Bullying taken a frightening twist

Toto

3" blades can kill, you don't need to puncture a vital organ to cause a lethal wound. I'm very passionate about this, tonight marks the second anniversary of my best friend's son being stabbed to death. They are doing so much good work in the local community educating the young people in schools about knives and how they can decimate lives. This education needs to be nationwide because it seems too many kids these days pick up a knife as a first response to conflict.

In your case I would absolutely without question speak to the police and ask for a senior officer to answer when it became acceptable for a child to threaten someone's life with a knife? How long the knife is should make no difference what so ever, a threat is a threat and the fact he was carrying a knife means he was serious and willing to carry out his threat.

I'd not allow my daughter back to the school even if the boy is excluded. The school can't guarantee her safety when leaving to walk home.

dori2o

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I'll ask again, were there any witnesses to the incident?

I would expect the school to take the FB posts very seriously, but it will be difficult for them to act on the knife incident if it is unsubstantiated.

sorry, missed your original post.

My daughter says she was with her friend so yes there would be a witness. The lad however was in a group with 2 or 3 others so no doubt they will back him up.

She's tried to get hold of her friend earlier to see if she will go to the meeting with us tomorrow but she hasn't been able to contact her. I seem to remember however that her friend goes to dance lessons or some other out of school activity on a Tuesday night.

paulineb_2

dori2o wrote: »

My daughter has been bullied at school for the past few months. We have been in constant contact with the school but nothing seems to be getting better. we have informed the school that we are willing to 'face the wrath of the truant officers' so to speak, and take her out of school if things don't improve.

Well today may be the nail in the coffin.

Over the half term break a kid from her school threatened her over facebook. he said he would stab her, before running off as a teacher was approaching

Both I and her Mum messaged this lad on facebook and told ghim this was unacceptable and if he contineud we would go to the police. Hoping this 'threat' would make him see sense. We also obtained his address from a mutual aquaintance.

Today my Daughter went into school as normal.

on her way home, before she had left the school grounds, this kid pulled her to one side, pulled out a flick knife, and told her he was going to stab her.

We have phoned the police and I have arranged to go into the school in the morning.

What would you do in this circumstance.

i no longer have faith that the school can adequately protect my daughter.

Suggestions?

Id remove her from the school, particularly from what youve said in the later post you made. Even temporarily, her safety comes first

meritaten

dori2o wrote: »

Thats my thought on it, but we have to see what they say tomorrow otherwise we have no leg to stand on if we get hauled befgore the courts re truancy.

If I don't like what they say, if they won't exclude/expell the boy immediately, she will be coming home with me and staying home until we find a suitable school for her.

if you remove your child from school and are actively home-schooling her and/or looking for another school, then truancy is a non-issue. The law states that a child must have an education - NOT that they must receive that education in school.

I am with the others who say for her own safety withdraw her now! Write a formal letter to the school stating that as they have clearly failed in their duty of care and that your daughter is not safe at the school you are withdrawing her effective immediately.

Copy this to the school governers and the LEA (or whatever they call themselves this year. They cannot then prosecute you. if you intend to home school there is plenty of advice on the internet and there have been several threads on here.

its a good idea to do some home schooling even if you are seeking a new school for her as she may not find a place immediately.

I wish you and DD the best of luck and hope DD isn't too traumatised by what must have been a very frightening experience for her - in fact you may want to make an apt with your GP in case she needs some counselling.

I also cannot believe that the police say its for the school to sort out!!!!!!!!!!!!That is pure B*llsh*t! They are not like the Vatican and are 'independent states', despite what headteachers may think!

since when has any sort of knife not been an offensive weapon? the size of the blade doesn't matter! are you sure they were real police officers and not the numpties called CSOs? because it sounds to me like they were making excuses NOT to deal with this - out of their depth perhaps? I would be speaking to a senior officer about this - and maybe making a formal complaint?

nickj_2

nickj wrote: »

i would get in touch with your local newspaper , nothing stirs schools in to action faster than a bit of bad publicity ,especially if it highlights bullying and their inability to deal with it

ps , and let the school know you're doing this as well

paulineb_2

Contact your MP as well.

supersaver2

How awful for you and your daughter OP.

As for the police not being able to do anything, what rubbish. I'm a secondary teacher and last year we had an out of control pupil assault 3 members of staff including our Head, the Police were called, they came and arrested this pupil and took them away in the back of a van.

I would be going to the school tomorrow and not leaving until I had seen the Headteacher or a Deputy.

paulineb_2

I read a story in a national newspaper about a girl called Izzy Dix, who tragically took her own life due to school bullying. Ive also signed the petition her friends started to try and get the site askfm closed down. Her mum alerted the school apparently on numerous occasions but little was done to help her.

They have a campaigning facebook page, just a thought, it might help the OP to go on the page and perhaps get in touch with the people running it.

Sadly, bullying of teens can have tragic consequences. I was bullied at school as a child, nothing like knives, just threats from one girl who came from a terrible background, but was just a bully. The final straw was when she threatened to drown me and I then told my mum (shes a teacher) who told her in no uncertain terms, back off. I must have been about 12 at the time, but it had been going on for quite some time.

Forget what might happen if she stays off school, her safety is the most important thing, she can find another school.

Complain to the chief inspector and get in touch with your MP asap.

pollypenny

The police comment is appalling, as well as untrue.

I can remember the police being contacted about things which occurred on school premises, if a crime had occurred.

Sounds as if you had a lazy bobby.

kizkiz

meritaten wrote: »

since when has any sort of knife not been an offensive weapon? the size of the blade doesn't matter!

Definition of an offensive weapon:
"any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use..."
So, for instance, a kitchen knife would not be an offensive weapon unless the user intended to use it for injury

As for the size, that is from having a pointed or bladed article in a public place - criminal justice act 1988
Folding pocket knives are excluded if the Blade is under 3 inches.