What is it that makes young children treat their classmates with disrespect and bully them? I could never understand how someone who is supposed to be innocent, as a child, feels the urge to hurt someone whom they are supposed to love. I guess those who turn to bullying are simply weak people who fail at solving their social problems and managing their emotions. But because of their personal insecurities, their victims become insecure as well, and that feeling of weakness and of lower value is sometimes present for life.
Sadly, the schools, where most of the bullying takes place, don’t always take these matters seriously and don’t do enough to protect the victims.
The parents of a teenager from Cotham School in Bristol, UK, who wanted to stay anonymous, got a call from the school about their son who was skipping classes. According to the teachers, he didn’t show up at school for three days.
His mom and dad were surprised to hear this because their son would get ready and go to school on those days the teachers said he wasn’t present.
After speaking to him, the boy admitted how he went to school but was staying in the bathroom, hiding from his bullies. This was a huge shock for the parents.
However, the school refused to believe such thing happened, which raged the parents even further. “They don’t take the situation very seriously or the well-being of [my son], who has been in the toilet for three days,” the teen’s father said.
After the parents made it clear they won’t be dropping the subject just like that, the school decided to launch an investigation.
“We take allegations of bullying and the well-being of our students very seriously and are working with this family to investigate,” a spokesperson of Cotham School was reported saying.
“We are, of course, saddened that one of our students felt unable to go to lessons after registering in school or to approach one of our excellent and well-trained pastoral staff for support. When we were made aware of the allegations of bullying only very recently last week, senior and pastoral staff met with the family and we immediately launched an investigation into their concerns.”
We can’t even imagine the fear this teenager is feeling each day. We hope the school will solve the matter as soon as possible so that he wouldn’t worry for his safety any longer.
The educational institutions should be places where our children feel safe and secure, and that must never change.