A woman who attempted suicide 20 years ago while at Waid Academy has criticised the number of “traumatic incidents” still going unreported in Scottish schools.
Dianne Youngson, 34, claimed there was a ‘huge problem’ around incidents of violence and issues affecting children’s health going unreported in schools.
And she voiced distress that 20 years after her experience the same problems were still being debated.
Dianne said she attempted to take her own life in the grounds of the Anstruther school as a 14-year-old. She said she was told to sit in a cupboard for the rest of the day and to ‘get herself together’.
She still has flashbacks and receives counselling two decades on.
Fife Council head of education Shelagh McLean said schools staff today use “universal, early intervention and preventative approaches” to support young people.
“Any young person who is struggling, for any reason, should let a member of the school staff know. They will be listened to and supported.
It was when Dianne, who now lives in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, read about an incident at her former school in Anstruther that she decided to speak out.
The victim of the classroom assault in January “could have died” according to a retired police officer, yet police were not immediately contacted.
Dianne is now creating a parliamentary petition with her local MSP with a view to ensuring more incidents in schools are reported.
Underreporting of incidents in schools: ‘After 20 years, here we are still talking about these things’
Dianne said: “I didn’t think what happened to me could possibly happen now, in an age when mental health is talked about so much.
“My incident was 20 years ago, yet here we are still talking about these things.”
Describing her own incident at school, she said: “After becoming evidently unwell another pupil notified staff, yet no medical attention whatsoever was called upon.
“Instead, they made the decision to put me in the back of my guidance teacher’s classroom cupboard. I was to sit there while they ‘monitored’ me until the end of the day, which was several hours.
“It was only at the end of the school day that I was taken to hospital, extremely unwell by this point. The doctors could not understand the time delay in getting me medical attention.”
School treated suicide attempt like ‘a dirty secret’
She added: “After being discharged from hospital I was called into a school meeting.
“I was told, ‘While we cannot officially exclude you, we feel you need to take a few days off to get yourself together.’
“And so I went home, aged 14, deeply suicidal and lacking any kind of support.
“I was told not to speak of what happened like it was some dirty secret.
“They had a duty of care and completely failed.
“I get that teachers have a lot to deal with.
“When you take on a career as a teacher you don’t want to have to deal with traumatic incidents that come up probably weekly in schools. I completely understand that.
“But schools do have a duty of care and they should be reporting these incidents, because that’s when they’ll be able to get the help to deal with them.”
‘Fear of reporting incidents is an overplayed excuse’
Dianne was left so disheartened by her experience that she chose to leave school early, after completing fifth year and attending ‘just enough’ school to leave with some Highers.
At the age of 26, after having children, Dianne contacted education officials and questioned why no medical help had been sought that day.
She said she was given ‘pitiful’ excuses, which left her feeling ‘hugely let down’.
“I may have stayed on longer at school had I felt safe. I lost all trust and didn’t want to be there anymore.
“The narrative of what actually happens in schools is being whitewashed to protect their reputation.
“Fear of reporting incidents is an overplayed excuse, and doesn’t excuse what I feel is negligence.”
Local MSP to raise issue with cabinet secretary Jenny Gilruth
Alexander Burnett, Dianne’s MSP in Aberdeenshire West, said: “Dianne deserves a great deal of credit for opening up about her experiences as a young person in the Scottish education system, which undoubtedly failed her.
“Although a number of years have passed, it’s obvious the pain of reliving those experiences is just as keenly felt.
“And tempting as it may be for politicians to pretend bullying has gone away — especially the kind that goes unheard or ignored — not much has changed.
“Beyond an apology for the anguish Dianne endured, on her own, I will be asking the minister [for education, Jenny Gilruth] just what the Scottish Government is doing to protect today’s pupils from suffering in silence.”
Fife Council responds on behalf of the school
Fife Council’s head of education Shelagh McLean said the authority couldn’t comment on individual cases, but that the welfare of those in schools is its priority.
“Our focus on universal, early intervention and preventative approaches means that most young people can enjoy positive emotional wellbeing and flourish.
“Any young person who is struggling, for any reason, should let a member of the school staff know. They will be listened to and supported.
“We will always work to make sure our young people have a positive experience at school.”
There is support available for those experiencing negative, upsetting or suicidal thoughts.