemingly appealing to a wide range of audiences. Satire is applied so that the issue of bullying is presented in a comical manner and thus mirroring how in real life the subject matter is not being taken care of properly. The manner the illustrations are animated helps in putting emphasis on the action taking place thus creating the desired visual effect. While illustrations make the animation appealing, the use of satire makes the initial appeal contradictory and may leave the audience with a misunderstood interpretation. Yet, the analysed case studies show bullying being mishandled by school personnel due to negligence, inaction or hasty judgements. This is reflected in the final outcome of the work since the behaviour of the teacher portrayed in the animation is similar to the authority figures in the case studies. Notwithstanding this, the written document, together with the practical project is a product of factual, psychological and visual arts research.