We would appreciate some advice on how to handle a situation where our son is being attacked by a girl in the street. Yesterday he came home with scratches on his face where she had hit him with a branch and red marks around his neck where she had grabbed him, all witnessed by some younger children.
They are both the same age just turning 11, she is probably a little older than him and bigger too and it is not the first time he has come home after being slapped or kicked by her over the last year or so. There aren't a group of them, it's just her. Some parents in the street won't let their children play with her at all after previous incidents and for the most part of it they can all play together nicley, but then she will just turn on our son with verbal abuse and/or physical attacks and has even tried to get other children to tell their parents he has been hitting them.
We've previously told him not to play with her when there is no one else around, but when she appears to be behaving and our son being too foregiving it's inevitable. Even we thought she had turned a leaf the other day and allowed her in the garden to play. We've told him not to hit back, but fear that eventually he will snap and whilst he appears not to be too upset over it, you do wonder what affect it is having deep down, but we do talk about it and it doesn't stop him going out and playing.
It doesn't happen at school, partly due to the schools good work in the area of bullying but also probably because there are more people around.
Whilst we have kept photos and dates of the physical attacks, previous attempts to talk to the parents in a polite and civilised manner have failed resulting in a torrent of abuse from both parents. My husband has tried to keep very calm over the matter realising that shouting at the parents won't solve anything
Do we try one more time to speak to the parents? Do we write them a letter? Is there any legal recourse?
Thanx
Jan