This is just shocking (trigger warning -racism)

[iloverock]

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/department-for-education-metropolitan-police-services-scotland-yard-hackney-b988292.html

Please read the formal review.

Essentially the teaching staff called the police because a black 15 year old girl smelt of cannabis. She was taken to a room and strip searched. She was on her period. Her mother wasn't notified. She was not given the opportunity for an appropriate adult to be present.

@OvaHere

There is only one safeguarding concern that requires immediately calling the police and that’s FGM. Not smelling of a drug! You could easily smell of cannabis because you walked through clouds of it walking to school. You could smell of it because your parents/neighbours/mates smoke and you stood near them. Leaping to calling the police is too extreme.

So, so many problems with this from the police being there in the first place, the strip search, the teachers reactions. Everything.

It’s symptomatic of the toxic levels of power and coercion in many,many secondary school. Sadly in these authoritarian micro cultures racism and sexism will flourish too.

We need to demand better for children and young people and that means being treated with respect at all times.

What’s worrying too is this girl went home and told her mum who then took her to the gp - has this happened before and a girl hadn’t told her mum or the mum complained but got nowhere.
I hope if they’ve put anyone else in this position they now come forward.

My DD is almost the same age and she is still embarrassed about her period and definitely conscious about her body even in front of me - I can’t even imagine having to show her bloody pad and spreading her bum cheeks. It makes me feel sick.

That poor, poor child having to go through something so traumatic.

From the review:

"The review has not been ‘conducted to hold individuals, organisations or agencies to account, as there are other processes for that purpose, including through employment law and disciplinary procedures, professional regulation and, in exceptional cases, criminal proceedings.’"

So where are THOSE reviews then? Because they need doing, immediately.

Absolutely disgusting. I hope that the people responsible lose their jobs.

I thought that if a child smells of dope it should trigger a sw to visit their home?

There is just so much wrong with this.

The thought a teenage child smelt of cannabis do they treated her like a potential adult drug smuggler.

Over the top for a perceived incident - surely call her parents & detention if any evidence would suffice.

No guardians present.
Strip searched while on her period and forced to bend over.

That poor child. I would be embarrassed and traumatised myself & much more able to stand up for myself.

For those saying they would have damaged parents or kicked out screamed. A lot of teenagers are far more passive than that & I'm sure under the circumstances she found it hard to speak or argue.

Where are the other parents in the school? Are they supporting this child knowing that it could have been their child instead? Or are they turning a blind eye because that is just as complicit? Who is supporting her and her family is not enough? Others need to stand up & call this out as beyond unacceptable too?

I hope she sues the school & police for assault & trama. The poor girl will need therapy. She must have been so humiliated and scared.

@ParsleySageRosemary

If this really happened it's ridiculous. I work in schools where cannabis unfortunately is an issue: I am not aware that strip searching is routine.

Even the MPS isn't denying that it happened.

@ParsleySageRosemary

“If this really happened”???

What the fuck is wrong with you?

@BeingATwatItsABingThing

Whilst I hope I am never in the situation to find out, I would hope that I would have the good sense to step in as her teacher and refuse to let this happen without her parents there. Or just at all. If a child (even a 14yo) in my class smelled of cannabis, it would be a safeguarding concern and I would treat it as such rather than cause more safeguarding concerns of enforcing a strip search.

In the famous Milgram study the majority people electrocuted other innocent people (actually actors) to life threatening levels because they were told to by an authority figure. Even higher ‘compliance’ was found if the environment was more prestigious or official. I think the command and control nature of these schools/academies and the erosion of personal freedom probably contributed to the teachers blindly accepting what the police said and of course to the bizarre decision to call the police in the first place.

@ParsleySageRosemary

If this really happened it's ridiculous. I work in schools where cannabis unfortunately is an issue: I am not aware that strip searching is routine.

Might be a good idea for you to read the linked article before commenting further.

This is deeply shocking and I agree with others, looks very much like racism. The officers and other adults involved should be sacked and the child should receive compensation.

@ParsleySageRosemary

If this really happened it's ridiculous. I work in schools where cannabis unfortunately is an issue: I am not aware that strip searching is routine.

Clearly it DID happen:

chscp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Child-Q-PUBLISHED-14-March-22.pdf (as given upthread)

Also:

news.hackney.gov.uk/we-are-absolutely-focused-on-making-sure-the-legacy-of-child-qs-experience-results-in-change-hackney-council-responds-to-serious-case-review/

The report was written by Jim Gamble, formerly of CEOP:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gamble

Surely even an adult wouldn’t be searched in this way over a smell of cannabis! Especially when their pockets and bags have nothing in them.

Shocking yes, surprising no :(

@LakieLady

Wtf is it with the Met? Why can't they just behave appropriately?

This is a shocking way to treat a child.

What indeed. They seem to be absolutely rife with racism and misogyny. This is horrifying.

I'm shocked that they would even jump to the conclusion that the smell must be from her smoking it. Surely it could be family or friends around her smoking it and causing the smell. I know if I get the smell of smoke in my hair is doesn't go until it's washed. Surely they should be concerned for her welfare and it should be a safeguarding issue?? Not an opportunity to decide she is guilty and must be hiding something and strip search her like a criminal. I can't imagine how traumatic that must be. And to not inform her parents. This is all so wrong from beginning to end.

If this really happened it's ridiculous. I work in schools where cannabis unfortunately is an issue: I am not aware that strip searching is routine.

I really hope you don’t actually work in a school.

[quote Copin]@ParsleySageRosemary

“If this really happened”???

What the fuck is wrong with you?[/quote]
Cool it, there's no need is there.

I am rather startled by this and wondering what the full story is. It is not normal. If it's been purely driven by racism, then yes, the met should have the book thrown at them.

@BloodyN0rah

I’m thinking back to being 15, I nearly died of shame if someone spotted me carrying a tampon into the loo (I’m over it now). This would be devastating at any age but……I just can’t even……

Me too. I'm imagining my daughters too.

How would the world ever feel safe after such a horrendous violation by authority.

The teachers and nurse are the worst.
Utterly shameful.

Her poor parents.

Bloody hell that’s dreadful.

Fuck me the lengths some people will go to excuse blatant fucking racism and abuse of a black kid is astounding.

If this happened to my child who brown, so it could have I'd be raising merry hell, suing those bastards for every penny and doing my utmost to get them sacked.