The Cost of Silence addresses the subject of bullying. This conference is for primary school students, high school students, parents, and education professionals. It goes without saying that we do not explain bullying in the same way when we talk to a group of elementary students, their parents oreducational professionals since we do not understand the same things and we do not see the same situations in the same way. That is why I have developed four adapted versions of my conference.
Each of the four versions contains two parts: a theatrical part and an explanatory part. It should be noted that I couldn’t present one part without presenting the other, as the two parts go hand in hand.
The first part is a monologue, in the form of a diary that I narrate in a theatrical form, which tells the story of a boy who is bullied at school. This part aims to demonstrate the evolution of bullying by making the audience relate to the experience and emotions of a victim. This first part allows me to bring the audience on an emotional journey before presenting explanations and logical solutions. The objective of the monologue is to give a shared experience to the audience.
In the second part of the conference, which is explanatory, I discuss the role of the 5 parties involved in the problem: the victim, the bully, the bystander, the parents and the school staff and how they are related. The purpose of this second part is to explore possible solutions for each person and give them the tools they need to play an active role and have a positive and constructive impact if they are confronted with a situation of bullying.