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On Friday, October 16, the sixth-grade students at Mireille-Choisy Middle School welcomed two guest speakers who were a little different from the usual ones: Cotis and Jody. Known for their humorous videos on Instagram and TikTok, the Guadeloupean comedians traded their screens for the stage to raise awareness among young people about bullying through a day filled with discussions and improvisational theater.
Encouraging Open Communication Through Dialogue
The session began with an interactive roundtable discussion on the different forms of bullying, their consequences, and how to respond. The students—who were particularly engaged and well-informed, with several already knowing the national hotline number 3018—participated actively. In a supportive and relaxed atmosphere, personal stories flowed naturally as the two actors—wearing “No to School Bullying” T-shirts for the occasion—listened.
Next came the acting exercise. In small groups of four or five, the students were instructed to improvise a three-minute skit. The exercise assigned specific roles: a student being bullied, bullies, a witness, and an adult responsible for taking disciplinary action.
Despite the excitement and fatigue of a Friday evening—with vacation just around the corner—the performances unfolded one after another in a lively atmosphere. Behind the laughter and enthusiasm, the facilitators’ patience helped convey a powerful message: understanding how others feel by switching roles on stage. “We’re instilling in them the empathy needed to help victims and take action,” the comedians emphasized.
Reflexes for the Future
For the past four years, the duo has been touring Guadeloupe and Saint Martin. This initiative takes on special meaning in light of their own personal experiences. “We’ve been both victims and bullies, so we know both sides of the story. It was theater that helped us get through it,” they confide. Jody was first a bully before becoming a victim. Cotis, on the other hand, was “the class nerd”: “I went from being bullied to becoming a bully so I wouldn’t have to endure the mockery anymore and so I could be like everyone else, to fit in with the group.” This powerful experience fuels their bond with the young people, who often see them as “big brothers you can tell anything to.”
While they acknowledge that some students were “blown away” by their dedication during this day at the middle school, Cotis and Jody emphasize the value of reenacting these scenarios: “It’s by rehearsing these situations that the right response becomes second nature. If they encounter bullying in real life, they’ll know what to do.”
