You may have heard mention of Quaden Bayles in the news recently. The story of the little boy who has been maliciously hounded by internet trolls has made its way worldwide. Because of the sensitive nature of the story, there have been instances of journalistic publications only printing vague observations or half-truths. Everyone was at first too scared to touch the subject properly, leading to the swirling rumors you may have heard in the news, online, or from a friend.
This article is going to give you all the facts about Quaden Bayles so you can understand for yourself what has been going on here.
#1 How did the Quaden Bayles case start?
Quaden Bayles’s mother shared a video of him sobbing due to cruel bullying. He was crying inconsolably and the video tugged on many people’s heartstrings. She posted the video online and it quickly became viral. Most people offered their support and criticism of the school, sadly some chose this as an opportunity to further bully a young child.
#2 How did the mother know he was being bullied?
His mother witnessed other children bullying him when she went to pick him up from school. She saw with her own eyes the way other children were treating him. The video was not staged as many people believe. It was a genuine look at the state her son was in after being maliciously hounded by his classmates.
#3 Why didn’t the mother just speak to the school?
She did. She spoke to the school principal immediately. The problem is the principal isn’t doing enough. It should never have got that far. She didn’t trust the principal to do the right thing and make the difference this child so desperately needed. She took the problem online, publicly, to prove her point and to embarrass the school into bothering to make a change to the way they run things.
#4 Is the mother just doing this for attention?
No, she isn’t just doing this for attention. She is trying to raise awareness of just how severe bullying can be. She believes, as should you, that no child should feel that scared and unsafe at school. School is somewhere that children should be free to be themselves without worrying that they are going to be systematically bullied by their peers. Teachers, especially the principals, should be doing more to make this the case.
#5 How old is Quaden Bayles?
Quaden is just 9 years old. Despite the cruel rumors spread around that he was instead an adult pretending to be a child. Quaden is just halfway through primary school (elementary school for those of you in the USA). If you have seen the video the fact a child so young could feel this way is truly heartbreaking.
#6 What happens during the video that made it go viral?
The video shows young Quaden crying and at one point he even mentions that he wants to kill himself. This extreme outcry for help grabbed the attention of people all around the globe. The video became viral almost immediately and has since been seen over 25 million times.
#7 Is bullying like this commonplace in Australia?
Bullying is common at all ages at all schools. Any school that says they have zero incidents with bullying is lying to the students, parents, and themselves. This is not an uncommon occurrence globally and Australia is no different. The fact of the matter is that Australia has a reputation amongst its population for having a huge bullying problem at primary schools through to the end of high school.
#8 What has the public reaction been like?
For the most part wonderful. Australia, and the world as a whole, has truly come together to support this young boy. From videos pouring in globally to local shows of love and support from his people. The Australian populace is quick to support one another, as you likely saw with the fires they recently suffered through. This support came out again in force for young Quaden.
#9 Why was he being bullied in the first place?
Is there any answer to this question that will satisfy you? Is there ever a good reason to bully someone? No. The “reason” that other children were bullying him was because he has a condition called dwarfism so he looks a little different on the outside. He is still just a 9-year-old boy. With the feelings and emotions of a child, one who is not deserving of such systematic abuse by his classmates.
#10 Was he bullied because he was Aboriginal?
The short answer is we don’t know. Maybe, there is a chance. But it is for sure largely because of his dwarfism. There is racism towards aboriginal people from some parts of the populace, that is unlikely to be present in children. 9-year-olds are not inherently racist. It is their parents who bestowed that upon them.
#11 Has there been a fundraiser for Quaden Bayles?
Yes! There has been a huge fundraiser for the boy and his family. The original goal was to raise enough to send him to Disneyland. This seemed a long shot, with the original goal being around $15k for the trip. The donations have surpassed $600k as of the time this article was published. It has likely grown far more than that now.
#12 What else has been done for him?
You may have heard he was going to participate in the NRL Indigenous all-star game. This is the Australian national rugby league all-star game where indigenous players get to showcase their talent and love for the game. The NRL community has embraced Quaden with open arms and intends to give him a once in a lifetime opportunity.
#13 Celebrity videos to Quaden:
There have been so many videos of celebrities reaching out to Quaden on social media. This has been a global effort, with notable Aussie superstars like Hugh Jackman pitching in their love and support.
#14 Who is Brad Williams?
You may have heard the name Brad Williams crop up now and again as this story has unfolded. He is the person that set up the initial go fund me page raising money for Quaden. The reason he felt so compelled to do something about this devastating video is that he too has dwarfism. He felt a connection with Quaden and new he could make a difference in the boy’s life.
#15 What is dwarfism?
Achondroplasia dwarfism is a genetic condition that causes the legs and arms of a person to remain short, with a normal-sized torso. Dwarfism is a far more common thing than you might realize. Someone with dwarfism can still live a fulfilling happy life, they just might look a little different. This is not a good reason to viciously bully someone.
#16 What is this rumor that the mum has made this all up to make money?
When anything bad happens, the internet immediately puts on their tinfoil hats and starts crying conspiracy theory. There is no conspiracy theory here. The mum did not release this video to make money off her son’s suffering. Anyone who claims otherwise is cruel and small-minded. The fundraiser was set up by Brad Williams, not herself.
#17 Who are aboriginal people?
The aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of Australia. They were the before English settlers made their way over to colonize “their” new lands. There is a vague comparison to be made to Native Americans being there long before European settlers arrived. Just like Native Americans, Aboriginals faced hardship and prejudice from their conquerors that have not fully dissipated today.
#18 Why does he look older than he is?
The reason he looks older than he is is that his limbs have not grown the same length as other children his age. His face and torso are average-sized, his limbs are not. This makes him look small for his age. Because of this, his older looking face could give the impression that he is older than he looks. Regardless of how he looks, Quaden Bayles is just the same as any other 9-year-old boy.
#19 Why is there a rumor that an adult is playing the “part” of a 9-year-old boy?
Vicious internet trolls began spreading a rumor that because he has dwarfism he isn’t a child but a full-grown man playing a part. The idea is that he is doing this so he and the “mum” can scam people out of their money. This is a cruel and unusual lie to spread about an already bullied enough boy. But that’s how internet trolls behave, by acting like atrocious human beings.
#20 What happens now?
Now, the world hopefully learns a lesson. At the very least Quaden and his bullies do. Quaden learns that there will always be people who care for him, no matter what. The bullies learn just how profound of an effect their bullying can have on someone.
Watch the heart-breaking viral video:
Conclusion:
Hopefully, this article has cleared up a lot of the questions you may have had about Quaden and his story. It is such a heartbreaking story that looks like it will hopefully have a good ending. With any luck, we will all come out the other side of this more compassionate and thoughtful human beings. This story is a testament to just how loving the world can be to those in need.
