BULLIES STILL WINNING
Shock statistics show how government is failing victims of school thugs
SHOCK figures have revealed the government is LOSING its battle to curb school bullying.
More than HALF of all pupils say they have been bullied-but the new statistics prove most thugs get off SCOT-FREE.
Embarrassingly for Gordon Brown and Schools Secretary Ed Balls, the findings come on the eve of nat- ional Anti-Bullying Week which begins tomorrow.
They show how:
- DESPITE repeated pledges to crack down, only 80 thugs were expelled from school in the UK last year
- A SHOCKING 98.5 per cent of the bullies thrown out of the classroom were later returned to the SAME school.
- ONE child in four reported being beaten-up because of their FAITH . . . and victims are turning to booze, self-harm and drugs in despair.
Yet in more than two-thirds of local authorities not a single child was expelled for bullying in 2006/7, according to the Department for Schools, Children and Families.
Campaigners claim the government is to blame after making it HARDER for schools to exclude children permanently.
It created new appeals panels-which overrule head teachers on expulsions in a quarter of all cases they hear.
These pupils are sent straight back to the school which excluded them. A staggering 5,710 bullies who were suspended went back to the same schools as their victims.
Victims
Tory spokesman Michael Gove, the Shadow Children's Secretary, said: "We'd scrap the appeals panels.
"They allow excluded children to over-rule their head teachers. It's unbelievable that, with the widespread concern about bullying, just a handful of children are receiving the ultimate sanction.
"Victims shouldn't have to put up with seeing their tormentors stroll back into the classroom after a few days away from school.
"Our reforms would give schools the power to take a zero tolerance approach towards serious offences like bullying before it spirals out of control."
Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive of the charity BeatBullying, said: "Schools must be given the power of exclusion to protect their pupils. Many bullying incidents are violent and criminal acts."
BeatBullying has just released a report showing interfaith abuse has become a major problem in schools across England and Wales.
It revealed a quarter of pupils are bullied because of their faith-one in ten because of religious symbols they wear.
And it is estimated that around TWENTY children take their own lives every year because of bullying.
The charity's survey of young people showed many victims said they were driven to self-harm, or to drink or drugs. Ms Cross explained: "Our findings indicate the lack of support and direction our young people have to discuss and understand faith-based issues with their peers.
"We fear this lack of cohesion is cultivating at best a lack of understanding-and at worst a lack of tolerance of other faiths."
The zero tolerance approach to bullying in schools was a key point in the News of the World's long-running Helping Hand campaign.
It was launched in 2003 in response to the harrowing suicide of 16-year-old Karl Peart, who took an overdose of painkillers after being bullied at schools since the age of four.
We adopted a tragic handprint he left at the scene as our campaign symbol.
Finally the government funded a multi-million pound programme to teach senior teaching staff how to deal with the problem.
It also brought in new laws to allow schools to ask the courts to compel parents of bullies to attend special parenting classes.
A year ago Mr Balls praised our "tireless campaigning" on the issue. But it is clear the battle is not over yet.
And there's no way we're giving up now, Minister.
IF YOU need help over bullying visit www.beatbullying.org or phone 0208 771 3377
CLAMP ON SEX PESTS
SCHOOLS Secretary Ed Balls will this week announce new measures to stamp out the sexual bullying of young girls.
A team of experts will give schools advice on how to tackle sexist behaviour which can involve violence, exploitation and gender stereotyping.
Mr Balls said: "I have asked the Anti-Bullying Alliance to produce advice for schools on gender bullying.
"This is a serious issue and guidance will help schools to be aware of the signs of this type of bullying."
He added: "The News of the World has led the field in campaigning to tackle bullying - and I'm pleased to continue to work with them.
"Your readers are not prepared to sit by and watch people be bullied. Teachers and young people are working hard to stamp out bullying."
KELLY'S SAD POEM PLEA
DAME Kelly Holmes today urges Gordon Brown to step in and save kids from school thugs in a message to the News of the World.
The double Olympic gold-medallist also asked us to publish a moving poem (below) sent to her by a child victim of bullying. She told us:
"ENOUGH is enough. It's got to stop. I don't think a child should ever feel so bad that they want to kill themselves.
Everything that's happening out there is getting out of hand. It's too much, it's getting intolerant.
Some people may say bullying is a part of growing up, but kids shouldn't have to go to school and live in fear.
Why should people have that sense of pain in their lives? It's unacceptable. We have to stand up as a nation to bullying of all kinds.
It's got to be addressed in schools and in local communities.
I feel a responsibility as a public figure to try to help bullied kids who get in touch with me. And I'm sure the Prime Minister will back this all the way.
Teenagers can take disputes that started in the playground outside the school grounds and it can get very messy. It always stems from bullying, doesn't it?
We see problems with knife crime and it probably all started at a low level with bullying."
THE POEM: -
This is my life
Another day, another tear.
This is my life.
Full of fear.
*
Nobody likes me, bullied all day.
This is my life.
I cannot say.
*
Walk through the door, they start to stare
This is my life.
Under constant glare.
*
Tell my teachers, full of hope.
This is my life.
The kicks the pokes.
*
Final bell rings, no time for fun.
This is my life.
Always on the run.
Keep running home, safety ahead.
This is my life
I wish I was dead!
Jacko's video nasty
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Nicole's in pool position
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'Pete, you are sick and lowest of the low!'
This article has 28 comments
In December o8 ,only 2 days before the xmas holiday was due to begin,i recieved a phonecall from the school headmaster.
he told me that a 9yr old girl in my daughters class had taken a knife to school to stab my daughter. thank god she was poorly and at home that day. when i told my girl , she told me she had heard this girl discussing the knife only the day before with reguards to another girl she intended to stab. (isnt that seen in court as 'with intent?) The only punishment metted out was to exclude this girl for the 2 remaining days before xmas. then she went on holiday to kenya for two weeks.
when i went to speak with the headmaster n tell him my daughter no longer wished to attend the school he was shocked and said my daughter was a star pupil and that it would be a shame if she left.
i asked the headteacher why he didnt call the police , his reply was ,and i quote,
"if i had called the police the school would have been splattered all over the scarborough evening news ! "
By mrs lv cooper . Posted luglio 3 2009 at 6:34 PM.
He guarenteed my daughters safety. so well infact that 2 wk ago (in a full class with a teacher ,) nobody saw the girl punching my daughter repeatedly in the back and causing her grievious bodily harm by bruising her. she cud hardly bloody breath. i kept her away from school untill the head came back . He instantly blamed my daughter for it because, "she didnt shout out."
He also was quite blunt when he suggested my daughter should leave and not the offender. and that the school had a good reputation for tackling bullies. He put the name of his school infront of my daughters care and safety. the school is hinderwell county primary . and, to be honest it has never had a good reputation .
By mrs lv cooper . Posted luglio 3 2009 at 6:35 PM.
my son who is 6 years old was being bullied at school he was kicked and punched and called the most awfull names when he told me what was happening it made me cry to think my little boy had been going through that i tried everything in my power to address the situation but the school just didnt want to know the poor little man used to beg me not to go to school and was never happy about going to school and i felt awful knowing he was going into that situation ive since changed his schools and he's so much happier im glad ive got my happy son back. what shocks me is that the 1st few yrs of school life should be the ones they enjoy not the ones they hate and they fact the school doesnt want to know is appauling i always thought schools were supposed to work with parents and not against them it made me feel helpless as a mother.
By kate (isle of wight). Posted novembre 24 2008 at 10:44 PM.
schools condone bullying . A boy who repeatedly bullied our son was eventually excluded for three days, but not only did he stroll in to school after this but he was sought out by the head of year to play for the school cricket team. Our son was left isolated with no staff support . The school's response throughout when dealing with boys who bullied our son was that they were deeply upset and were model pupils! (minuted) Unsurprisingly the bullying spread through the year group as these pupils were told that our son had grassed them up. The senior management and governors of the school have no moral leadership or integrity.Ofsted were in last week and refused to look at the evidence of systematic failures in the management of the school. We are waiting for this glowing report to be published and then we will involve the press in this disgraceful coverup.Civitas are so right. By the way to those of you working in or attending a challenging school,this is of course a high achieving grammar school which will be allowed to hide behind its results!
By helen. Posted novembre 24 2008 at 9:08 PM.
my 88year old friend and i were subject to bullying in our own home, by management . and they get away with it to date .
By victim. Posted novembre 23 2008 at 3:12 AM.
it's very hard in schools to exclude a child as LEA's give very clear instructions to schools that they must lower these exclusion figures-The LEA in doing this is following government policy.
Teachers rights have been eroded over the past years to the point almost to the point of non-existence and yet we are expected to be responsible for almost everything in a child's life. We rarely get thanks when thinigs go well but are regularly used as whipping boys, particularly by the tabloids when things go wrong. Am I wrong in suggesting that it's about time parents stepped up to the plate and actually accepted SOME responsibility for their offspring? gave then SOME moral guidance? actually READ to them at bedtime ? Children who are bullies are often, but not always the children of bullies themselves.The kiind of parents who when a neighbour objects to some rudeness or vandalism commited by their offspring respond with abuse, often of the four letter kind, and even bigger threats instead of acting responsibly as part of a caring community. These are the kind of parent who rush into schools to threaten and harass teacher if their beloved child is even mildly criticised. Until responsibility and accountability is placed firmly back in the hands of these parents then I am afraid that bullies, thugs,anti social people will continue to flourish.All I ask is put the blame squarely where it is merited...with Mum and Dad!!
By Angie. Posted novembre 22 2008 at 6:28 PM.
As a teacher, I would love to stop the kids from bullying eachother at school. This is very difficult to do when the culture is that management think it's ok to bully targeted staff :(
By Tez. Posted novembre 20 2008 at 4:05 PM.
I agree with Teddy Mcnabb. His "Deck the bully" philosophy is quite true. I endured horrific bullying when I was in high school. I tried everything to get this idiot to stop harassing me. The teachers and administrators were ineffective in stopping anything. One morning, I was walking to class, when he lifted up my skirt. I was helpless to do anything, but a friend of mine slugged him in the face. He never messed with me again!
By marie. Posted novembre 20 2008 at 2:58 AM.
contd...im worried that my youngest daughter will start like this too,but shes skinny and if she started loosing weight she`d end up in hospital. Also its exercise and healthy eating, my daughters in the juniors so they don`t get an afternoon break and only do pe twice a week.Also supermarkets dont help either they`ll advertise chocolate and crisp buy one get one free or two for a pound, what about doing this with fruit?!i do my shopping online and only buy what i need so i dont see all these offers.
i tell my daughters everyday that there beautiful and i wouldnt have them any other way.PLEASE LET THEM BE KIDS!!!
By tracey pickersgill. Posted novembre 19 2008 at 11:47 AM.
The government are`nt helping all this jamie oliver thing is ridiculous,its turning kids into anorexics,my daughter was happy at school before all this jamies dinners started,now shes unhappy and doesnt want to go,shes naturally big boned and shes being called fat,and because the school have been drumming this into them shes not eating like she used to and says she doesnt want to get fat,there was an article last week in love it mag saying how the figures have gone up in eating disorders and kids as young as 6 are anorexic,also that this jamie oliver thing has back fired as its turning kids against food.When we were young we were brought up with the views everything in moderation,if you dont let kids have things now and again they`ll either totally go against food or scoff it in private is this what we want,im so angry at this,kids cant enjoy their childhood like they should they shoudnt be worrying about food and being thin because they`ll be more accepted by society!!
By tracey pickersgill. Posted novembre 19 2008 at 11:46 AM.
It upsets me deeply to read the comments posted on this site. I work full time in a secondary school focussing on behaviour and discipline. Part of my non-teaching role enables me to deal with all incidents on bullying and I am pleased to say that although we do deal with bullying it is rare at our school. Maybe the Government should consider employing more people like me who can focus on the cause and affect of bullying? We run restorative justice at our school which means that we listen to the victim (or 'target'), then we listen to the bully and then we sit down together and discuss what has been going on and I am pleased to say that a huge percentage of bullies stop after this intervention and a good 99% of all incidents have never reoccured.....does your school use this system? are they aware of 'restorative justice'? I was bullyed for over 10 years when I was at school so I am fully aware of the impact that it has...alas when I was at school I was bullied by staff and students but I am so pleased that today it is recognised and we can all work together to help make it stop. We focus on bullying daily, not just this week, but it is an ideal week to get schools involved, there are so many useful online websites, video, competitions, ideas, fund raising activities to log on to. I beg that schools get involved and implement an anti-bullying charter and ensure that all parents and guardians receive an anti-bullying policy.
By Steve Harris. Posted novembre 18 2008 at 8:47 PM.
Bullying at school will never stop because ` it´s
only a bit of fun and high spirits ´ from the lads who do the bullying think the teachers , ( who avoid the complication of having to do the right thing and deal with it like the plague ) but we all know that its reason is more deaply `rooted´ . If bullying at scool is not immediately `snapped in the bud´ at an early age when the bullies start bullying , then the bullying from that person goes on through the whole of his or her life whenever things don´t go their way , or when an opportunity presents itself where they think they can benefit , and this can effect the psychological welfare of thousands of people .
By paul. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 5:06 PM.
It isn't only Children who are bullied. My Mum (finally) told me that her warden at a large sheltered housing complex where she lives, was intimidating her and other tenants.
By Emlyn Maes, Wales. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 3:57 PM.
My daughter who is aged 12 was bullied everyday at secondary school by a 15 year old girl and a gang of sometimes 100.my wife and i had countless meetings with senior teachers at the school concerned but they could not give her the protection she needed and we came to the conclusion to pull our 2 daughters out of the school for their own safety.As the headmaster could not give them a safe place . the ring leader is still a pupil and has not been excluded or disciplined for the bullying.to us the school is condoning bullying and not supporting the victims.
By mark o'pray. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 3:51 PM.
My daughter who is aged 12 was bullied everyday at secondary school by a 15 year old girl and a gang of sometimes 100.my wife and i had countless meetings with senior teachers at the school concerned but they could not give her the protection she needed and we came to the conclusion to pull our 2 daughters out of the school for their own safety.As the headmaster could not give them a safe place . the ring leader is still a pupil and has not been excluded or disciplined for the bullying.to us the school is condoning bullying and not supporting the victims.
By mark o'pray. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 3:49 PM.
Being a peer mentor for 4 years now i have learned that all schools may not have the right sence of what bullying is there are so many different definitions, bullying for disabled children is worse 8 out of 10 disabled children are bullied this is not right this can not stand. The L.A and higher ups need to check these anti bullying policies and make sure they can work and also have a look at what else they can be doing.
By Michael Castle . Posted novembre 16 2008 at 12:16 PM.
As a teacher I am aware of a school in Birmingham where a child lies about his religion the school is 97% muslim and he is a christian from the asian sub-continent. He lies as he observed a fellow christian beaten daily as he was an unbeliever.
I observed at another school girls being kicked by boys if they spoke to non muslim girls they were told that while there is their own kind at the school they do not make friends with white girls.
None of the above are reported although both schools have to complete a monthly return to show any incidence of racism.
I felt it was necessary to send you my comments because when you read about bullying especially religious bullying the automatic reaction of a number of people is to think it is young muslims and other minorities in our community being bullied, but although this does happen the main bullying I have seen is by muslim young people against anything that is different to what they believe.
There is all kinds of bullying and no matter where it happens we have to find a way to stamp it out but this is a huge issue and not one that can be dealt with easily. We need to bring together those services such as the youth board in school and the youth justice team and others to work at it from all angles not just with young people but with parents and young people. However unless those that influence outside of school are taken to task everything done in school will be pointless.
By Darcia Byrne. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 12:24 PM.
Perhaps one way to eventually eradicate bullying in schools would be to educate and train teachers to differentiate between the bully and the victim! This week my 12 year old daughter FINALLY retaliated and defended herself from another beating. RESULT: She receives same punishment which I agree with. However type of punishment inappropriate and sentenced by a teacher who did not take into account mitigating circumstasnces -just the easy option. Punishment is ISOLATION, after speaking with the NSPCC their opinion of the punishment was 'ARCHAIC MENTAL CRUELTY'. When I suggested that if I was to use this method of discipline they agreed that social services would be all over us like a rash! Over the past 5 days my daughter has gone from a thoughtful school loving person to a moody mixed up child. My personal opinion\advice to the government and schools would be: 'JOIN THE REAL WORLD! forget number crunching statistics, EARN the hard earned tax payers money by carrying out your job 100% which includes the welfare of our young children (the future generation) and get rid of the "we public servants are hard done to syndrome". In the real world if you are unable to do your job you lose it! It is not only the bully's that are a disgrace it is the authorities as well. Protect our children OR let us parents do your job for you - teach our children to defend themselves against the BULLIES.
By Ian Walmsley. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 12:09 PM.
My grandson who is twelve has special needs he is diabetic and epileptic, because of these disabilities and the drugs he has to take his learning abilities are restricted. Thanks to the goverment in all their wisdom he has to attend a main stream school where he has beeen picked on time and time again. He has had his property (plus books. blazer etc) stolen or ripped to pieces. He has been punched to the floor and kicked black and blue on many occasions. Only last week he was punched in the face and was knocked out. The offender has on more than one occasion been supended for a couple of days then allowed back to school to repeat the process. My grandson loves school but is getting very upset and frightened of attending. The culprit has now been suspended. not because of beating or stealing from and making my grandsons life a misery, but because he threw a chair at the teacher. Are there different rules for teachers and those that really need help. Schools should be more responsible in protecting the vulnerable in their care.
By Valerie Waller. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 11:34 AM.
My daughter was been bullied at junior school by a boy.I told her to hit him back,his parents complained when she did so and I was pulled infront of the headmistress for giving her the instructions.Laughable,but he never bullied her again.
By David Fell. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 10:56 AM.
My son has endured two and a half years of bullying at his school, it got so bad he was self harming and now sits out during pe lessons because the scarring is so bad on his legs and arms. The deputy head at the school has tried his best but is limited in what he can do, when a gang of kids attacked my son we reported it to the police and they were brilliant but out of all the kids involved 2 got a slap on the wrist and one went to court where he got a slap on the wrist and was ordered to do a programme to improve his social skills he was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to my son, all the kids involved are still at the school and we cannot move our son because in our area if they have started their GCSE's another school won't take them so he would miss out. He is part way through a media degree and will go on to college to finish it once he leaves school this summer, he is still being bullied although it is not as bad as it once was and both us and him cannot wait until July when he can leave the wretched school.
By wendy. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 10:16 AM.
My daughter was beaten up by 6 girls, they bruised her ribs & left a permanent mark on her face with a ring. The police took 2 weeks to arrest them & that was only because I went to see a solicitor , they got off with a caution. The girls carried on there vendetta at school so the school removed my daughter from the class & put her in another class away from all her friends, no punishment for the girls.
Since my daughter has left school she has grown in so much confidence & works extremely hard. The girls that attacked her are all jobless & going no where. My daughter went out clubbing with her mates, the ring leader of this gang saw her & put her head down, not from shame but from fear, she didn't have the back up she had in school, that made my daughter feel proud of herself & so she should be.
By Julie. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 10:00 AM.
Schools can't get rid of bullies, thugs and disruptive pupils because they are bullied by the bureaucracy in county hall who are in turn bullied by the civil servants and government ministers. Educational welfare fiddle the numbers to cover truanting by taking kids to bring in notes. They then have to collude in forcing schools to take back the kids they have excluded. The big fiddle is in the number of good passes at GCSE by kids whom the government are constantly complaining lack numeracy and literacy skills. The whole system is dishonest since all children have to be considered good and intelligent or your oppinion is not PC.
By charles. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 9:43 AM.
Over 50 years ago, I was persistantly bullied, but one day, I fought back, gave the bully a hard time, teachers caught us fighting , hauled before head, caned, he cried , I did not. Word got round school, I got respect, bully demoted.
Message give the bastards, hell, no rules, no surrender.
At 65 I fear no one, I bully the bullies.
By Richard P. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 9:28 AM.
Bullying is rife everywhere, a local warden in the resident /wardens crisis, [our wardens are great] was made to "feel inadequate" by management, the residents could say the same and more.
By teddy mcnabb. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 8:56 AM.
I tell my 9 yr old boy, To walk away, FROM TROUBLE, tell the teacher if possible, but if anyone touches him, he has the right to defend himself, so "deck the bully" END OF.
By teddy mcnabb. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 8:53 AM.
bring back the cane
By chris. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 4:29 AM.
My daughter was bullied from primary one up until she left high school. She was pushed in front of a bus by a gang of girls and ended up in hospital, the schools reply was phone the police which I did and got told there is no point in charging them, all they will get is a smack on the back of the hand and told not to do it again. She has now left school but refuses to leave the house in case it all starts again. Bring back the belt that would sort them out
By Lynn Mason. Posted novembre 16 2008 at 2:03 AM.