Is he at the same school (or the high school version of it) where the bullying occurred? If so, I wouldn't want to participate in anything extra there, either. I would be happy with my trusted group of friends and avoid anything that might mean running into those people again.
Also, you don't need to answer this publicly, but did he get any counseling or other help when these traumas occurred? I ask because I have a close, highly gifted family member who experienced some bad workplace bullying and it really killed his enthusiasm for workplaces for many years. (He didn't get help, just left the situation. It's only in hindsight that his actions since that time make sense to him.)
