My 13 year old dd has had some issues on the school bus. Some lads from our village have thrown water over her and thrown things at her whilst she is travelling home.
She didn’t want me to say anything to the school as she was scared but the second time she came home with soaking wet hair I said enough was enough and reported it to the year head, she promised me something would be done about it but obviously not because the Friday before half term my dd came home in pieces. She had been travelling on the bus, minding her own business when a lad in her year came from behind her and rubbed an insole over her face, a few seconds later he came back and did the same thing with a sandwich, dropped it on the floor, picked it up and rubbed it over her face again. At the same time someone threw a yogurt over her. All the time the others, probably around 10+ of them and from years 8-11 were all laughing and jeering at her (most were male). She was in such a mess and very distraught.
As you can imagine I was furious. She didn’t want me to do anything about it but I phoned the head, who had left for the half term already (it was 3.30!) The year head had also left but I sent an email, she got back to say she would pass it onto the deputy head and he would deal with it after half term.
I have just heard from him. They have taken statements from various pupils from the bus and as a result they have narrowed it down to 4 pupils from years 8-10.
I asked what sanctions have been given, he said firstly a ban from the bus, I asked how long but he said he wouldn’t tell me as that wasn’t information I needed to know about! (ds in year 10 has found out it’s just a week) I will have to take my dd to school and back for 2 weeks until I can get her on another bus as she is afraid to get back on the original one. Personally, I would have liked longer than a week as punishment. The main perpetrator also has to take a behaviour course and the others have just been given a telling off.
I said I would like the one who physically assaulted dd to apologise to her, I was told that this wouldn’t be happening because they can not make a student apologise to another!!
However the school chooses to view it these boys assaulted my child, she is now too scared to get back on the bus, all these boys come from our village and she is more than likely to come across them when she goes out. Several already walked past her yesterday at school and whispered ‘snitch’.
Is it too much to ask for an apology?
If either of my D.C. had done this I would be frogmarching them to the victims house and make them say sorry to their face or a letter at the very least. But it looks like this won’t be happening with this boy, the parents know who we are and where we live. If I were them I would be so deeply ashamed at the young man I was raising.