Teachers and other school staffers cannot observe every single incident of bullying; however, when a child is consistently targeted and made fun of, at some point, school faculty members ought to be aware and take action accordingly.
Hugh Jackman has thrown his support behind 9-year-old Aussie boy Quaden Bayles, after his mum shared a heartbreaking video of her son's despair at being bullied. #WeStandWithQuaden pic.twitter.com/4VB5jMZgYW
— Yahoo Lifestyle Australia (@YLifestyleAu) February 21, 2020
No child deserves day-in and day-out subjection to torment and emotional abuse. If staffers at Quaden’s school knew what went on and failed to appropriately penalize the bullies, that’s problematic. If Quaden’s teachers and other faculty members truly didn’t know of his consistent subjection to bullies, then this speaks to their incompetence and lack of fitness to have authority over kids.
Online trends, hashtags, and calls to end bullying are great and must continue. However, the adults in charge of the facilities in which bullying occurs must also be held accountable. Allowing a child to feel so ongoingly beaten down that he wants to take his own life is inexcusable. The bullies ought to be ashamed of themselves, as should the school staffers who failed to intervene.
An Update on Quaden Bayles
Since the enormous amount of support and kindness, Quaden seems to be doing well. In another video, he talks about combatting school bullying, standing up for yourself, and not listening to the bullies. The nine-year-old is also visibly happier, seen playing ball in the park with other kids.
