get police involved or not ?

[elmofan]

hi , have posted about my ds going through hell by the hands of a bully in his class before but things have started up again yesterday ,
brief history = ds (11yrs) was beaten up last year by two boys in his class , he received kicks to his head & upper body & ended up suffering terrible headaches & having tests & an MRI scan which thankfully was clear so headaches were put down to stress
yesterday ds got punched in his stomach at lunchtime by bully then chased down the road to where the school car park is the bully was trying to beat him up again , ds has told me the bully keeps making "cut throat signs " & telling ds he is going to kill him , so i stepped out of my car yesterday when i saw ds running for his life & this boy continued to threaten my ds while i was standing right there beside him
no fear in him what so ever .
AIBU ?
i am sick & tired of going up to the principal about this as she does not seem to do anything about it , i intend to go back up on Monday morning to tell her i am going to have to get he police involved at this stage as she seems unable to put a stop to this bully . this has been going on for two years now .

I am a bit shocked that the school haven't had the police involved already if your ds was that badly injured. Or am I being naive?

You said Principal -- are you in the USA?
Is he Yr 7 or 6th grade or what?
F**k yes I'd be chatting to the police to see if they think they have a role in sorting this.

I wouldn't warn the school I would be calling the police now.

I had had enough of my dc being bullied and once I went in and got really stroppy and started talking about taking photos of his injures, the teacher sorted it. To be fair - she hadn't known about the previous years of on and off bullying and the dinner ladies were just saying to him to stay away from the other kids . The report book wasn't being used correctly either .

school seem to want to brush it all under the carpet & have offered to hold my ds back 10-15 mins after school & let bully go home on time with the rest of the class i have refused this as it would only make my ds feel as though he is being punished for being a victim iyswim ,

Yes. This nasty piece of work is committing crimes and should be treated as such. Why should he be allowed to treat people like this?

Absolutely awful and I'm so sorry you're going through this.

YABNU. Hopefully the mention of police will give the headmistress a kick up the backside so she will do something, not only for your sno, but also for anyone else being bullied at his school.

Please call the police, I did in the end to the shit child that was bullying DS1, I had the child arrested and his dad and his dads half brother.

The police will take it seriously.

Your poor son, I hope he is ok. xx

Get the police in ASAP

If this happened to an adult there is no doubt that you would go to the police - why should children get a lesser service?

My DSS's school did nothing until we called the police in - turned out that the perpetrators were already known to the police - so they were given final warning - next time they get in trouble they'll be up before the courts

Don't bother telling the principal in advance that you are contacting the police - just do it.

Also contact the Education Welfare Officer (if you are in the UK) to ask for their support - particularly if it's affecting DS's health.

Hope you get it sorted - horrible situation

I'm shocked that the school think the answer to this awful violence is to hide your son!!

I would absolutely contact the police straighaway to make a report, as even if they do nothing this time, if things escalate then they have a record of it.

If this child does not fear you or his headteacher or authority in general, then I would say treat him as dangerous. Don't confront him yourself.

Please call the police.

I was beaten up my a gang of girls when I was 14. I still have scars from it both mental and physical.

I really wish my mum had had them arrested.

i am in Ireland , thanks , yes my sister has also advised me not to forewarn the principal as it will only give her time to undermine me , not too sure if the police will take this seriously tbh but as far as i know children over the age of 10yrs can be held accountable for their actions , is that right ?

Agree re police. Also call the LEA and tell them you have concerns that the school is not keeping your son safe.

call the police ,i was in the same prob like you a couplre of years ago ,and they made the bully sign something to keep away from dd or if she did not she would be in big trouble

Just checked bullying.co.uk and apparently if your son needs a break from school during this time without it being put down as truancy, the council education departments have education welfare officers who can help/facilitate.

Don't know if this is any use or not but just thought you may want him to take a break for a few days until while the dust settled after reporting it.

thanks all ,

thanks lotster , dont really want ds to fall behind tbh just want the school to sit up & do something about this boy , i was already told by the principal (last year) that this boy has been expelled from two other schools & that his parents are having a hard time dealing with him , the principal actually told me " her heart goes out to them" but not an ounce of sympathy towards my son .
the boys mother had a go at me last year for reporting her son to the principal & told me it will be my fault if he gets kicked out

Report it to the police, don't go via the principle, she sounds shit.

yes call the garda

Do go straight to the police, it sounds like your principal is doing nothing at all to help him.

the age of culpability is 10 yes ( well it is in england) since the James bulger murder.

it is unlikley that anything will come of your telling the police other than maybe a warning, and perhaps the fact that the school and the parents will shit a brick.

i would also contact a solicitor - one of those that have a free session, and perhaps ask them to write to the school telling them that you are considering legal action becuase the school is supposed to take care of the welfare of your child, and is clearly being remis in doing so - just to make them shit a brick like.

i would also threaten them with going to the media.

your son has been assaulted twice.

I would take my child out of this school if this was happening. The fact that this child did not even stop when you were standing there gives me chills tbh.

I would call police. I would see a solicitor and I would definitely move my ds it this was happening to him.

The school's attitude sounds incredibly backward imvho. The holding back for 15 minutes after school was something that was offered when I was at school 25 years ago!

3cats (its ps here) from your thread .

custardo - yes thats the desired effect tbh - i want them to shit a brick this time as they have done sweet f all to help ds up until now .
thesteelfairy - unfortunately i can not change schools as i live too far away from the other schools . yes her solution is very out-dated & unfair imo

From the same site:

"If your complaints to the head teacher, governors and LEA haven't worked then you can complain to Ed Balls, the Education Minister at the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

The DCSF used to be called the DfES and before that the DfEE.

The DCSF thinks that the LEA should treat all allegations of bullying seriously and should investigate them with the school concerned. However, it's up to the LEA to decide the extent of the investigation.

Where there are conflicting accounts of events the LEA should try to establish which account is the most accurate. It will be relevant to consider factors such as the seriousness of the alleged incidents and the number of pupils involved.

Although pupil behaviour issues are primarily the school's responsibility, the DCSF believes the LEA should consider using its powers to intervene where necessary, for example where the education of pupils at a school is being severely prejudiced by the school's failure to take adequate steps to deal with bullying.

Even if the LEA does not directly intervene, it can provide help from the Education Welfare Service or advise on a possible change of school if requested by the parents. In cases where intervention is considered unnecessary, but the problem subsequently escalates, the LEA might need to review their earlier decision. However, the DCSF says that any decision whether to exclude an alleged bully is exclusively a matter for the head teacher."

You must be so worried about him, and all this must be affecting his ability to concentrate too, poor lad.

the school should be ashamed! it's their responsibility to ensure your ds' safety!
here in the uk the schools are responsible for their pupils until they get home, so nasty after school behaviours should and often are dealt with by the schools (definitely not always the case).
do you have anything in writing/emailed detailing their reluctance to deal with the bully? if not maybe you should write to them or email them expressing your concerns; if/when you get a response you will either have evidence that they do not want to respond, or a commitment to respond appropriately.
but feck all that, the school can wait, this is your child, and you are scared for him. call the police.
how dare the little sods scare your child??
hope things get better for him x