Blackmail

[Greenwichgirl25]

I'm interested to get your opinion on this. Our son has recently started at a new school. He's 8. We've had awful problems since the start with a boy who has physically and psychologically bullied him. This child was excluded for 3 days after the 3rd week due to the attacks on my son. He is also 8. The latest is that he has said to my son he will blackmail him into doing/ not doing things with the threat he will tell on him etc. When we addressed this with the head, she basically laughed us out of it in a completely derisory way saying that there is no way an 8 yr old could understand the concept of blackmail, let alone do it. I think she is wrong. We managed to explain it to our son in 3 mins. What is your take on this?

The head is off her rocker. I was about that age when I discovered blackmail.

If possible I'd just move school, the head laughed she isn't interested and your kids is getting bullied.

Thank you both. Unfortunately this is actually a private school that we moved him to in order to give him a better education. Its a new small school that promises a montessori type ethos but we are now realising everything that glitters really isn't gold but trying to move him again would be a nightmare.

Get him out.

It's a private school it can get rid of child Just like that. There is no need for them to keep a child who is physically bullying. The only reason they would is that the school is in financial difficulties and every child's fee matters or they have a poor attitude to bullying. Neither look good for long term outcomes.

@Hazelnutlatteplease I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned financial need. The child's brother and a sister both attend the school which only has a very small number of pupils being the 1st year it has opened. It's becoming clear they don't want to lose fees as if they got rid of this child as they would lose 3 pupils.

From hard experience, if your child is being bullied and this is the attitude of the teachers - get him out. Even if it's difficult.