No matter what, you are somebody.
This powerful message is carried by a local family who has more reason than ever to stop an occurrence which now happens every day in society.
Brad and Liz De Vries have both loved and tragically lost their beautiful daughter, Brianna, when she took her own life as a result of continual bullying.
Brianna was 14 years old.
With nothing else do but mourn the loss of their amazing daughter, the family has taken up Brianna’s battle against this societal struggle by launching a program which spreads the message that bullying must stop now.
In Brianna’s legacy, the De Vries have brought the ‘Stand Up for the Silent’ program to Whitsundays in the hopes to only change lives but also to save them.
Mr De Vries is so passionate about the program he wants to eventually deliver it across Australia.
"We need to educate the bullies and teach them what they are doing has consequences (and) what they are doing is wrong, and to teach the bullied, that they are somebody,’ Mr De Vries said.
"It’s made a huge difference in the US. The program does a lot, but the kids are the only ones who can change it. It teaches kids to be the ones to stand up rather than watch."
Ms De Vries spoke from the heart when she said everyone had been affected by bullying in some shape or form.
"We want people to know there can be consequences," Ms De Vries said.
"If they only knew what we have to go through every day."
The De Vries said the ‘Stand Up for Silent’ program involves teaching younger generations about empathy and consequences while changing their perceptions.
"I want to get into the primary school system to get to them before this prejudice starts and they start finding reasons to hate when they can find reasons to care," Mr De Vries said.
"These days, where there is mobile phones, computers and internet it brings it (bullying) into the home. No where is safe.
"The most effective way is kids have a group around them to stand beside them, wrap them up in warmth, no matter what, you are somebody."
The De Vries, who speak highly of the support from the community, said though suicide was a contentious issue, they wanted to break through the stigma by getting people to open up.
"We want to help them overcome the problem, from our loss, we can help them. Ask everyone who has been bullied, it doesn’t go away," Mr De Vries said.
Ms De Vries urges anyone experiencing bullying to tell someone who can help.
"Open up the lines of communication and take up the battle," she said.
The De Vries would like to thank Anna Smith, Rotary, Community Solutions and the Whitsunday Christian College for their continual support.
My heart goes out to the DeVries family. I graduated from Woolgoolga High School in 1994 after six years of bullying hell, and am incredibly saddened to find that nearly 20 years later the staff still turn a blind eye to bullying, leading to such a tragedy.
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