Stories and films to educate about diversity and raise awareness against harassment

Oscar Wilde said “be yourself, the rest of the roles have already been taken.” Each person is unique and unrepeatable, and our obligation is to contribute to an increasingly inclusive, respectful, and diverse society , but today bullying continues to be a serious public health problem.

And education continues to be the best prevention tool we have. According to the Spanish Association for the Prevention of Bullying, the World Health Organization estimates that bullying causes 200,000 suicides among young people between 14 and 28 years old.

In Europe alone, nearly 24 million children and young people are victims of mistreatment and harassment due to bullying and in Spain, 11,229 serious cases of bullying were registered between January 2021 and February 2022. The AEPAE also highlights that suicide is the cause of death mainly due to external causes in minors.

But in addition to its ultimate or worst consequences, it has numerous negative consequences for the physical and mental health of children : the experience of being a victim of bullying causes low self-esteem, high levels of anxiety and stress, little satisfaction with life and a high degree of of unhappiness. According to the NIH, victims of bullying are more at risk of developing mental health problems, headaches, and adjustment problems at school.

They are also at greater risk of depression. Bullying through social networks has been added to direct physical attacks, verbal attacks, the spread of rumors or the persuasion of third parties to ignore the victim. Books and movies to educate about diversity are a great resource at your disposal.

Here you can find some of our proposals.

5 films to raise awareness against bullying and respect differences

• Dumbo: The classic Disney movie is full of life lessons, and is particularly interesting for talking to children about marginalization, empathy and understanding . Rejected for his huge ears, he feels sad and alone, but his fortune will change. Dumbo teaches to value friends as a treasure, to understand that each being is unique and special, to work on self-esteem and maintain hope.
• Matilda: You can read Roald Dahl's book, watch the movie, or both. Matilda teaches the little ones the good company that reading provides, to find happiness after suffering, to find value in what makes us different and to be loyal to one's own essence. Enjoy it with some good pancakes.
• Karate Kid: An emblematic film of the eighties full of action, values ​​and strength. It tells the story of a young victim of bullying who decides to learn martial arts. With very emotional moments, the film teaches how to learn from elders and mentors with an open and humble mentality, to do what is most feared, to not give up in the face of disappointment and the importance of effort and perseverance.
• Finding Nemo: This film created by Disney and Pixar is one of the most famous and beloved animated films in the world. A glorious underwater adventure with many lessons, how to fight so that the pressure does not prevent you from developing your own personality, following the advice of your moms and dads and "keep swimming" when things get bad.
• Up : Up is a story full of message, love, tenderness and fun. It teaches that it is never too late to find happiness, as it narrates the journey between an optimistic 8-year-old boy and a 78-year-old widowed balloon salesman who is fulfilling his dream of flying away.

There are many more: A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Monsters SA, Ratatouille, Inside Out, Arlo's Journey or Coco.

5 stories to educate on diversity and inclusion

• Camuñas: Camuñas is a monster that lives in the forest and Blanca is an adorable girl who is about to become his next prey. A story that is both terrifying and tender that brims with courage and teaches children that they can control their own fears, learn to handle difficult situations, understand others and take advantage of their own imagination.
• The Ghost Fran: With beautiful illustrations and a useful moral to raise awareness in favor of diversity and against harassment, this is the story of a little ghost who did not know how to be scary and was expelled from the ghost school. It addresses topics such as kindness, care and the special brilliance that exists in difference.
• Pink Monster: The adorable protagonist of this story is a pink monster who lives in a place where everything is white and all the houses are the same and tiny, but he doesn't fit in any of them. Since he is not happy, he will decide to embark on a journey to find his place in the world. Pink Monster illustrates difference, freedom and the search for happiness in a world in which there must be room for everyone.
• Elmer: A story about equality and the value of difference starring a very special elephant that, instead of being gray like the rest, is a lot of colors, which provokes ridicule from its companions. But Elmer will manage to make them laugh and even have a party held in his name. It is an ideal story -and with beautiful illustrations- to raise awareness about tolerance, self-esteem, kindness and friendship.
• Butterfly Ears: An ideal story for children to understand that they should not make fun of any person's appearance, that each body is different and wonderful and that one should not judge by their physique. Differences make us unique and should never be a reason for parody, teaches this reading by Luisa Aguilar.

There are many more interesting stories in this sense: Lola the Wolf, The Black Book of Colors, Lucas Has Superpowers, Pepita is Special, Four Corners of Nothing or Lorenzo's Dipper are some titles that you can point out to educate about diversity.