PaulL
If you look at the school’s website it says “The school aims to provide a safe, supportive and productive learning environment to promote individual achievement and self-responsibility. “

http://www.dunheved-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sws/view/376164.node

Other students have claimed”
"The fights I have seen here, it's horrible. It really makes me feel unsafe," one said. A classmate added: "People pick on him every single day, they hit him around and stuff, and he just got sick of it and let out the anger."

The student being bullied also claims “``I've been duct taped to a pole before as well. “ and has also said “``I've never had so much support before,'' after people began supporting him after the video was released.

Now adding all this together, there would be gross negligence on the part of the school for the bullying to be occurring for so long.

It means that their supervision of the school grounds is inadequate, their early intervention programs are inadequate, their teacher to student communication systems are totally inadequate, their bully reporting systems are inadequate, and their teacher to parent communication systems are inadequate.

They state that they “aim” to provide a “safe” environment. That is borderline, because under risk management legislation that governs the school, they HAVE to provide a safe environment, full stop.

Someone can blame the parents as much as they like, but the parents are not there at the school.

If the teachers believe the school is not safe, the teachers should have called for the closure of the school, but they didn’t, when even the students know it is not safe.

In this situation, the teachers have prime responsibility.

If teachers are blaming the parents, they are just avoiding their own responsibility.

Interesting arguments, vanna.

You contend that physical violence should go unpunished, but should be addressed with questions.

You speak out against suspension and expulsion, arguing that both deny children the right to learn.

You then claim that the unpunished physical violence should result in the closure of a whole school, so that not only the violent but also the innocent students are denied the right to learn.

Perhaps it's time to clarify what you are REALLY trying to say, because your posts in this thread really don't add up.

Otokonoko
Bullying in the school is a safety issue, and the school has prime responsibility for the safety of the students once they walk through the school gate.

That is legal fact.

If the teachers have done everything they can to stop bullying, but it is occurring to such an extent that it is making children unsafe, then they should close the school.

However in this case I would think that the teachers have done nowhere near enough to reduce bullying in the school

If the students were regularly seeing fights and bullying, then teachers would have too, but the teachers were culpable because they didn’t act.

That is how a court would see it.

The teachers have a vast array of things they can do to reduce or stop bullying.

However, in my experience (and I have had some rather big and ugly fellows to supervise) it only takes a few words or a few questions to get them sorted out, and corporal punishment can create more problems in the longer term than it solves.

PS.

If you think closure of the school is extreme, then think not.

Recently a coal mine in central QLD was shutdown because someone went onto the site without getting a site induction. As soon as the safety officer learnt that the person had not received a site induction, they called the coal mine to a stop (at great cost to the company) and everyone had to go to their evacuation areas, just because someone had not been given a site induction.

That is the extent that safety and risk management is being carried out in industry, but compare that to the extent that safety and risk management is being carried out in the schools.

weareunique,

'How old are you Houllebecq if you do not mind me asking?'

I don't see how that's relevant. You don't volunteer your age anyway.

'a victim is inviting or tolerating bullying, and that therefore it is the victims fault. '

Well, I didn't mention fault. My outlook is that you cannot control the actions of others, and it is more empowering to look towards oneself if one is to get along in society. Now, this Arthur guy has rattled off a heap of 'wrongs' done against him by many people. I find in life, if you have a problem with a great many people, just maybe, it's you who is the problem.

'Take away or distract a bully's audience [usually the bully's mates] using humour without degrading'
OH! BLAMING THE VICTIM ARE WE! I mentioned that already. Just when I did it...

'Another strategy useful for children suffering from schoolyard bullying, is to enrol these kids into drama'

HAHAHA. Just because someone is bullied doesn't mean they are gay or should be turned gay. Though, I think Arthur is a natural for 'drama'.

'The girl was insecure about my athletic daughter's ability to win races during school events'
Hahaha. Yep, and every child these days is 'gifted' and all the other parents are 'jealous'. You sound smug, 'not a word said by myself. I was just glad she had participated for her health and a community event. '. Ooh lardie dah! Such a wonderful parent, it's all due to your goodness that your child isn't one of 'those people'. No wonder your kid is bullied. The 'bully' probably resents your kid looking down on her and your kid probably deserves to be taken down a peg or two.

'For children, making eye contact with a bully, standing firm'

BLAMING THE VICTIM!

Houellie,

Rendering yourself inconspicuous to the bullying fraternity is sometimes beyond the capabilities of some children,

My son is mildly autistic. He's smart kid, he's handsome and friendly - yet he is naive and easily led. He doesn't have a problem with bullying because he is educated at home and in the wider community. However, I've often observed how it is that certain children react once they pick up on his gullibility.

It's fascinating to watch as they decide to stir him up simply because they can. In the most exquisitely sadistic fashion they delight in spinning him stories and "taking him for a ride". They are almost beside themselves with glee when they manage to frustrate and upset him - it is stunning to watch.

These children are definitely a minority in his life, but if he was in a daily situation with them (which he isn't), his life would be quite miserable. As it is he's a confident child who gets on fairly well with most of the children he mixes with.

There are many children like him in the school system and there always have been - it doesn't necessarily mean they've invited the unwanted attention or that they are capable without some intervention to keep it at bay.

Poirot,

I think your son is a special case. Really that falls more under the jurisdiction of special needs.

I think we've all seen people in the world who have been pampered and not allowed to navigate adversity and grow. There is today an attitude of wrapping cotton wool around kids. Sure, teenagers are cruel, but so is life. It's no preparation for life to have some higher authority stepping in all the time (outside the obvious enforcing of rules at school). Kids need to know there is a system and rules that will be applied universally. Outside that, where authority is absent (as it MUST and SHOULD be at times) I'm all for teaching kids the skills to navigate the bullies in life rather than 'protecting' them and setting them up for a life of victim-hood.

Kids need to negotiate these social environments and it is a vital part of their development. I also think it is naive in the extreme to think you can spot systematic bullying or be there when it happens. So then you're left with he said/she said, and you're actively undermining the kids chances for respect in the school yard. The message you're telling all the kids is 'that kid is weak' and needs special attention. You're telling 'that kid' that he is weak too, and that he will never be able to fight his own battles. You're messing with the natural ecosystem, and you're messing with something you cant control 100% of the time.

I understand your idea to keep your kid home, and that is your way of handling the situation. I understand you have other more ideological reasons which I'm quite sympathetic to. I always admire people who think/do outside the box and live life a little differently. Money where your bleeding heart lefty humanist mouth is and all that. It's only when your sort start preaching about what 'we' need I get the sh1ts with it.