Question of the month

Bullying

Question

I am 14 years old and in Year Nine. Last Wednesday another girl at school took a swing at me but I ducked so she did not hit me. She got two days suspension for it. But there are 15-20 other kids wanting to do the same. A lot of them are boys. The Principal of the High School said he is not going to be able to stop them and told me to stay at home becuase it is safer for me. I really love school. I did not miss a single day last year and got an award for it. The bullying only started this year. I really miss my friends as I am not at school. The school said they would give me some work to do at home. It has been one week since the girl tried to hit me and I still have not been given any work to do. I am really upset and hurt that the school would treat me like they have. I feel like they think it is easier to get rid of me rather than do something about the bullying.

Answer

Bullying is something done on purpose against a person or group of people to upset or hurt them. Bullying can take different forms, including physical bullying (such as hitting someone), verbal bullying (such as teasing) and non-verbal bullying (such as exclusion from a game or embarrassing someone). Bullying is unacceptable and it is possible to take action to stop it.

One option is to speak to the bully or bullies and ask them to stop. However, it seems likely that, in the circumstances, this has already occurred and the behaviour has not stopped.

Schools have a responsibility to make students feel safe. Most schools have a policy on bullying. You could request a copy of the school's policy on bullying. You can also make a list of all the times that you have been bullied and when you have reported it. The list forms the basis of the complaint. You should send the list to the Principal and insist that the school take the issue seriously. The school advising you to stay at home is a totally inappropriate response.

If you are still not satisfied with the Principal's response, you and /or your family can take the matter further by writing a letter of complaint to the Regional Manager of the Department of Education and Training. Your school must give you the Regional Manager's details on request.

If you are still not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Victorian Ombudsman Office in Melbourne on 9613 6222 or 1800 806 314. If the bullying has racial or gender overtones, you can also complain to the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission, which is contactable on 9281 7111. Their website is at www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au

Further, if the abuse has been either/or both verbal and physical, as you say it has been, you can contact the local Children's Court in your area and make an application for an Intervention Order against the student(s) doing the bullying.

Finally, as you say you have been physically bullied you can complain to the local police that you have been assaulted. Assault is a crime and the perpetrator (the bully), if convicted, would suffer legal consequences. We note, however, that you would probably have to provide a statement to police outlining the bullying that has occurred. You may not wish to do this, the choice is yours.

We hope this information is helpful. If you would like to have more information on this issue you can contact Youthlaw in Melbourne on (03) 9611 2412 or your local Community Legal Centre.

Past Questions of the Month