When are you going to be an upstander?

I am pissed.

Pissed that another child took his own life because he was bullied for having a colostomy bag.

Pissed because people and organizations continue to choose to be bystanders instead of upstanders.

Every day I have a conversation with my extra needs kiddo about bullying.

Every Day!

And seriously that 10-year-old boy should be a kid, playing and giving his parents joy and teenage grief and that is never going to happen. Ever.

They will not see him move through the grades to graduate high school. They will never see him be in love and get married. They will never see him become a parent and give them a grandchild.

  • Because someone did not explain to the peers of the child about what a colostomy bag is.
  • Because someone did not step in to normalize what the child experiences.
  • Because someone did not intervene when the bullying behavior happened.
  • Because kids are not being taught to be upstanders but rather to wash their hands and walk away.
  • Because someone didn’t have the courage to be an upstander.

It is a human responsibility to be an example to our younger generation. To open the channels of communication with our children. To speak up even if you end up standing alone.

It is not okay to laugh when someone is making a joke about someone else. It’s not okay to participate in bullying behavior.
It’s not okay to just stand there and watch it happen.
It’s not okay to cheer the bully on.
It’s not okay to make fun of other people.

It’s time we as a human collective start being accepting, start having the hard conversations and break apart the stereotypes we were taught to believe.

It’s time that you choose to be part of the solution, because if not then you are absolutely part of the problem.

Become an upstander by

Taking action by telling the bully to stop

Taking action by getting others to stand up to the bully with them

Taking action by helping the victim.

Taking action by shifting the focus and redirecting the bully away from the victim

Taking action by telling an adult who can help

From STOMP Out Bullying

No other person should want to take their own life because they are different in any way shape or form. I don’t know how to stress this point.

No parent should experience the loss of a child because they were bullied.

About the author

Petra Monaco is an artist, author, and professional problem solver for creatives, rebels, and multi-passionates.

She is here to help you remove frustration from your life and achieve your creative dreams with more ease and confidence.

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