Today the Sydney Morning Herald had an article on bullying headed Young and abusive - bullies rule http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/young-and-abusive--bullies-rule/2006/07/10/1152383677671.html
It talked about bullying in schools and how it affects students. One of the things about becoming a victim of targeted bullying is that it usually develops over time and generally it is allowed to develop because of the lack of action by the adults. Children notice.
It was happening to my youngest son. He was terrified in school. He said that the boys (and often the girls) were so rough and aggressive that when they walked past you they would elbow you and push you out line and generally make your life miserable. He was always scared because they were so unpredictable. Nobody took any notice of it because they said its just "boys being boys" but for those who are sensitive and dont want to play the game its traumatic. My son was punched in the stomach, he was spun around and let go off, his work was stolen and destroyed, lots of things happened in different schools and all the while whenever he tried to complain he was either ignored, ridiculed or he was blamed. If I said anything I was told it was his perspective and he needed to go out and play football or I was branded an overprotective pushy mother. My son said that the students noticed that the teacher didn't stick up for him so that gave them the green light to target him, so that they could get on the teachers good side. He felt as scared of the teachers as he did the kids.
The counsellor said it was my sons perspective. My son said it was the reality of his life and that the counsellor couldn't help him if she couldn't do anything about the behaviour of other children and that there was no discipline and no control in the schools.
My son left the school to be put on Distance Education on psychological and medical grounds so that he could recover from his ordeal because the fear of going to school had made him very sick. He didn't feel safe. He has been on Distance Education for over 6 months.
Luckily the school who so kindly took Amanda in this year for Year 6 is so happy with Amanda, and of course Amanda is so happy there too that they have agreed to integrate my son John into their school and together we are working to provide an environment where he feels validated, supported. protected and safe.
Bullying is very traumatic for children. Its isn't a joke and when the adults dont protect the children it becomes even worse.
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