Easily led teenage son is best friends with the worst boy in his year

[annie2004]

i don't know where my lovely boy has gone?? He is a weekly boarder and his new 'best friend' seems to be dragging him down at great speed. our son has always struggled with academic work (dyslexia) but was always very well behaved, we have now been called into the school to find out that he's not been trying in class, whilst in the company of his best friend he's been caught in another boys room when he shouldn't have been in there, he's pushed over and hurt another child and now has stood by and watched his best friend bully a younger boy.

My son always hated injustice and previously had always intervened if anyone was being picked on or bullied. He has always been brought up to be honest and caring.

i have also found out his best friends brother had previously been expelled from another school for shocking behaviour.

When he's home i ask him how school is going and he says fine but he never actually talks to me about anything.

Please what can i do, where have i gone so wrong

[craggyhollow]

I hate to say it but there isn't much you can do

esp if he is boarding you relinquish a lot of 'control'

the school will have to sort it out

what does your son say?

[cory]

Like craggy says, I don't think you can do much about his friendship. The one thing you can do- and I hope you have been doing this ever since his babyhood- is to make sure he knows that you will never excuse any bad behaviour on his part with bad influence from somebody else: you are only interested in his behaviour and you will be cross with him and with nobody else. Other than that, let the school deal with it and let him know that you are wholly behind the school.