The Courier’s investigation on bullying in schools has made for troubling but essential reading.
In recent weeks we have shone a light on the experiences of children and parents, who have opened up about the misery they faced – and the failure of schools to stop it.
One seven year-old girl told her mother she wanted to die. Another girl developed an eating disorder and attempted suicide after years of abuse. The mother of a teenage boy with autism said he was terrified to go to school because bullies had threatened to kill him.
And those are just a snapshot of the harrowing stories we have shared.
The past few months I've researched bullying in schools. My experience is an insight into why I was so passionate about taking on the project. I hope this shows that you can achieve your dreams despite the hardships of bullying ✨https://t.co/njPUrZAHpg
— Rebecca McCurdy (@_RebeccaMcCurdy) March 18, 2022
These young people have shown extraordinary courage – in surviving the disruption to their education and distress to family life, and in speaking out in the hope of making change.
Now it’s time for the authorities to show the same steel.
The Scottish Government has been urged to respond to the findings of the investigation and to put in place measures that reflect the scale of the problem.
Opposition parties are calling for more training and resources to give teachers the confidence to tackle bullying behaviour.
They also want bullying to be monitored as part of school inspections.
That would be a start.
OPINION: I attempted suicide after years of bullying – schools need to take it seriously
The government has insisted bullying of any kind is completely unacceptable and said it must be addressed.
It must now demonstrate it is serious about taking the necessary steps to turn those fine sentiments into action.
The young people who spoke to us say the current provisions do not go far enough.
They have already been let down by a system which is supposed to protect them.
It would be tragic if their bravery in drawing attention to Scotland’s school bullying shame had been in vain.
