A sixteen year old nephew of mine confided to me that he is victim of bullying. I pointed out to him that, at the time, it had happened to me too, and that the persecution stopped when I confided in a professor. His immediate reaction was: «You snitched!». This gave me a lot to think about. How can the meaning of words be misrepresented, to the point of defining “spy” not only as someone who reports an illegal act to the authorities, but even as someone who reports a wrong they are suffering? And this in the name of a supposed solidarity that the victim should have with the guilty party, against the “common enemy”, represented by the authority…
GIUSEPPINA
You were right to encourage your nephew to ask for help. Anyone who suffers an injustice does not snitch: he exercises a right and seeks protection. Calling those who report bullying “snitches” means turning reality upside down and ending up protecting those who do harm.
Silence is not solidarity, it is the soil on which bullying and every other injustice grows. Educating children also means teaching that asking for help is an act of courage, not betrayal. No one should be afraid to report. No one should feel alone in the face of arrogance.
114 – Childhood emergency
The number 114 – Childhood Emergency is an emergency service promoted by the Department for Family Policies and aimed at all those who want to report a dangerous and emergency situation involving children and adolescents.
