When a Perthshire teenager was thrown down concrete stairs in the school playground, her family say police told them it was a ‘school matter’.
And three years after the girl was first targeted by a group of school bullies, it’s alleged no punitive action was taken.
Instead, their daughter – traumatised by years of abuse – developed an eating disorder and attempted suicide.
And while at school, their daughter was placed on a reduced timetable and had to sit in classrooms at break and lunch for her own safety.
The family – who we have kept anonymous to protect the pupil involved – say the hurt caused by the bullying will stay with their daughter forever.
Years of verbal abuse turned physical
When the verbal abuse, which began in S1, turned physical the teenager’s parents removed her from her Perth and Kinross Council school.
In December 2020, the family’s worst fears were realised when their daughter was physically attacked in the school grounds.
Despite the severity of the incident, it is alleged police said there was little they could do because the assault occurred at school.
The parents could not provide The Courier with the exact date or a police case number which therefore meant Police Scotland could not comment on this case.
The incident was caught on CCTV and school staff reportedly told the parents their daughter was pushed with such force it made them gasp.
It caused such trauma to the teenager that she turned to self-harm and attempted suicide.
Her mum told us: “There wasn’t an awful lot that happened in response (to the assault).
“They spoke to the people involved and said they were going to do restorative stuff with the people involved.
“By this point we felt it had gone beyond restorative action.”
She is having to hide away and go and sit in a classroom when the ones that are bullying her can go away and mix with each other and have a laugh.”
The family claimed not enough is done to crack down on school bullies, and instead it was their daughter who sacrificed her school experience because of the bullying.
She attended school part-time and moved to the front of the classroom where teachers could keep an eye on her.
Meanwhile, those responsible for her torment were able to go about their day as normal after “very minimal punishment”.
The teenager’s dad does not think schools know how to manage bullying.
He explained: “The school has listened and has responded to our concerns but it was our daughter who had to make the concessions – not the bullies.
“She is having to hide away and go and sit in a classroom when the ones that are bullying her can go away and mix with each other and have a laugh.”
Following the physical assault, schools were closed because of coronavirus and the pupil was looking forward to returning to school again.
However, the verbal assaults started up almost immediately and she had to face pupils telling her to ‘take her own life’ despite her battles with mental health.
Bullying in schools as ‘serious as assault’
Her parents removed her from school in May 2021 to allow their daughter to recover from the trauma.
However the emotional scars left by the bullying will stay with her for the rest of her life, the parents said.
Now the family wants schools to take bullying more seriously, starting with genuine ‘zero tolerance’ approaches.
The dad explained: “You would not get away with pushing someone down the stairs in a workplace so why are they getting away with it in a school environment?
“This would be seen as a serious assault if it happened outside of school.
“It should be held to the same standards legally as anybody else – an assault is an assault.”
Bullying taken ‘extremely seriously’
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Perth and Kinross Council takes allegations of bullying within its schools extremely seriously.
“Our schools all actively work to reduce bullying, and school staff and other education officers will always give appropriate attention to any concerns raised with them.
“We are however unable to comment on the circumstances of individual pupils.
“If anyone is concerned about their child being impacted by bullying behaviour, we would urge them to contact the school.”
Anyone who witnesses bullying should report the incidents to a relevant authority, such as teachers, police or parents.
Scotland’s anti-bullying service RespectMe offers guidance for young people who are experiencing bullying and their parents and teachers.
If you feel like the bullying you witnessed at school or online was a hate crime, you can also report it to Police Scotland via 101.
Childline support young people with any worries they may experience, including mental health and bullying.
They can be contacted confidentially on 0800 11 11 or use their free 1-2-1 counselling service.
Read more from our bullying series
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- ‘Mummy I just want to die’: Devastating words of Fife girl, 7, after years of bullying
- Bullying in schools: Our survey reveals 9 in 10 parents do not think schools can effectively tackle it
- Bullying advice: How to help children who are being bullied
- Types of bullying: What is classed as physical, sexual and prejudicial bullying?
- Devastating effects of bullying on children in the short and long term
- OPINION: I attempted suicide after years of bullying – schools need to take it seriously
- Autistic Angus teen terrified to go to school as pupil threatens to ‘kill him
- How to report bullying to schools and the police
- Mum says alleged assault of her 5-year-old son shows bullying happens at any age
- Race, religion and sexual orientation among main reasons for school bullying in Tayside and Fife
- Relentless bullying makes Autistic Angus teen pull her own hair out and say she wants to die
- Anti-bullying policies: Schools take restorative action to resolve bullying
- Education Secretary: School exclusions must be ‘last resort’ for dealing with bullying
- Online bullying: Advice to help keep children safe on social media
