Bullying taken a frightening twist

andygb

dori2o wrote: »

The police have just been and gone.

They cannot (will not) do anything.

According to them because the incident happened in school it is for the school to resolve, and the kid is allowed to have a knife as long as it is less than 3" in length.

I cannot believe they were so crass about the situation.

Going to complain to the police (not that it will make a difference), and write to MP because as far as I was aware, carrying any sort of blade, especially at 14/15 is not allowed.

We ahve decided that if the school cannot guarantee her protection in the meeting tomorrow we are pulling her out of school.

You have to get the press and your MP involved in that order.
Do not go to the MP first, because that will give them time to "smooth things over", go straight to the press, and then tell the MP what you have done.
The police are being lazy, as they always are, unless of course Crimewatch are involved then they seem keen to be involved.
I hope that things work out for you, because any pupil who threatens another with a knife deserves to be put away for years.

Tiddlywinks

Don't forget Victim Support:

http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/

http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-for-victims/different-types-of-crime/knife-crime

Quote: 'If you decide you want to report the crime, we can go to the police station and support you at court. We can give you information on the criminal justice system and in some cases, help you claim compensation.
If there is help you need that we can't provide, we'll get in touch with other organisations that can help you'

Prothet_of_Doom

dori2o wrote: »

The police have just been and gone.

They cannot (will not) do anything.

According to them because the incident happened in school it is for the school to resolve, and the kid is allowed to have a knife as long as it is less than 3" in length.

I cannot believe they were so crass about the situation.

Going to complain to the police (not that it will make a difference), and write to MP because as far as I was aware, carrying any sort of blade, especially at 14/15 is not allowed.

We ahve decided that if the school cannot guarantee her protection in the meeting tomorrow we are pulling her out of school.

Okay so you called it a switch blade, and not a pen knife, but 3 inches can kill, so this is an unacceptable response.

The police couldn't do anything about threatening to Kill someone, because a school is a special place where the laws of the country do not apply? Is it not illegal to make threats and to intimidate people? Or did the law change. Knife size is irrelevant, there is still a crime.
Were there witnesses?
Police Complaints, and a Letter to chief Constable, and MP, but
it's not surprising that people take things into their own hands.

Focus for the meeting should not be just your daughter, but that a child is behaving dangerously in the school, and might attack another child, even if you remove yours.

I'm guessing that said child will have some sort of 'problem', but focus on ThIER duty of care.

Keep saying, so I'd like a record of this meeting, to say that you are happy for......

Before you start, say that you expect minutes of the meeting to be issued in the next 24 hours....

Do not get angry.

Prothet_of_Doom

andygb wrote: »

I hope that things work out for you, because any pupil who threatens another with a knife deserves to be put away for years.

Not sure that is always true. A child needs to be made safe. It may be that a custodial sentence is not the answer, but some serious professional intervention, will be.

I'm not some namby pamby liberal, but some kids need help, not punishment.

That said, I think that help, should be administered in a safer place than a school.

Scorpio33

Bring something into the meeting to record it and before it starts tell them you would like to record this meeting for your own records and would this be acceptable?

The point always should be about the schools duty of care and the rules / regulations in geenral. This incident should highlight a failure in the schools current processes and procedures and they need to act on it before something a lot worse happens.

pollypenny

Really sound advice about speaking to the duty inspector as a matter if urgency.

I imagine you are seeing the Head today, as well.

However, I would not involve the press, unless you want your daughter's privacy invaded.

Galaxy1987

I remember a kid in my care was threatened with a knife at school (behavioural school) the police where great. The took the bully into custody until a children's hearing was heard and dealt with. They told us not to send the kid to the school until it was over with and also advised to go to his GP to ensure that any mental health injuries where examined and documented.

Maybe get an appointment with your GP just to ensure that there is no effect.

andygb

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

Not sure that is always true. A child needs to be made safe. It may be that a custodial sentence is not the answer, but some serious professional intervention, will be.

I'm not some namby pamby liberal, but some kids need help, not punishment.

That said, I think that help, should be administered in a safer place than a school.

I admit that it was a bit OTT, but I do honestly believe that he should be excluded from the school at the very least and be put in a young offenders institution.
If nothing happens to the lad, then things will only get worse, and you could be looking at someone being injured or killed.

dori2o

UPDATE-

Very quick update whilst on my break at work.

Daughter is off school for the minute. They will not suspend/exclude the boy until they have investigated as the boy has a right to be educated.

Unfortunately the kid hasn't turned up today so they cannot search/question him. Guilty Concience?

The school has tried to contact the parents but as yet have had no luck.

I have told the school that the ongoing bullying needs to be sorted and that as yet I am undecided if the school is the right environment for my Daughter to be in.

The school will send some work for her to do for the next couple of days.

They have offerred to teach her in isolation from the rest of her class mates and also to allow her to be let out 15 minutes early and be escorted home by a teacher until the situations is resolved as a way of trying to keep her in school.

I have refused this offer atm but my daughter was very upset on the way home as she loves school and desperately wants to be there, even if it is in isolation.

Daughters friend is claiming she didn't see anything.



RE Police.

Went to to local station to make formal complaint but no suitable officer available apparently.

I have been given the email address to the Chief Constable and told to make the formal complaint in writing direct to him. I also managed to get the Crime/Log number.

My wife has contacted the local education department at the LA and they are calling back later to discuss how we would go about moving her to another school.

We'd love to homeschool but neither I nor my wife have the confidence, the resources, nor theexperience to teach her properly and we don't want to do it and then have it cause problems for her later in life if we do a bad job. So we'll leave teaching to the professionals.

Thats all for now. Break over. I will update later if there is anything to update.

Thanks for the support/advice so far.

Melaniep101

How awful OP, I'm amazed that it's your daughter that has to be taught in isolation and not the bully. Shocking attitude from both the Police and the school.