Bullies are insecure cowards who need to be confronted

BEFORE growing into the “sizeable lad” I am today, I was bullied at High School. I wore glasses and was bright. I still remember being sat on, his knees digging painfully into my puny biceps as he shoved grass and dirt in my mouth.

Fast forward to ten years ago and my young son became quiet and withdrawn, tearful and refused to go to School here on the Coast. After several quiet, probing chats he said that a boy was pushing and punching him as well as stealing his Tuck Shop money and his home made lunch! No wonder he would inhale the contents of the fridge when he arrived home.

In terms of the School’s response, it appears nothing has changed in ten years!

The teacher flatly refused to discipline or take punitive action. The Department Head was “less than useless” as was the Deputy Principal.

I ended up speaking with a dozen parents who all experienced the same problem with this bully.

One afternoon I finally gathered the courage to approach the father who was 195 cms and 150 kgs of scowl. I said that whilst I was sure he could turn me into a pretzel, I had to speak with him about his son as none of the staff or other parents were brave enough to do so.

Surprisingly he listened for a few minutes, grunted and walked off.

A week later, his son was no longer at the school.

We HAVE to confront bullying head on.

Bullies are insecure cowards. They need intervention, rapidly followed by whatever services they need to rehabilitate them into society. Their victims need to reassured that the bullies’ actions were not their fault!

Most of all we need to speak up and demand political correctness be set aside so we can actually DO SOMETHING! GORDON WALKER, ROBINA