John Halligan gave an emotional appeal to Lindenhurst Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade students, as well as parents. Halligan’s son, Ryan, committed suicide at the age of 13, after being bullied by classmates both at school and online. Since then, Halligan has been outspoken about the need for more education and prevention of bullying, cyberbullying and teen suicide.
Halligan spoke openly about the tragedy with students and parents, including the events leading up to his son’s death. He believes that holding teens accountable for their behavior online is vital to stopping the kind of cyberbullying that his son suffered. After every presentation that Halligan leads, he hopes students will gain awareness of how they speak to others. He also hopes to influence states to pass laws on bully prevention.
“If one student benefits from hearing John Halligan’s story, then the presentations were successful,” said Patricia Natale, Lindenhurst Middle School administrative assistant for discipline.
