If your child had been involved, what would you have done?

[ilovecanada]

I heard an awful story this morning about the bullying being suffered by an 8 year old boy at DS's school.

The poor lad is quite badly overweight and has become a target because of it. Now apparantly a few weeks ago a girl and a few of her friends surrounded him whilst she pulled down his trousers AND underpants in the middle of the packed playground. She then shouted for everyone to look at the poor kid was stood there balling his eyes out. I could almost cry when I think about the embarrassment and humiliation he must have felt.

Anyway the girl was dealt with very severely and as a result, a group of boys decided to "batter" him for getting the girl excluded so they surrounded him in the boys toilets, one bashed his head up a hand dryer then when he fell to the floor, the group punched and kicked him. He was found screaming and crying in the bathrooms as the boys ran off.

I can't believe 8 year old kids could act like this. I still feel like crying when I think about it. If he had been my son, I would be in floods of tears.

I'm just curious to know how you would have dealt with your own children if you found out they had been onvolved in this. I know most of us would say "but they'd never do that" but what if, by some freak of nature, they did. What would you do?

islandofsodor - please don't threaten the children's home again. Once you have said it you can't take it back.

also unhappy with the threatening of the children's home, as what message does that send out about kids in care - that they must have been really naughty

I would be furious - withdrawal of privileges, chat with class teacher and possibly head.

There is a big difference between what you may say you would do sitting at the computer calmly talking about a hypothetical situation then what you actually do when very angry and upset.

Had note from teacher thanking me for his letters.

My brother stole once and my Dad drove him up to the young offenders institute - he broke down and never did it again.

that's as maybe sodor, but we aren't always sitting calmly at our computers - we all have dc too and have had to cope with bad behaviour and our own anger

threatening a children's home is really nasty, I hope you won't do it again.

God I don't know. I would be appalled. And disgusted. I'd find it difficult to maintain eye contact and would take away all treats and privileges, cancel holidays and make life seriously unpleasant. I think I'd find it hard to like a child of mine for a long time if they'd done something like that.

There isn't always a difference Sodor.