April 22, 2024 | Victoria News via UVic News
Hulu’s new series, Under the Bridge, is a chilling reminder of the tragic murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in 1997. The series, based on the horrific incident, aims to shed light on youth violence and bullying. However, it’s not just a tale of a crime; it’s also a story about the tireless efforts of individuals like Bonnie Leadbeater to combat such issues.
Dr. Bonnie Leadbeater is a psychology professor at the University of Victoria with a focus on youth and developmental psychology. She directs the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey and the WITS programs for bullying prevention. She is also a founding director of the Centre for Youth & Society, which studies youth victimization and bullying, and conducts anti-bullying campaigns. Additionally, she engages in discussions around media portrayals of tragic events, advocating for awareness over exploitation. Her input on this series is important as she was working with the group of police who discovered Virk’s body.
She believes that while Under the Bridge provides a good opportunity to create discussion around the event, there’s a fine line between taking advantage of a unique event and raising awareness. She hopes that the series will recall the tragic events without resorting to blatant violence. Despite her mixed feelings about watching the series, she recognizes its potential to remind us of what happened and how things have changed since then.
For those interested in delving deeper into Leadbeater’s work, we highly recommend checking out her publications on the University of Victoria’s institutional repository, UVicSpace.There, you’ll find a wealth of knowledge and research that further illuminates her invaluable contributions to the field of youth development and psychology.
