Drayke Hardman, another tragic victim of bullying

Drayke Hardman loved basketball and was a big Utah Jazz fan, but he was afraid to go to school. There was a classmate who made his life impossible: he had harassed and hit him for a year. The situation reached a point where, unable to bear the situation, this boy, barely 12 years old, decided to take his own life one afternoon.

We could say that the story of little Drayke is one more story in the tragic chronicles of the bullying. And yet, it is not. Because each story is unique and each family and personal drama opens an unfathomable drama that is difficult to imagine. Few events are as unnatural as the loss of a child, but the fact that it happens under these circumstances heightens the severity.

We cannot get used to this data. Bullying and cyberbullying are taking the lives of hundreds of young people between the ages of 11 and 28. It is not a new phenomenon, but the suicide rate increases every year due to the immobility of institutions, and the desperation of many parents who experience this reality closely with total helplessness.

Drayke Hardman

Drayke Hardman, the boy with the heart of gold who couldn’t take it anymore

Samie Hardman, Drayke Hardman’s mother, explains that her son had a heart of gold. His personality was kind and sweet, he liked to make people laugh and was pure kindness. However, for a year he had been dealing in silence with a drama that was gradually overcoming him alone.

This 12-year-old boy from the city of Tooele, Utah, had a bully in his class who made his life miserable. Just a few days earlier he had come home with a black eye. He himself explained to his sisters that that boy in class who had been harassing him for some time had punched him.. The family had already contacted the school to try to address the issue.

However, on February 10, Drayke told his parents that he preferred to stay home that afternoon and not go to after-school basketball. That same night, He decided to end his life, and although his older sisters found him still with a faint breath of life, nothing could be done for him.. Sadly, this boy with a heart of gold passed away the next day surrounded by the love of his family.

A viral story that has shocked the world

Drayke Hardman’s parents decided to publish their story days later under the hashtag #doitfordrayke. Quickly, the players of the Utah Jazz basketball team shared the news and raised funds for the little boy’s funeral. The bright and sweet face of this boy, added to the desperation of the family, has gone around the world.

His purpose with the publication of the intimacy of his personal drama fulfills a purpose: to raise awareness of a reality that we are neglecting. There is something that is wrong in society and also in the education of our children.

In fact, there is an aspect that Drayke’s own mother emphasizes: There’s something broken about the boy who bullied my son, and somehow he’s a victim too.. Children do not have that violence by nature.

Drayke Hardman’s father with his son in the hospital

Change will only be possible through a global commitment (and it is urgent)

Research from Queen’s University offers devastating data. It is estimated that 77% of adolescents have suffered bullying at some point, and 68.9% have had suicidal ideation as a result of these experiences. Right now, those who also suffer cyberbullying are more likely to think about taking their own lives.

Likewise, the numbers of suicides linked to bullying They are especially serious in the United States, where access to weapons facilitates this type of borderline behavior. However, despite the impact of stories like Drayke Hardman’s, it is fair to say that these realities soon wither today and dissolve into nothingness. The high school bullies (boys and girls) keep showing up and changes don’t happen.

The case of Norway, for example, is different. In 1982, the country was shocked after the suicide of three children between 10 and 14 years old who suffered from bullying. Dan Olweus, a Swedish-Norwegian psychologist who is an expert in the study of bullying and harassment, implemented a bullying prevention program. bullying that completely changed this reality. He soon became a national hero.

The Drayke Hardman case could be the last if there was a real commitment

The well-known Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) was successfully implemented in primary and secondary schools. The goal was to reduce bullying by restructuring classrooms and rewarding positive behaviors. Families, schools and the students themselves were involved in these initiatives.

Let’s think that schools are children’s first contact with society. That first scenario is key to establishing the type of person they will be tomorrow. An education based on empathy, respect and coexistence is everything. And in that objective we are all decisive: fathers, mothers and educators.

Let’s not let any more children go to class afraid. Let us not allow stories as tragic as that of little Drayke to be repeated again.

Final note

We cannot finish this article without remembering that Suicide is currently the leading cause of death among young people. Therefore, it is decisive that in the event of any situation of vulnerability, harassment or emotional problem of our adolescents, we provide them with the necessary attention and support:

Let us be attentive to any change in their behavior (withdrawal, refusal to go to class, decline in their school performance, eating or rest problems, etc.). Let us inform teachers, tutors, professors of the situation our children are going through. children.Let’s request specialized help. Psychology professionals can provide us with the guidance and support necessary in these situations.You might be interested…