bullying

[LublieAva]

My eight year old son is being bullied at school by a boy in his class - name calling, punching, kicking in the groin etc. It has been going on for several months and but I only found out this morning when he just suddenly told me when I mentioned the boy's name in another context. He has told TA's at various times when he was attacked and hurt but the school has never told me about any of those times. I reported it straight away to the teacher and she said she'd pass it up to the head.

The bully has history of this sort of thing and I know his parents were in the school for the same problem (but a different victim) just two weeks ago.

I am waiting to see what will happen and if I'll be told about whether it has been dealt with or not. I do need to know because my son is scared and i need to reassure him that he'll be safe from now on.

I was just wondering what happens in other schools when there is a bullying? How is it dealt with? How much is tolerated? Are the parents informed?

You should be told what has been done to prevent a recurrence.

DS (11) has had problems this term, also with a lad with known form for bullying.

As soon as we reported it, the pastoral care team was involved. They talked to DS, to reassure him that the bully's behaviour was unacceptable, that he had every right to be supported and who to talk to if there were any more problems. ALL the teaching staff were alerted, as were the prefects and his mentor. The bully was spoken to as well.

DS has not had a problem with this child since (admittedly only 6 weeks). Given the child concerned has extensive form, I would love to know what was said to him, but accept that I have no need to know the details so long as the behaviour has stopped.

Do you think it is strange that DS told a TA that he'd been kicked by this bully. She checked for marks on him and told the teacher. But no one told me?

Not all schools seem to take this sort of thing seriously enough or really deal with it adequately. My 8 year old boy is being very regularly hurt and sworn at by a boy in his class with ADHD (of course not all children with this condition act this way). It is happening to other children in the class as well. He is a lot bigger than many of the other children. Nothing is done about it because of this label the boy has, it is almost as if the rest of the class are expected to put up with being hurt because the boy 'can't help it'. It has included being kicked hard in the back, children have come home with bite marks, punched in the head...if this was happening amongst adults he would have been prosecuted by now.

Have you seen/asked for a copy of the bullying policy? Then you'll know how the school like to deal with issues that arise.