Risky, illegal behaviour of 14 year olds. Tell the school?

[deelemma]

DD (14) showed me social media photos of some boys in her class smoking dope, messing about on a railway line and doing grafitti. The photos, which are on a private account, are getting a lot of 'likes' from other children the same age. All this has been going on during the holidays. Would you tell the school?

@Carboncheque

Railway line? Absolutely. That’s incredibly dangerous. The rest? No.

This would be my take too

It doesn't particularly matter what the school does or doesn't do. What matters is that you've seen something that is dangerous and you've spoken out and done the best you can to put a stop to it. You've tried to help. You will have done your bit

Or you could just pray to Baal to do something about. Quicker than telling the school, and praying to a god no-one believes will intervene doesn't really matter, since we apparently don't care whether what we do is likely to make any difference.

Screen shot and email to the school

I would report/highlight to as many relevant agencies as possible.
Yes safeguarding is a parent’s responsibility, however this took place outside the home. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Engaging in risky behaviours like this could end very badly, it could also mean they’re more at risk of becoming involved in other unsafe behaviours/situations and taken advantage of by others.

As a parent I’d want to know but I can see how that may not be preferable, you don’t know what response you might get 😂.
School is a neutral option and it would be for them to decide what action is appropriate to take (if any).

I'd tell the railway line and the police.
What immediately popped into my head is the vulnerability of these boys to be exploited & initiated into gangs/county lines etc.

They need an intensified support system around them if they are 14, smoking weed and nobody knows where they are (in order to get onto a railway line).

If I did (and that’s a big if, I’m really not sure I would) then I’d want to make absolutely sure that there would be no blowback on my own dc for “grassing”.
I’m also glad that social media wasn’t around when I was a teenager doing all sorts of stupid stuff! I’m now a generally respectable member of society, for these boys, those pictures will exist forever.

Go via the safeguarding lead at school absolutely

Railway trespass is a British Transport Police matter:
www.btp.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

For the rest I'd report to your local force, I wouldn't even bother with the school.

School will also have the suitable contact details for the parents on the identified children and will know more about the best route to support each family. Even though it’s the school holidays achool can also send out a message to all families just as a warning of what they have been informed so other parents know to have a chat.

I remember being in hospital as a child and the 14 year old in the bed next to me had been playing chicken on a railway line. He has lost the game and as a result lost both of his legs. Safe to say that meeting him as a child certainly helped me understand the risk.

Yes. Today in an email or phone call.

It is an urgent, life threatening safeguarding matter.

My place overlooks a railway line and I had become aware of a nationwide trend of kids taking selfies on railway lines. Saw some doing that, reported them to all schools in the area and Network Rail.

Network Rail is working together in schools to raise awareness of how dangerous it is and they are very grateful for parents/carers and schools working together on this. They have a community department which you can phone and get someone in to schools to talk about it.

The last thing that any train driver wants is to be resonsible for loss of life. We need to talk to kids as to how that looks like from the drivers point of view.

As for the dope. Well, I wouldn't dismiss it. Someone is supplying kids and that is not funny at all. Report both.

@purplepoppet92

I'd tell the railway line and the police. What immediately popped into my head is the vulnerability of these boys to be exploited & initiated into gangs/county lines etc.

They need an intensified support system around them if they are 14, smoking weed and nobody knows where they are (in order to get onto a railway line).

Basically this. Much more simply and eloquently put than my waffle!

@Hankunamatata

Screen shot and email to the school

This.

Tell the railway police, much more useful.

Network Rail also do other work in schools for example careers development so it is not as if it is costing the school to get someone in to talk about it, btw.

The bottom line is if kids die on the railway line, then they don't even get to school...and therefore it is the school's business absolutely.

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer

If I did (and that’s a big if, I’m really not sure I would) then I’d want to make absolutely sure that there would be no blowback on my own dc for “grassing”. I’m also glad that social media wasn’t around when I was a teenager doing all sorts of stupid stuff! I’m now a generally respectable member of society, for these boys, those pictures will exist forever.

If you don't feel brave enoiugh to send a screen shot you can say 'you were made aware'...

Or report anonymously. Be prepared they will want a description of the kids probably.

Needs be out in the open though. This is going in all over the country. Like anything else that endangers kids, keeping it quiet is not going to help.

Yes, but I would also tell British transport police kids get killed on railway lines

If you do nothing how will you feel if someone gets hurt? If it was your child wouldn’t you want another parent to tell the school? You sound like a great mum if you daughter felt comfortable to show you.

@FrippEnos

Tell the school, the rail company and the police.

I agree. But not in that order.

Without a doubt tell the school. I’m a former senior leader and we would have taken this really seriously as a safeguarding matter and do not consider our safeguarding obligations to our students to be a ‘term time only’ thing. They will be able to identify the students quickly, inform parents easily and share the information with any relevant authorities including the police. These students may already be known to the school safeguarding team as well. Equally, if lots of other students in the school are seeing and liking these posts on social media, the relevant year teams will want to do some work with the wider student body on their return to school. Those people saying the school can’t do anything are wrong. Those people saying the school won’t do anything sound like they have had some poor experiences of school safeguarding procedures. That’s unfortunate but isn’t a good reason to tell op not to inform the school. Hopefully the school in question has the correct procedures in place.

Definitely let the school know op.

I couldn’t get wound up about weed and graffiti, pretty standard teenage stuff.

The railway line is more concerning and I think BTP might be the best to approach.

Yes I'd tell the school and the railway that some teens have been seen mucking about on the train tracks. That's the bit that bothers me - they're trying to show off to their mates at that age, and want to look fearless, but they still have the danger-awareness of small children.

I wouldn't name them, or mention the dope - my top priority would be these kids' lives. Aye they're wee shites but to be fair, at that age, they can't really help it.

I'd be incandescent if my fourteen year old was smoking weed and committing criminal damage. Graffiti is the province of the brain-dead.

Please tell school , Iir will be a part of the big picture x

British Transport Police will want to know about this.

I have no practical advice to add to what’s already been said but I just wanted to say how awesome it is that your DD showed you. You should be really proud of that relationship.