“
Bullying- A Rite of Passage
”?
In recent years our Schools and government have taken serious measures to prevent bullying. As school administrators have implemented anti bully polices and training, and states enacting anti- bullying laws. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2017 about 20% of students’ ages 12-18 experienced bullying is some form- for the victims of bullying these actions have not come soon enough.
For some of us (author included) are able to recall a time when bullying was not taken so seriously, and was viewed merely as a rite of passage. A gauntlet to be challenged to prepare children for life’s adversity and to prove one’s self worth. In reality for its victims it’s an unwanted challenge that forces the victim into three unfortunate choices, fight, flight, or endure the intimation and humiliation.
The term, rite of passage was coined by the ethnographer Arnold van Gennep who defined it as when a passage occurs when an individual leaves one social group to enter another. A rite of passage can also occur when one crosses the boundaries- even if perceived- into culturally different neighborhoods.
With this said, I will refer you to the below reading of my short story, My Rite of Passage (a true life event dealing with bullying) performed by Thomas Lloyd that addresses the existential perspective on bullying.
I will refer to our website
www.demitasseplayers.com
for you to view more excerpts from some of the troupe’s passionate performances.
Respectfully
Rich Cirulli
Listen to the reading of my short story,
My Rite of Passage
(a true life event dealing with bullying) performed by Thomas Lloyd.
