The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center is sponsoring a series of free public meetings to educate parents about bullying, cyberbullying and teen depression. The speaker will be John Halligan, whose 13-year-old son Ryan committed suicide after years of intense bullying. Halligan was invited by the Center to give his presentation at community meetings last year, and he was invited back because of the strong community response to his message.
The community education is part of the Center’s UpStanders: Stand Up to Bullying initiative begun in 2009. The project uses the stories of rescuers – people who took enormous risks in order to save potential victims during the Holocaust – as an important example of the power that bystanders can have.
According the Carol Dierksen, director of the project, the goal is to inspire and empower people, particularly teens, so they can successfully intervene when they witness bullying. “Studies show that the most effective way to reduce bullying is through peer pressure,” she says. “ When bystanders become ‘upstanders’, willing to stand up for the rights and safety of others, they can make a real difference in someone’s life.”
Halligan’s presentations focus on what he and his wife wish they had known before their son’s death – everything from the dynamics of online bullying to actions that other people, including his parents, might have taken to address the situation. Since Ryan’s death, he has made speaking about bullying his life’s work.
“Nothing can ever bring back our Ryan,“ he says. “Nothing will ever heal our broken hearts. But we hope by sharing the personal details of our tremendous loss, another family will have been spared a lifelong sentence to this kind of pain.”
Presentations are scheduled Wednesday December 14, 2011 at Lyman High School (865 S. Ronald Reagan Blvd., Longwood, FL 32750); Thursday December 15, 2011 at Horizon Middle School (2020 Ham Brown Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746); and Thursday January 5, 2012 at Edgewater High School (3100 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804). Programs begin at 7 PM. There is no admission charged, and you do not need to be a resident of the community to attend. The program may not be suitable for younger children so parents are advised to use discretion.
Halligan will also be speaking at nine area middle schools that have agreed to be part of the UpStander project. As he shares the story of his son’s life and tragic death, he encourages them to see the importance of asking for, and for offering, help. The school programs are part of a broader program that include visits to the Holocaust Center, in-class presentations on the dynamics of intervening, and a new light-and-shadow show created for older teens by MicheLee Puppets.
For more details please contact the Holocaust Center at 407-628-0555.
