A Fife mum has revealed her constant terror for her bullied son who tells her he wants to end his life.
The Levenmouth Academy pupil was only 12 when he stated for the first time he didn’t want to be here anymore.
Now older, he has voiced his suicidal feelings several times since – including to teachers – and even described how he would do it after suffering years of bullying.
His mum is petrified to leave him alone and insists he leave his bedroom door open at all times, fearing he will carry out his threats.
The boy’s story emerged as a group of parents compiled a dossier of bullying at the Fife secondary in Buckhaven, which included dozens of statements from pupils and parents.
There is not enough support available for children like him, according to his mum.
It came as a massive shock, she says, when her son, whose identity we are withholding to protect his wellbeing, first revealed his suicidal thoughts.
He has endured mostly verbal bullying but has also been shoved around a few times and even told, she says, to “just go away and kill yourself”.
Although aware he was unhappy and anxious, she had no idea his mental health had deteriorated to such a degree.
She said: “He had been struggling with bullying since primary school and it continued into high school and got worse.
“He really wasn’t happy and he was getting more withdrawn all the time.
“One day he came and told me had thoughts about [the method he planned to use] and not being here anymore.
“It completely breaks your heart to hear that.”
The mum immediately took her son to see his GP and he was referred to Fife Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
But she said: “That’s a long process as well.
“You wait months and months before you get to see someone. He’s only seen them twice, so it’s not regular, and he’s not seen anyone since the start of the year.
“It’s a nightmare, we are struggling to get help for him.
“I don’t feel there’s enough there for children as young as him.”
CAMHS aims to see children and young people within 18 weeks but in June almost a quarter of those referred in Fife had waited longer than this.
At school he was put on a reduced timetable and, she says, is often sent home when he becomes overwhelmed.
It’s scary when he says something like that… you take every precaution you can to make sure nothing happens.”
But she says this is not dealing with the root cause of the problem, the bullying, and she is also worried about the impact on his education.
In the meantime, she is doing all she can to ensure her son feels loved and is safe.
She said: “I just reassure him we all love him and are here for him, his whole family.
“I tell him whenever he feels like that that he can come and talk to me.
“I make sure he’s not left alone, there’s always someone in and his bedroom door is kept open.
“It’s scary when he says something like that and feels like that. You take every precaution you can to make sure nothing happens.”
What is Levenmouth Academy doing?
Although it will not comment on individual cases, Fife Council, which runs Levenmouth Academy, said it always encourages pupils struggling with bullying or their mental health to tell a trusted adult in school.
Head of education and children’s services Shelagh McLean said: “The positive mental health of our young people in all of our schools is a priority for us and we are fortunate to have a wide range of partners working in schools across Fife to support young people and families.
“We also have policies and procedures in place to deal with bullying and have invested significantly in interventions to support young people. Young people themselves are involved in creating these policies and helping schools be welcoming places for everyone.
“When relationships break down every situation is assessed on an individual basis and we look at how best we can support the young people and families involved, bringing in specialist support if that’s appropriate.”
What is CAMHS doing?
Fife CAMHS is a service for those aged up to 18 with persistent, complex or severe mental health difficulties run by Fife Health and Social Care Partnership.
The partnership would not comment on the boy’s case for confidentiality reasons but a spokesperson said it was doing several things to reduce waiting lists.
She said: “We are committed to ensuring timely access to all our mental health services with increased investment, a focus on recruitment of specialist staff and working with partner organisations to deliver mental health support services in Fife.”
She outlined a range of support services signposted as children and young people wait for their appointment, including Childline and therapy websites, and added: “We also recommend that if there is a change and/or deterioration in a child or young person’s presentation that we are informed of this through their referrer.”
If you’ve been affected by issues raised in this piece, Samaritans are available to offer support day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
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