A message for every high school teacher, and principal

Attention Dr.Phil - An Excellent Discussion on Bullying Solutions (YouTube Video)

A message for every high school teacher, and Principal

My Name is Darryl Learie . I  was severely bullied for years in high school.

I know from personal experience that bullying in school is a destructive action that is met with apathy within the public school system. 

When students are bullied, they are unable to achieve successful grades in their school work. Their survival and preservation of self becomes their only priority.  Dropping out of high school also becomes a very real coping mechanism to the bullying problem. I don't need to explain that poor grades, and unfinished schooling is detrimental to any quality of life and financial success they could have enjoyed and benefited from within their lives.

Not to mention that the above will limit their capacity to contribute to society academically and intellectually.

 Being bullied is also catalyst for future emotional, and mental illnesses (which will eventually cost the government, and effect future generations). 

The effects of bullying last far into ones adult years. And ultimately through low self-esteem and low self-worth, leads to a life of dysfunction (especially when the bullying takes place during those years when a student's brain undergoes a massive transformation in concept of self).

That student's eventual self-destruction and/or life of dysfunction does not only effect them personally but with every relationship they have in life, and future generations of children they will conceive.

When students are bullied, the abuse that they receive can only manifest in one of two ways; inward - which commonly leads to suicide, or outward - which leads to  varying degrees of aggression towards others, and  in the most extreme cases deadly violence towards others.

The public school system say that they are concerned with the continuing problem of bullying - but being actively proactive speaks far more than merely words of conviction.

There is an apathy within the school system when it comes to addressing the bullying problem. This apathy is the product of many forms of denial. Like schools that deny that they have a serious bullying problem for fear of tainting the school's public and professional image. 

Another form of this apathy is when the bullying issue is ignored because no school authority( whether it be teachers, principals, or even school trustees) will take on the responsibility of addressing it. 

Ideology is also a problem. When the success of a school is solely measured by academic performance it serves to ignore whatever casualties are suffered because the majority go on to be working members of society.

Below are some personal examples of how this apathy also limits people like myself who are willing to address the bullying issue.

I produced a video aptly named "How Bullying Changed My Life Forever," and sent links to that video, along with a letter of concern, to several important school boards and trustees and staff of the schools in the city that I live. But I have had no one ask for my further involvement in any capacity to address the issue.

In 1998, I produced an anti-bullying speech with help from an English Professor, and presented the writing to my old high school.  They were not going to share the work with their students. 

They did not offer to rework the speech with me, they simply turned it down - even though I am willing to help as a volunteer, simply hoping to have purpose in this issue.

This is the apathy I am talking about.

It is up to the schools to implement an anti-bullying atmosphere. An atmosphere where students do not act as if being at school is matter of survival of the fittest (or survival of the most popular) but rather work as a team towards the betterment of their collectively role in society.  

Just like that in a library where conflict rarely occurs because a strict, quiet atmosphere of consideration is already established and understood.

There is an answer to the bullying epidemic - but it requires a network of school authorities sharing their stories of success to the bullying problem, and implementing an anti-bullying curriculum.

It requires a constant awareness of the bullying problem and presenting that awareness to every school authority involved - for out of sight, out of mind, and thus no action.

It requires the constant celebration of all students, not just those who excel academically and/or athletically.

How many schools credit awards for moral aptitude?

Every issue starts with awareness which leads to conversation, than debate, and eventual collaborative efforts to resolve the issue at hand.

There are solutions, there are answers

It is not up to the bullied to seek out the answers, for they are simply trying to survive and should not have to problem solve what should not happen to them in the first place. For their only role is to attain an education as their right.

Is it not the job of every teacher to build up every student? For every student cannot reach their highest potential academically if they do not have a strong emotional foundation.

Society is a bee-hive where are greatest purpose is not necessarily measured by our jobs but rather by the positive impact of our relationships onto our fellow human beings.

Every person has purpose in society. 

Evil happens when good people do nothing. Be part of the solution - not part of the problem.

I created my other video - How being bullied changed my life forever, please watch and share this video with every school authority for surely they can watch 18 minutes of what I personally suffered for years.

Thank-you for reading - Darryl Learie