The students rush to pose with John at the close of the presentation On Monday December 1 a very powerful speaker addressed the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at St. Anne’s. The subject matter was so powerful that St. Joseph’s 7th and 8th graders accepted the invitation and came over by bus. The speaker was John Halligan from Vermont. In October, 2003, John’s son took his own life as the result of undiagnosed depression from repeated bullying and cyber-bullying. John has used his own tragedy to spread his message of hope across the world using print, radio and TV. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America and Primetime.

The St. Anne’s and St. Joseph’s students listened most attentively to John Halligan. He spoke of how much more harm is done in today’s age of bullying than in decades past simply by the use of texting, facebook and other instant messaging. Kids have the courage to say and spread things that they would not have the nerve or the means to do without electronics. Being humiliated in front of a small group versus being humiliated in front of an entire school are two very different things. One of his important messages is that teachers, parents and administrators can only do so much to discipline or deter this behavior. The peers themselves are in a much greater position of power with the bullies. They are on the front lines as bystanders and as we all know, kids are more influenced by their peers than by adults. If a bystander laughs, walks away or believes that they can’t do anything, they are really just as guilty.

One of the eighth grade boys asked John how he has the courage to go around and speak about this. John answered that he had never intended to do this. After fighting for the Vermont Bully Prevention Bill which in Ryan’s name was passed in May, 2004, a high school in Vermont asked that John address the student body sharing anything about Ryan that he felt comfortable with. Six months later a twelfth grade student sent him an email describing how his visit had changed her life. She knew she had bullied other girls in middle school and was inspired to go back and actually apologize to them which resulted in her feeling better as a person. John shared that he has never deleted this email and that it meant more to him than any other honor or award he had ever received. It inspired him to reach more and more students. In his heart he knows that he cannot change everyone that hears him speak, but he knows that he can count on at least one in every assembly that will change because of Ryan’s story. The impact of what he is doing can never be measured but is surely enormous.