As
a former Deputy Head in a large rural secondary school, dealing with cases of
bullying amongst pupils was always a challenging and sometimes distressing part
of the job. I was therefore delighted to see an item on SKY News last Sunday
highlighting the deadly misery that bullying and intimidation always brings.
A
group of parents, in a campaign led by the charity BeatBullying want the
Coalition to bring in effective legislation to deal with bullying. Resolute and
pained, this is a group of adults inexorably bound together by tragedy.....all
had lost a child through suicide as a result of bullying.
Kelly
Dugmore’s son Aaron hanged himself at home aged nine as a result of bullying.
Shy Keenan claims her 14 year old son, Ayden Olsen was literally ‘bullied to
death’. She told SKY News, “we tried working with the policies in place and it
just wasn't enough.” In effect the families are campaigning for ‘Ayden’s Law’
to prevent future tragedies by making bullying an offence.
Richard
Piggin, Deputy Chief Executive of BeatBullying said: "The latest
Government statistics show that as many as 46% of young people will have
experienced bullying...........For us it's about those one in 13 who experience
it day in day out. They need protection and we need to make sure the
perpetrators take responsibility for their actions."
In
a letter to David Cameron, signed by all the families, they request: "For
our families and the brothers and sisters of those we've lost, nothing can be
the same again......On behalf of all children who have experienced bullying,
and their families, we are calling on you and your Government to take action to
help prevent more people suffering in this way.........Together we can stop
bullying in our society. Please give us your support and meet with us to
discuss how we make bullying unacceptable, once and for all."
In
Scotland all schools are supposed to have robust anti-bullying policies in
place. Despite this, Childline Scotland reports that the problem is getting
worse, despite the increasing awareness and improved anti-bullying policies in
schools.
For
me information is the key to dealing with bullying. This requires all members
of a school community to be alert, watching, listening and willing to take
action.
As
a Christian I always take the things that Jesus said extremely seriously. In
the parable of the ‘good Samaritan’ a man is beaten, robbed and left for dead
at the roadside. A number of pious ‘upright citizens’ choose to pass by the man
on the other side of the road. He is eventually helped by a Samaritan, an
outcast in the eyes of many at the time. In the twenty first century, where
bullying is concerned, nobody should be ‘passing by’.
At
worst, bullying is an extreme abuse of power by an individual or group. Victims
are isolated, abused, tormented and frequently left feeling helpless with no
way out. It happens in schools, the workplace, the wider community, even in
churches. It is criminal behaviour by any other name.
Sadly,
there is still a lack of ‘good Samaritans’ in our society. Perhaps it is time
for our decision makers to wake up and legislate........ Are you listening
First Minister and Justice Secretary ?
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