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John Sweeney on bullying

From Beat bullying with kindness | John Sweeney | TEDxYouth@StPeterPort · · TEDxTalks

“For a large period of my life I was bullied. I was bullied by my teachers and I was bullied by other kids — one of my teachers once punched me in the back and when I went home the print of her engagement ring would have been on my back.”

John Sweeney
Vice President of Investor Relations, West Pharmaceutical Services
Controversial bullyingschool abusechild protection

On , John Sweeney, Vice President of Investor Relations at West Pharmaceutical Services, spoke about bullying during Beat bullying with kindness | John Sweeney | TEDxYouth@StPeterPort on TEDxTalks.

Beat bullying with kindness | John Sweeney | TEDxYouth@StPeterPort
Watch on YouTube at 1:13
Beat bullying with kindness | John Sweeney | TEDxYouth@StPeterPort
TEDxTalks
Watch on YouTube at 1:13
As humans, we spend our lives chasing perfection, when in actual fact, perfection is being comfortable in our own skin and being happy with exactly who we are. The damage that’s being done through bullying is irreversible. It’s costing us lives and people’s sanity throughout the world, and it needs to stop now. Instead of creating anti-bullying programs, let’s remove the negativity and start focusing on a kindness curriculum: kindness in schools, kindness in the workplace, kindness at home, kindness to ourselves, and in every walk of life. John Sweeney is a social entrepreneur and kindness coach from Cork, Ireland. He is the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of Suspended Coffees, the global social movement that has positively impacted and changed millions of lives around the world. John is an international Speaker, Kindness Coach, and Storyteller. He’s an expert in building social connections for brands, and has grown his own Suspended Coffees Facebook page to more than a quarter-of-a-million fans with an average weekly post reach of 1.5 million. John’s mission is to change society one act of kindness at a time. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
John Sweeney

About John Sweeney

Vice President of Investor Relations · West Pharmaceutical Services

In a 2016 TEDxYouth talk, John Sweeney, Vice President of Investor Relations at West Pharmaceutical and founder of the "Suspender Coffees" social movement, spoke about his experiences with bullying. Sweeney stated that he was bullied by teachers and other children during his school years, describing an incident where a teacher punched him in the back and another where students held his hands while one karate-chopped his throat, which he said nearly killed him. He said that being bullied "stays with you forever" and that he thinks about it every day. Sweeney advocated for replacing anti-bullying programs with a "kindness curriculum" in schools, workplaces, and homes. He argued that "bullies aren't born — they're raised," attributing bullying behavior to factors such as a strained home life or abuse. Sweeney cited the deaths of several young people by suicide after bullying and said that "kindness... can change lives and even save a life." He described himself as the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a global social movement called "Suspender Coffees."

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