Ben Cox has never had a friend. According to the psychologists who assessed him, it is highly unlikely that he will make any in the future, let alone form any romantic relationships or hold down a job. In what is an extremely bleak psychological forecast, the experts say that at the age of 18, his life has "all but been destroyed", and his adult life will be no better with anxiety and depression his only companions.
In a landmark case, in May 2007, the NSW Supreme Court found that the bullying was to blame and in what remains the biggest school bullying damages award in Australian legal history, Mr Cox's legal team estimated the reclusive Hunter Valley teenager will receive about $1 million, giving him an income for life and superannuation.
The Court found authorities "grossly failed" him when he was in kindergarten and year 1 at Woodberry Public School by failing to protect him from repeated assaults, bullying and harassment by an older, disturbed student. The Court heard that during one attack he was "throttled" and lost consciousness, and in another had a tooth knocked out when the bully tried to make him eat his jumper.
Both Ben, his family and I, have a dream.
It goes like this. Julia Gillard sends out a “Dear Principal” letter to every Principal of every school and educational leader of every TAFE and university across Australia explaining their legal obligations provide students with a safe environment to learn, explaining how to enhance their existing policies, curriculum material and practices in relation to cyberbullying and bullying . The letter would provide case studies and illustrates how a school should respond in each case. Ms Gillard allocates $200 million dollars to role out an evidence based strategy for addressing cyberbullying that Victoria has already allocated 10 million to.
But when it comes to Australia, sadly it is only a dream. But not in Washington DC. where the US Government has recently escalated its involvement in school bullying, sending out a “Dear Colleague” letters to 15,000 schools and districts and 5,000 colleges and universities explaining their legal obligations to protect students from student-on-student racial and national origin harassment, sexual and gender-based harassment, and disability harassment.
The letter provides examples of harassment and illustrates how a school should respond in each case.In an unprecedented move, the letter puts schools on notice that they have a legal obligation to stop what U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called “a silent epidemic”. In the most egregious cases where institutions and k-12 schools ignore bullying, they could risk a loss of federal dollars, he warned.
The goal is to both help education institutions build on their bullying prevention programs and to wake up “the schools that have their heads in the sand,” said Duncan.“If the federal government has to step in, it means that the problem was ignored for far too long,” said Duncan.
Many schools in Australia continues to display what I call the Cleopatra Syndrome (Queen of Denial) when it comes to bullying and cyberbullying, with anaemic policies that pay lip service to the issue while students continue to suffer in silence and parents fume. Only Victoria and Queensland have begun to address this issue. With bullying being a key driver of mental health problems in the young, one wonders how long it will take for Ms Gillard to pick up her pen and open her wallet.
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5 comments:
What a fantastic dream! I am a mother of two children who have suffered greatly at the hands of bullies, forcing me this week to take my daughter out of school. Too many schools bury their head in the sand, and can't see directly in front of them! My daughter has been driven to amazingly violent outbursts both verbally and physically as a result of quiet, underhand bullying from two little girls that 'can do no wrong'! Please, I want us all to act on your dream. Can we make this a reality?
As a teacher of preschool aged children I sincerely hope your dream comes true ... for ALL the 'Ben's' of Australia!
Donna :) :)
Don't hold your breath. We're talking about politicians here.
I admit I am a layman, and I do agree, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. But through observation, I can't help but think, you're asking narcissists, borderline sociopaths, or even full blown psychopaths to help our young...Canberra's full of them!
I am 50 years old and am still effected by what happened to me way back from my high school days.
Is there such a thing as a politician without a "cluster B" personality disorder??...I doubt it!
The politicians need to take this seriously - it will severely affect the future of this country if many of its citizens are frustrated, angry and bitter over their mistreatment while they were kids. There is so much hatred in this society - you see it every Friday and Saturday night (in Sydney anyway). Why is no one taking this seriously?
Legislators usually send their kids to expensive private schools, far away from "problem areas" which breed dysfunctional families. Thus, they have never truly experienced this problem first hand.
It's time for the people to stand up and make their voices heard! The current system of denial (of bullying)only perpetuates the problem. Parents - get in there and make your voices heard! Keep complaining until something is done about this. Don;t just sit at home, watch tele and drink beer!!! That's the coward's way out!
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