Imagine Being Bullied

Is There Any Justice For Bullied Kids?Imagine going to school everyday, and being taunted, shoved, kicked, made fun of.Imagine sitting in class everyday, feeling like no one listens as kids are making fun of you.Imagine asking for help and no one seems to care and listen. Imagine this happening for years. Imagine being made fun of even more when you tell. Hard to Imagine??This is what happens to many children facing bullies everyday. My child being one of themMy son’s bullying started in grade 1 when we had to hold him back. Since then the same group of children have bullied him for many years. Over the years the verbal bullying has escalted to many physical confrontaions. And many serious injurys to ribs, spine, concussions etc...In grade 4 it was so bad we desided to move him back up to grade 5, just to try to put some distance between the children. However every second year they will be in a class together.This year they are in a split 5/6 class. The bullying started again the first week. But this time the verbal bullying was worse than ever, the children were using sexualy explicite words. Telling my son to kill himself. Telling him anything they could to try to get a reaction. And the first physical conflict happend in the first weekConcerned and trying to stay on top of it I was on the phone with out new principle. At that time she still hadnt known much about these kids. And when I tried to explain their history, she told me that she was not worried it had been dealt with. I explained that she needed to stay on top of them or things would escalte again. After things started getting worse, hoping to get help for all the kids I suggested bullying workshops that had worked in the past. She shut it right down. She felt we were over reacting. I explained that my son was very fearfull and she needed to talk with the parents and see if we could all have a meeting, again she shut it down. Frustrated I called the school board. I was told a worked would get right back to me. No one ever did I called every second day. Getting very frustrated no one was protecting me son. 4 weeks of me calling and begging for help. Finnaly after I screamed a worked finnaly called me back. She was on sick leave! I was very angry I said well don’t you have someone covering our school. I also told her not once did anyone tell me she was away. I told her I felt my son was ignored that this situsation didnt matter to them. And I was so fearful for him. She explained since SO MUCH TIME HAD WENT BY since the last incedent she couldnt do much. I said so once again nothing is done not even a recess loss for these kids. I explained that the more they get away with it they more they laugh at my son saying we don’t get in trouble. As long as they know they can get away with these things they willonly get worse.Moving on week after week I would have to call the school about bullying. And week after week the principle would blow me off. Saying it was none of my buisness if she called the parents. I told her that she should call them being from a small town I found out not once did she ever call and of these parents. I explained how concerning it was how can anything get better if she doesnt call. That they had no idea what was going on with their own kids. By this time not only was my son being bullied outside, it had moved into the classroom. Last Monday my son was attacked with a chair in his classroom in front of his teacher and whole class. Another student not the teacher broke it up. No one called me to tell me, they sent my son home crying and with blood on him. My son came home very very upset. I called the school yet once again. And once again the principle was unavailable. I told the teacher I would not be sending my son back till she can gaurentee his saftey.Later that night she called me back. She said for me to send him back tomorrow and she would make sure no one botherd him and she would investigate the events. The next day she did not call me all day, my son again came home very upset. He said he couldnt take it anymore. He couldnt go back. He told me that it was even more worse than the day before. From the time he arrived they started harrasing him and bullying him. They would push and trip him in the hall. And that they tried to jump him in the bathroom.AGAIN I called the school and again she was unavailable. She called me back and I told her Andre would not be going back till this situation is dealt with. I asked what happened with the investigation and she said NOTHING she hadnt even asked the children what happened. So my son was once again left all day in a class with the bully. I explained how upseting it was for Andre, I said he feels like no one hears him no one cares. The next day my daughter who is in the same class went to school when she arrived with a friend, the children from the fight on Monday confronted her all through out the day they made fun of her brother calling him a chicken and making death threats.When my daughter came home she was visably shaking she was so upset she vried herself asleep. I was LIVID I called the school Board told them everything. I told them I feel I am out of options no one is doing anything to keep my kids safe. I explained that he didnt even go to school and yet they still make threats. She told me that she would get to the bottom of this. I said how? All any of you have done is give reflections. They have been physical with my son Many time already this year and nothing has been done. I said there is susposed to be 0 tolerence to bullying and 0 tolerance to violence. But yet it seems axceptable with these kids. Feeling I was once again getting no where with the school. I felt I had to call the OPP and press charges. None of the kids had been punished at all for the bullying and the child who attacked him with the chair wasnt even punished. And now they were threatening his life when hes at home and scaring my daughter. It’s not like they didnt have witness’s all the kids in the class had the same storie about the chair attack. But yet why wasnt he punished? Any one of those kids could have been hit with that chair. And if it had made contact with a head it could have ended very bad.The Opp came and they agreed it was a scarey situation. They talked with my son at length. I expalined that I don’t know what other option we had I felt the school and school board was doing nothing, they hadnt even called any parents. The OPP then said well there isnt much we can do. We can’t charge a child unless they are over 12! I was very shocked by this, I said these kids have sent my child to the ER on a few occasions the bully him threaten his life and theres nothing they can do! The officer said he didn’t like it either but the goverment of Ontario thinks that a child under 12 can not understand the consicuences of what they do.Here is my issue with this.These children on a daily basis tease, taunt, use sexually explicit coments and the are known to get physical. At 10 & 11 they clearly know these things are wrong. And they know it hurts my son. But yet they do it. And now at 10 & 11 they plan attacks a head of time. Such as trap him in the bathroom etc... If a child is smart enough to do all this then they are smart enough to have to answer to the law. SO far no one has taken a stand with these children not the school or school board and now the OPP tell me the only thing I can do is go after the school Board to get justic for him at this point.The safe school acts clearly state that bullying is not to be tolerated that when a child clearly bullys and intimidates, make verbal abusive comments and or gets physical it calls for a suspension. But we have yet to see anything.What are we to do as parents when we can’t count on our Schools and School Boards to keep our kids safe. My son has every right to be safe at school and has every right to a good education. But yes he cant get either. How can get get a good education when even when the kids are bullying himm in class these kids are left in the classroom so he cant concentrate. These children need to know how hurtfull they are. And we just want them all to get help. I don’t want them locked away. What I want is for someone to help them. It is a proven fact that most bullys bullie because of issues outside of his school life, issues at home etc... When they treat eachother this was they are crying out for help.I have been very patient with the school waiting for them to deliver on all their promises. But yet they cant keep the most important one. Keeping our children safe.