Defence team to help kids stop bullies FAST

(CNS): A local self-defence group will be holding a seminar next month for kids aged between six and eleven to learn how to tackle bullying in school without resorting to fighting. Bob Daigle from the FAST defence team explained that the workshop teaches kids how not to look like a person a bully would easily pick on and how to look confident, how to deal with teasing, name calling, protecting themselves and their possessions and how to verbally back a bully away. “We also teach students how to deal with the fear that we all experience when faced with a scary situation. Children are also taught how to defend themselves against an adult predator,” he said.

Daigle said that the ultimate goal is for the “Stop Bullies FAST “ seminars to be taught in the CaymanIslands' public schools as statistics in the US show 60 percent of students characterized as bullies in grades 6 to 9 had at least one criminal conviction by the age twenty-four . “Many gravitate to gangs and may grow up to abuse their spouse, children, and co-workers,” he said.

Daigle explained he had recently discussed the issue with a parent who was pointing out the need to do something to stop the violence we are currently seeing in Cayman. “Maybe if we teach our young that bullying and violence is wrong, it will be pay big dividends in the future. I know of several inmates in Northwood that were bullies and troublemakers when I was in school,” the concerned parent had told the defence expert.

Laura Ribbon from the fitness centre where FAST will be holding this and another personal safety workshop for adultssaid both here and her teenage son had attended FAST seminars.

“We have held several seminars here at Fitness Connection and we are definitely interested in holding more, since the safety of our community is of our utmost concern,” she said.

“The last session was attended by many teens and their parents, all of whom left with high praise. From the office we could hear the girls cheering each other on when they were in combat with the bullet men. We find there are many mothers who enrol their daughters to empower them as well as ensure that they are capable of self defence. From our experience this is a worthwhile, fun and exciting seminar.”

The bully seminar will take place On Friday October 8th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm then on Saturday morning October 9th Daigle will be teaching a personal safety seminar from 9:30am-12:00pm.

“Over the past 3 years Cayman has seen an increase in violent crime. Police cannot be everywhere at all times. We need to take responsibility for our own personal safety,” Daigle added as he questioned how many people in the community really knew what to do in an armed robbery situation or deal with an intruder in their home or a suspicious person while walking to a car, which were the scenarios that would be addressed in the workshop.