Donna Thomas wants to make sure bullying is seriously addressed in schools after her daughter Kodie was targeted.
By Sarah Schwager
A CRANBOURNE North mother has highlighted the dangers of bullying after her daughter was targeted at her school.
Donna Thomas said she had been bullied when she was at school 20 years ago and it had seriously disturbed her and caused problems in her life.
She said she was worried the same thing would happen to her daughter, Kodie.
A year eight student at Lyndhurst Secondary College, Kodie says she was recently bullied, sustaining bruising to the upper body and head, and now experiences headaches.
“I don’t want to see history repeat itself,” Ms Thomas said.
Lyndhurst Secondary College principal Steve Phillips said the situation had been dealt with in accordance with the school’s policies and practises.
“We certainly take bullying and harassment very seriously,” Mr Phillips said.
The school has recently taken up a new way of dealing with the issue of bullying known as restorative justice.
The process involves getting the victims, perpetrators and their families together with trained facilitators to discuss the harm that has been caused.
“Often the perpetrators are not aware of the damage they are doing to the other person,” Mr Phillips said.
The bullies then hear directly from the victims about the pain and harm they have caused.
The parties then agree on an outcome – usually that the bullying will cease.
“In most cases the perpetrators are very remorseful,” Mr Phillips said.
“We have had a lot of success with that method over the last year and a half that we have been using it.
“Of course, it doesn’t always work.”
Other methods include a warning, counselling for both the victim and perpetrator, right up to suspension or even expulsion from school.
Ms Thomas said she was worried the bullying could have a negative effect on Kodie and was concerned her daughter would start to rebel from school and at home.
She said she hoped the situation would be resolved and Kodie would receive counselling, but if the problems continued she would consider pulling her out of the school.
