With the campaign ‘Together we draw the line against bullying’, young people in Helmond want to stand up against bullying, insults and even abuse in society as a whole. The recently launched campaign is more topical than ever, because this week it was announced that for the second time in one year, a girl is being bullied for a long time at the Delta pre-vocational secondary education. In April this year, fourteen-year-old Nina took her own life due to bullying at high school. “We shouldn’t be lazy about it,” says M’hamed Yahia, supporter of the project.
Comedian Leon van der Zanden, influencer and nurse Tommie Driessen, kickboxer Nieky Holzken and his son Geraldo: all well-known Helmond residents who are committed to the campaign against bullying. But the initiative came from the young people of the welfare organization We Care Helmond themselves.
“The young people saw that there is a lot of bullying on social media and on the street. Bullying is filmed and shared. They want to activate society to do something about this,” says Yahia, who supports the young people in this.
As a youth worker in Helmond, he has seen how bullying has changed in recent years. “Bullying has always existed, but because of what happens online, it has a major impact on young people, but also on other groups. When we think of bullying, we often think of young people, but it also happens in nursing homes and in companies.”
Yet there is a lot going on among young people in his city. For example, fourteen-year-old Nina took her own life in April this year after being bullied at Delta pre-vocational secondary education. Thirteen-year-old Sonja* is also bullied at the same school. Despite intervention by the school and the police, bullying continues.
“Everyone films everything we do these days. We want to share, share and share. We are almost programmed to do that. Young people film bullying with that in mind and share it, without thinking about what impact it has on the bullied child,” says Yahia.
In addition, according to him, it is a major barrier for people to intervene when they see bullying behavior. “It has almost become a fear to intervene. People are no longer used to addressing each other and prefer to walk by unnoticed.”
“What happens in The Hague also comes to the streets.”
According to him, politicians in The Hague are setting the wrong example. “They have to set a good example for political leaders, but people are also bullied or put away there. What happens in The Hague also comes to the streets, squares and schools,” Yahia thinks.
To do something about this, We Care Helmond, together with city artist Daisy Roefs, the municipality and various ambassadors, is committed to combating bullying. “We want to pick up our boxing gloves together with schools, companies, sports clubs and nursing homes to fight against it. We shouldn’t be laconic about it, that it won’t be too bad.”
They do this by making students, company directors and the elderly aware of the impact that bullying has on someone in sessions. “The actions or initiatives that result from this must come from the people themselves. We can think of that, but they still have to do it themselves.”
*Sonja is a fictitious name for privacy reasons. The girl’s real name is known to the editors.
