Reflections on John Halligan’s Presentation

By FHTMS Peer Leadership Students

On March 31, 2008, Mr. John Halligan came to talk to FHTMS about the

effects of bullying. His family lost their son after many years of his being

bullied and dealing with depression. His speech was so powerful and touched

many people! Some of our friends who watched the presentation realized

how their actions affected other people. Most of us became more conscious

about what we were saying and doing. We are very glad he came and his

story will never be forgotten.

When John Halligan visited us, he gave a speech on bullying and made an

impact on many students and parents. He talked about the loss of his son,

Ryan, and the impact bullying had on his life. It was “a heartbreaking

experience” and “moved” many people in the audience. Some of the

comments we heard were: “His presentation was life altering.” “He changed

my outlook on bullying, life and how I react to people.” “Your story changed

my prospective.” Here is one student’s perspective on the presentation: “ I

think that the story was much more powerful having him tell the story, than

having someone else who hadn’t experienced bullying as such a terrible

experience. He changed my outlook on life and I think that he touched more

than just my heart.”

 
A Tragic Story
            John Halligan is coming to FHTMS on March 31st. We are very fortunate to get such a great speaker in here to tell his tragic story. Within his very close family they experienced a major bullying tragedy. John’s son, Ryan was only 13 years old when he committed suicide on October 7th, 2003. Ryan was bullied at school and online. In the fifth grade is when all the bullying started. They would bully him about his academic weaknesses and many other things. In 6th grade the bullying was on and off so his parents weren’t too concerned. When he was in 7th grade though the bullying worsened! Surely enough, the kids that had bullied Ryan in 5th grade were the main bullies in middle school too. With all this bullying going on, Ryan finally couldn’t handle it and tragically took his life! Many of the students around the world don’t realize how much bullying can impact others lives. After, John comes to speak with our school we are all hoping that it will bring a new understanding about what the affects of bullying can be. Please take everything that John Halligan has to say seriously. It could be you in the shoes of a kid that is being bullied one day, so help stop it now.
For the full story about ryan's life visit ryanpatrickhalligan.org
 

BEAT BULLYING

 

Think of life as one big plate,

One side you love and one side you hate.

 

For all the rubbish you give us day and night,

you never give us a chance to defend of fight.

 

Now its our chance to stand up and say "No!"

maybe you'll have to leave without us having to go.

 

~Craig Bagwell

 

http://circle.nypo.org/craig.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bullying may not seem like a big deal to some people, but that's probably because they haven't experienced it yet. You most likely, if you haven't, will experience bullying yourself at some time.Bullied students may have higher rates of absenteeism and dropout as

compared to their non-bullied peers. Students who are bullied tend to present with higher levels of insecurity,anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and low self-esteem.

 

 

 

"There should be no “end date” for bullying prevention

activities. Bullying prevention should be woven into

the entire school environment." ~stopbullyingnow

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bullying

by Alexandra Galvis

As I make my way to school each day

To see the girls who break my soul

I wish I could tell the bullies in my school

Can you be kind and not so cruel?

And it starts and lasts all day

I cannot stand it, go away

Just close your eyes and you will see

All the memories that you have engraved in me

I think to myself

There is no pain, there is no fear

So dry away that silent tear

It's not that easy you must know

I'm not a project of anybody

I'm not your pity either for you to be my friend

Give me a chance so you can see

There is nothing strange about me

That you have not let them see

I ask myself will this ever end?

I just feel empty time to time inside me

Sooner or later I'll break down and cry

Let the darkness fill the room

I can't get out of it, I can't resume

I feel so alone like a single red rose,

So alone like a story that's never been told

I feel so alone like a sparrow in the sky

Like a bird who cannot fly

I am lucky to have a family like mine

Who understand me and feel pride

Otherwise my world would be dark

With every unpleasant memories

That is left inside me.

Never allow anyone to bring you down

On your mind make these feelings

Make you stronger and put your head up high

Never keep it silent

There is nothing to feel ashamed of

Only to those that join in all that harm.

As I get up in the morning  

To prepare myself for school                                                       No Bullies 

My body and my mind

Start to get scared and

My life felt very dark inside

I couldn't take it any longer

As I started to share my pain with my mum

I didn't know how to explain to her

It all came out with tears and a broken heart

She couldn't comprehend as I hid it for a while

I showed her every day I was a happy child

Nobody will understand that bullying can make such harm

I ask myself everyday what wrong have I done

Why bullies don't take a day in my shoes

To feel the unpleasantness to feel unwanted

To understand how much damage they have done

When you feel scared and abused inside

If you ever feel you've been bullied

Never feel guilty and keep it shut

Just remember it's not your fault

There are always jealous cowards in this world.

 

http://circle.nypo.org/alexa.html

 

 

 

 
  • Find your (true) friends. If you've been bullied with rumors or gossip, all of the above tips (especially ignoring and not reacting) can apply. But take it one step further to help ease feelings of hurt and isolation. Find one or two true friends and confide how the gossip has hurt your feelings. Set the record straight by telling your friends quietly and confidently what's true and not true about you. Hearing a friend say, "I know the rumor's not true. I didn't pay attention to it," can help you realize that most of the time people see gossip for what it is — petty, rude, and immature.            

         http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take this quiz to see if your being a bully to someone... http://www.girlshealth.gov/bullying/quiz.bullied.cfm


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