Bredell resident wants to join anti-bullying association

Brandon Sweetnam is a coach and boxing gym owner interested in joining anti-bullying associations around Kempton Park.

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Sweetnam said he wanted to join anti-bullying associations to prevent bullying because when he was young, he was bullied.

He said he was concerned about bullying because it leads to depression, and many children do not have a support system at school or home.

“Bullying also leads to suicide or long-term problems, so I want to help our kids grow up healthy, strong and strong-minded,’’ said Sweetnam.

He added that bullying affected children and adults emotionally and mentally and could worsen if there were no signs to notice.

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According to Sweetnam, bullying is an ongoing issue affecting people of all ages, genders and backgrounds.

“In some of the worst-case scenarios, people have taken their lives, viewing this final act as the only way to escape their bullies,” he explained.

For these reasons, he said an anti-bullying culture would create change and keep more people safe.

He told the Kempton Express that “children will be children” was a famous saying that suggested bullying was a normal part of growing up.

“Yet with beatings, death threats and 24-hour harassment via technology, bullying has become a life-threatening epidemic,” said Sweetnam.

According to him, children could not get away from bullying, which led to more suicides, and schools struggled to take a stand against bullying.

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“With parents, politics, and the media involved, teachers have a rough time pleasing everyone.”

Sweetnam said that if parents and teachers worked together, they could provide a consistent approach to introducing more productive and appropriate replacement behaviours.

He advised victims of bullying to learn how to defend themselves and talk to the people they trust the most, like parents, teachers and coaches.

He said if bullying victims felt they did not have someone to trust, they could contact anti-bullying associations.

“Many people think hitting back at a bully is the right thing to do, but it is not. Sometimes you find the bully has problems, so the right thing to do is to help him get help.”

He said he taught young people to be open and take 10 minutes nightly to talk and express their feelings. He also taught them how to respect love and discipline.

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“I want to teach people how to defend themselves and give them motivation that will boost their confidence. I also was to help children grow and make them understand bullying is wrong,” he said.

Sweetnam said he had an 11-year-old boy at his gym who suffered daily bullying.

“I’m working with another boy who is also a victim of bullying, but he is already confident, and it makes me happy to be a part of that,” said Sweetnam.

Any anti-bullying associations can contact Sweetnam on 066 208 6231.

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