Teen's life changes when one of his bullies tearfully apologizes

Tarina White
CanWest News Service


Monday, March 14, 2005


CALGARY - For most of his 14 years, Patrick Bauhuis has lived in
constant fear of being bullied, taunted and teased by his classmates.
That was before an intense anti-bullying workshop came to his school and
changed his life. Created by an American husband-and-wife team, "Be The
Change" aims to tear down the walls of separation and create
connections, motivating kids to be more compassionate and respectful
toward each other. Patrick's classmates at Holy Cross Collegiate in
Strathmore, north of Calgary, participated in the program last fall. One
by one, they took the microphone and apologized to a peer they had
picked on. "I was scared that I was going to get bullied myself, so I
started to bully you. I just hope you'll forgive me," a sobbing girl
said to Patrick, followed by a warm hug and loud cheers from students.
Today, Patrick is stunned at the turnaround by his peers. "It changed
the whole school completely," he said. Thwarting bullying isn't an easy
task, but experts discussing the issue on the current affairs talk show
Global Sunday agreed building empathy among children is key.

C National Post 2005