Picture this.
Your child is about to begin a new school year at a new school.
They’re feeling all the emotions. Nervous, anxious, but also excited.
They’re excited to see old friends from other schools. They’re excited for the new opportunities with the variety of subjects being offered.
Then, in the first week, a group of kids start to follow this child and his mates around the school.
They’re taunting him every chance they can, following them around the school yard.
It’s happening six hours a day, five days per week. This form of bullying goes on continuously as the weeks go by.
It takes its toll. The child begins resenting the new school and disengaging from his education.
The bullying escalated to violence, which was added to the intimidation every day.
Imagine waking up every day, knowing this is what you’ll face.
No child should feel like this.
The school has encouraged the child to stay home for his safety.
They told him to ignore the taunting as the group of kids doing this are “immature” (zero tolerance to bullying doesn’t apply).
The child was told not to react as this keeps it going.
These measures didn’t work.
The child finally has had enough, and retaliates.
Now our family has been threatened with violence outside of the school yard. We fear for our safety.
We don’t have an option to send him to another school.
And if we move him, the bullies will simply target someone else.
The school is portrayed as a grand success.
But it has come at the cost of my child's safety.
FOR MORE STORIES ABOUT GREATER SHEPPARTON SECONDARY COLLEGE:
Greater Shepparton Secondary College teacher ‘too scared to go to work’ due to culture of violence
State Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed calls for community collaboration to address fights
Campus principals respond to accusations of school violence
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