Bullying can begin at any age but a Kinross mum was shocked to learn her son had allegedly been physically assaulted at school, aged just five.
It started off, she says, as verbal taunts, her son being told he had no friends and his appearance mocked.
But months later the mum, who has asked to remain anonymous to protect her son’s identity, said she was alerted by Kinross Primary School that her son was distressed after a fellow P1 pupil grabbed him by the jacket collar.
Despite the incident allegedly being witnessed by a teacher, she said it was not taken seriously and instead it was her son who had to make concessions.
‘My son is penalised for being picked on’
“I went to pick him up from school one day and his teacher said he was quite upset,” she said. “The boy who had been bullying him had him by the throat of his coat, up against a wall and pointing in his face.”
She said: “My son got taken inside because he was really upset. He had lunch with the deputy head teacher who is really nice to him.
“But there was nothing done about the bully, he got left to play in the playground while my son is being penalised for being picked on.”
The family have since escalated the issues with Perth and Kinross Council education department.
However, she says she feels the authority is “down-playing” the incident as a game of ‘cops and robbers’.
Bullying can happen at any age
She said: “You never really consider that a child could be bullied so young.
“I think that’s maybe why it’s being brushed off as a playful thing rather than taken more seriously.
“But my son is proof that bullying does happen even at as young an age as five.”
The boy is described by his parents as extremely shy and lovely but he was too scared to return to school for two and a half weeks.
The bullying, his mum says, has led him to become withdrawn and has impacted his moods at home.
After he returned to school, the issues are reported to have started again and his mum said he ‘walked about the playground on his own’ after the boy excluded him from playing at break and lunch times.
She is worried her son, who struggles in new social situations, will take the issues to heart if they are not nipped in the bud by the school.
She said: “How do you tell a five-year-old who is so sensitive to just not listen to it? These types of comments can stick with him and make him feel insecure from such a young age.
“He said to me ‘I just wish I wasn’t at that school mummy and my life would be so much better’. He’s five – he shouldn’t be having these concerns.”
Call for more action from schools
The family – like hundreds of parents who responded to our bullying survey – hope schools and local authorities become more accountable for the bullying that occurs in their buildings.
Bullying policies, she said, do not go far enough to deal with the child displaying bullying behaviour.
According to guidance set by the Scottish Government, schools must log incidents where a child says they have been bullied, regardless of the type of bullying.
However it is alleged that Kinross teachers admitted they did not follow this protocol and therefore no record of bullying exists with the school despite a teacher allegedly witnessing the incident.
The mum said: “These anti-bullying policies should be made by parliament and put into school so that schools can’t make up their own policy.
“It means there’s an opportunity for them to fail that child if they don’t have this.
“Rules need to be the same for every child. All schools seem to have the same sort of framework for bullying but they don’t all have the same procedures to deal with it.”
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.”
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
- ‘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
