2 day suspension for vile attack

[Poptart22]

My 13 year old niece was physically attacked at school by her ex best friend. The bully had threatened that she was planning to do this a week earlier, which we informed school of and pleaded with them to keep her safe, however the attack happened on school grounds a week later.

Some other pupils filmed the attack in which my niece can clearly be heard saying several times she did not want to fight, and did not retaliate once. The attack was vicious, she was repeatedly kicked and punched before eventually the teachers arrived.

My niece had to attend A&E. Police were informed who advised she can press charges, but we haven’t yet. However they went and warned the bully to leave her alone.

School suspended the bully for a measly 2 days. She has returned and continued harassing my niece, commenting on her weight and laughing about the attack.

To make matters worse my niece is a looked-after child in the care of her grandparents, with an already troubled and traumatic past.

I wrote a very angry email and attached the vile video of the fight to the headmaster asking why the attack was able to happen on school grounds when we warned them, why the punishment was so weak (in my opinion), and requested that the bully be excluded.

Today I received a phone call from the safeguarding officer advising ‘teachers can’t have eyes in the back of their head’ and that the punishment is pretty standard, as ‘fights happen all the time’. Also tried to put some blame on my niece for failing to report all ongoing incidents of harassment.

In my opinion, if the bully had been properly punished, the harassment would not be continuing.

Im planning on requesting a meeting with the head, since he hasn’t bothered responding to my email.

Where do I stand on this?

My niece is terrified to go to school and completely humiliated.

(I am dealing with this on behalf of my mother who is in her 70’s and struggling to cope).

I'm very aware of what is involved in excluding a pupil and have sat on many exclusion panels and appeals. If you had read my post you would have noted that I made no suggestion of exclusion.

We have a scenario where there is clear evidence showing the victim actively trying to avoid the attack and the perpetrator being the attacker then two days off followed by a return to school. All along with a member of SLT (the suposed safeguarding lead) engaging in victim blaming and arse covering - its piss poor.

The bottom line is that after two days suspension the victim is having to be confronted by their bully each day in school. The victim has been given no reassurances about their safety or strategies to follow if further bullying occurs. Unsurprising then that the OP states the harrassment continued after the school had "dealt" with it.

However you cut it this is a poor response from the school and I don't care what budgets are like - its a failure to address bullying, loads all the response for managing the situation onto the victim and guardians and consequential reduces safety for all pupils.

Press charges.

When you do it gets taken more seriously.
Not pressing charges gives the impression you're happy with it.

Good grief.

You cannot press charges in England

How many more times

I was using the OPs words .......

There is video evidence. If A&E was needed, I don't see why anyone gets to refuse.

You should definitely press charges!

Stop commenting then, it's not exactly vital to the story. It's common parlance for asking the police to take it further and fully investigate.

That's a good update OP. I hope this gives the bully warning enough that she stops once and for all. Your poor DN. I hope she can get some counselling to help her process what is clearly a really nasty attack.

I'm a retired secondary school middle manager. Very little will happen unless you push the police to press charges.

It’s vital because it’s the course of action everyone keeps recommending

For the last time 😩😩😩

Sorry I haven't read allvthe comments. But have you spoken to the Virtual Head? They are responsible for ensuring that kids in care, or previously in care, get a good education.

I suspect that the perpetrator may also be under the auspices of the Virtual Head or social services or camhs from what you have said. They may be trying to support her and not properly considering the impact on her victims.

This doesn't make it acceptable though, if schools took a harder line perhaps it would prevent them from happening. There wasn't a single physical altercation i recall during my 12 years of school. They were all girls schools, but there was also a strict enforcement of rules and prosocial behaviour.

This is horrible. I’d involve the police

Have you miseed the posts explaining why schools can't do this?

And do what exactly?
People with knowledge have said on here time and time again that schools hands are tied by red tape
In contrast my DD had a girl who was bullying her (not physical) and got a warning, she shouted "slut" at DD in the earshot of witnesses and was expelled wihin hours - Private school.
That wouldn't even come in front of the PX panel or pre panel I sit on at a State school.

Persist, insist on meeting face to face with the head, keep records of everything and report to Ofsted. It's 8 years ago now but DD was badly bullied with a very nasty incident and a similar suspension given. We refused to let it go and gathered evidence to take to the head of both the bullying of dd & of other children by the same child. He was permanently excluded in the end. But it took work to get our dd (and other children) safe.

Agree, press charges immediately!! This is horrific. And the school are bloody useless. Saying they don't have eyes in the back of their head as an excuse when a vulnerable child has been seriously physically assaulted truly beggars belief. Your poor, poor niece.

Is there also any chance of online school for a while or changing schools? I feel like she's in ongoing danger from all this.

Replace schools with the name of your workplace.

Does that still sound acceptable? No. Adults don't have to put up with this at work...it's horrific that young people are expected to at school. It's physical assault, deeply traumatizing.

No adult would go into an office where being beaten up was a regular occurrence where they couldn't even report it, because it was relatively normal.

@Pootlemcsmootle many education staff get assaulted by pupils. Pupils will still be in the school.

State maintained and academy trust schools have to act within Government guidance. As many educators have said this guidance makes it very difficult to permanently exclude a child and even if a school does this will be subject to appeal and many exclusions will be appealed.

National Bullying Helpline advice

OP you could also write to your MP - email them and ask for a rapid response. They may well be able to help as well.

is there another school your DN could go to. it sounds like a change might be good?

Please explain why you say it can't be done in England?

From chatGPT:

Thanks for clarifying. If one 15-year-old attacks another 15-year-old, the situation is still serious, and the police can become involved, though the approach may be different given that both individuals are minors.
Here's how the situation would be handled:

1. Criminal Offense:
2. If one 15-year-old physically attacked another (such as punching or bullying), this is still considered assault, which is a criminal offense.
3. The type of assault would depend on the severity of the attack. For example, if injuries were caused, it could be categorized as actual bodily harm (ABH) or common assault (if no injuries occurred).
4. Police Involvement:
5. The police would be involved if the victim (or their guardian) reports the assault. The police will investigate the incident, which may involve speaking to both the victim and the accused, as well as any witnesses. The police may also review any available evidence (like CCTV footage from the school, if available).
6. If the police believe a crime has occurred, they could take formal action, such as issuing a caution or warning to the offending 15-year-old, or they could refer the case to a Youth Offending Team (YOT). In some cases, the case may be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a decision on whether to press charges.
7. Youth Justice System:
8. Under 18s are treated differently in the justice system. The Youth Offending Team (YOT) often handles cases involving young offenders, focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment. The goal is to address the behavior and prevent further incidents.
9. A 15-year-old who commits a crime would typically not face the same penalties as an adult. Instead of going to prison, they might be subject to community orders, attend educational programs, or receive a reprimand or warning.
10. School's Role:
11. The school has a duty to protect students from bullying and physical harm. The school should be informed of the incident so they can take appropriate action, such as investigating the matter, disciplining the aggressor, and providing support to the victim.
12. Schools are required by law to have measures in place to deal with bullying and violent behavior. In serious cases, they may work with the police to ensure that appropriate steps are taken.
13. Pressing Charges:
14. Pressing charges as a legal term refers to the formal decision to initiate a criminal prosecution. In the case of minors, the decision to pursue charges would typically be made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), not the victim or their family.
15. However, the police will gather evidence and provide a report to the CPS, who will decide whether to prosecute the alleged attacker.

What to Do Next:

• Report to the school: Ensure the school is aware of the incident, so they can take action, including supporting both the victim and the perpetrator.
• Contact the police: If you believe that the assault is serious or if you want the incident formally investigated, you can contact the police. This can be done by calling 101 (the non-emergency number), or 999 if you're in immediate danger.
• Provide evidence: If you have any evidence (such as witnesses, video footage, or photos of injuries), provide it to the police to support the case.

Conclusion: Even if both individuals involved are 15 years old, the police can still be involved, and there could be consequences for the aggressor. However, due to their age, the approach would be focused more on rehabilitation and education through the youth justice system rather than adult-level punishments. The school is also a key player in handling bullying and ensuring the safety of students.

Take photos of any injuries and bruises OP