Bullies Reign

When will the bullying stop? The schools are powerless as bullies as young as five years old rule in the classroom. My daughter has been threatened several times recently as she leaves the station to either walk or bus home. She gave someone (obviously accidentally) a blood nose in an interschool footy match last year, and a friend of that someone now has a vendetta against my daughter. That ‘friend’ of the ‘victim’ is quite large and menacing, but my daughter is slim and fast. I hope that will be enough to save her from being beaten up by this bully.

What else can we do? I am tempted to send her to martial arts classes to learn how to defend herself. The police can’t do anything unless an actual punch or kick has been thrown. The school can’t really do anything except maybe lecture the bully, especially as it’s outside the school grounds. Technically they are both under their respective school rules until they reach home; thankfully they are at different schools.

My mother-in-law works as a replacement teacher in primary schools, and the stories she relates sometimes make my hair stand on end. Prep students who punch and kick teachers and students, throw things (including rocks) at people, or who are suspended or even expelled, kleptomaniacs, and predatory types seem to have all the rights, terrorising entire school communities.

Where are the rights of the teachers, principals and other students to learn in peace and safety without fear of violence and/or abuse from a minority of off-the-track kids and their often equally abusive parents?

Until the schools receive adequate backing from the Department of Education and Training in their fight against bullying and school ‘student terrorism’, violent and tragic events will continue. I am shocked and saddened by the occurrences at schools, in the classrooms, the grounds and to/from the school itself.