When the example comes from the youngest

Nineteen secondary school pupils, from Year 7 to Year 9, committed to fighting bullying, sit opposite me. I have come to talk to them during a workshop lasting several hours, organised by L'Académie des Possibles. Right from the start, they offer insightful analyses of the interactions that take place within a group, its strengths and weaknesses, and the different configurations that structure a collective. Several of them explain how the emotional mechanisms are activated by the bully and their followers. They talk about the many ways to help and support others. They discuss ways to identify those who are isolated, the gift of silent presence, and the sensitivity required to respect a victim's suffering. 

The talks are intense and passionate. I am faced with individuals of astonishing maturity, deeply committed to their mission. We talk about courage, about the fear that inhabits those who, despite everything, take the plunge and break the silence. They describe each person's wealth as a treasure, a treasure that is belittled by the bully, but which is very much alive.

The next day, I am invited to speak to adult victims of harassment within the French education system at a conference organised by the HELPEN association. Inside me, those 19 pairs of eyes accompany me. Before me stand many victims whose suffering is palpable. The violence is systemic, the institutional silence deafening. And yet, on this snowy day when the cold creeps into the heart, seeds are ready to sprout as soon as the light of hope is reborn.

Sometimes it is the students who set the example.