Weeding Out The School Bully!

I would like to suggest that on the very new "My School" ratings website just released into the ether by the Australian Federal Labor Government that a process/component be included onto the site. re. bullying in schools. This component could sit alongside the quality assurance of teachers and schools plus pupils' examination results - but with statements and studies specifically relating to how a particular school deals with the ongoing problem of bullying. "Bully ratings" could then included onto the website as an integral part of the individual school profile and assessment. Private or Public School - no matter - all equal.

Transparency is a wise option when it comes to addressing any lacklustre performance in dealing with a long term entrenched problem. If insightful questions are put up for the public to read and digest then answers can lead to results where improvements come about as a direct result of public scrutiny . A couple of queries that could be asked for example, are - " How often do your teachers give stress as the reason for being away from their workplace?" or do pupils ever list "bullying" as a reason for not attending school? and are the children playing truant doing so for the same reasons?

Get too many affirmations and assess where your school rates on the “bullying” scale. The answer may not be where the schools would like it to be but if they (the schools ) set a goal and works towards it , a drop in bullying could result. This suggestion may seem to be naive and the naysayers could ask what school is actually going to say that they do have some bullying in their school and hence be accurately rated; while there may be schools that suffer (those who in fact do have a bullying problem but may choose not to disclose this fact) would receive no rating. But there has to be a way and it has to be found.

Truancy is non-attendance at school and non-attendance leads to no education which in turn results in poor grades and results in not much of a choice in future career options for the child being targetted. it's the double whammy. No or little education combined with bullying.

In this scenario it could possibly be found that a specific school has a really bad bullying record but for whatever reason has been slipping under the net - what options does the school have to clean up their act? Where they can get help? Will they need extra funding for additional school security and physchological counselling?

On a national scale the overall threat of reduced school funding coupled with school children leaving to go to publicly listed safer school may make the authorities act in a more responsible manner while at the same time forcing the offenders to take stock of their actions and get help.
Now we know money always talks, so in this area of grave concern the resulting reduction in funding coupled with falling pupil enrolments could ensure that the problem comes under close scrutiny and is given really high priority and bingo - Australia’s kids would then be better protected from their bullying counterparts.

So down to basics - within the assessment of bullying ratings as applied to each and every school - parents would be able to assess whether they want to send their child to a school that say enjoys both a high level of teaching and a high level of bullying or, to a school where the grades aren’t quite as good but the children don’t resort to killing themselves either - bit harsh but all children in order to become socially acceptable, well adjusted and educated human beings need to be protected during their formative years.

Therefore if the overall emotional quota levels enjoyed by the pupils in a particular school are placed onto a public platform, i.e. the Australian Federal Labor governments “My School” website, then prospective users would be able to carry out their own assessment of the e.q levels on school by school basis. Results being that they are better informed to make serious decisions which will affect their children’s educational performance on an individual level.

The inclusion of such information is of the essence. Subsequent assessment of each school could result in pupils flocking to the safety of the schools that care; while those don’t or who cannot contain the pervasive wickedness of bullying within their walls will find that their pupils will vote with their feet. This idea can only be good for the children; and will possibly slow down the bullying virus that can be carried in the individual’s mind and body to be spread at will in a future workplace.

Ergo this would be good for both the Australian economy and the individual.

copyright: a.a.gallagher

Disclaimer: The following videos are really not for children to watch without parental consent as they reflect the violence that can often result when the worm turns and the bullies have to face their nemesis! These videos are quite distressing and by putting them onto to this page it may look as if I am condoning violence - I am not - but what I did was to find that when I plugged in the the words "school bullying" to utube they all endeavour to teach your children to protect themselves, plus of course the payback/revenge type videos also emerged. So what does this tell us - well in essence that:

• Society frowns on this type of behaviour!

• People don't forget!

• Children will grow up and they too will remember!

• To protect your children from the bullies teach them how to protect themselves.

• Bullying can start within the walls of a family unit. And siblings do not forget.

• Violence escalates from school yard to the streets

• Families can exact the worst sort of revenge when confronted with a family member being hurt or worse.

• No one respects the bully

• Parents - look for signs that your child is either a bully or worse enduring bullying - do something - get help - don't stand by ineffectively!
• That schools need to re- assesss their policy and procedures to cut this practice right out.
• And finally thank goodness in Australia guns are not allowed thereby making it harder for them to track into the schools or we could have an even bigger problem.

The parents of young Brodie Rae Constance Panlock, aged 19 and now dead as a direct of bullying by her workmates,ask that the law be changed so that bullies can be jailed - I think this is a good call - maybe in jail these people will have time to reflect on the damage they have caused, to assess their own shortfalls and be given the opportunity try and work out why they have behaved in this odious manner - they could be psychologically assessed and treated for their obvious illness. and then maybe they can say "sorry".

 

From the News

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1009471/workplace-bullying-leads-to-death

Jail workplace bullies: victim's parents

13:26 AEST Mon Feb 8 2010

14 minutes ago

By Jeff Turnbull

Feb 08, 2010

The parents of a young waitress who killed herself after being subjected to relentless workplace bullying says the law should be changed to allow courts to jail tormenters.

Three workmates, and the owner of Cafe Vamp in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, were convicted and fined a total of $335,000 following the death of waitress Brodie Rae Constance Panlock, 19, in September 2006.

Ms Panlock threw herself from the fourth floor of a car park in Hawthorn after enduring physical and mental bullying at the cafe where she had worked for 16 months.

She died three days later in hospital from her injuries.

Former workmates Nicholas Smallwood, 26, now of Queensland, Rhys MacAlpine, 28, of Kooyong, and Gabriel Toomey, 23, of Melbourne, all pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons.

The cafe's owner Marc Luis Da Cruz and his one-man company MAP Foundation pleaded guilty to two charges, including failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment.

All four men were convicted on the charges, with magistrate Peter Lauritsen on Monday describing their actions as "the most serious case of bullying" and saying he would have doubled the penalties if they had not pleaded guilty to the charges.

MAP Foundation was fined $110,000 each on its two charges while Da Cruz was fined $15,000 each for two similar charges.

Smallwood was fined $45,000, MacAlpine $30,000 and Toomey $10,000.

Mr Lauritsen said there was a "poisonous atmosphere" among the staff at the Hawthorn cafe with persistent bullying although Ms Panlock was singled out for a greater degree of bullying.

The three accused employees had been warned by another Vamp employee, Meghan Chester, that if they continued to bully Ms Panlock "they would have blood on their hands".

In one incident, Smallwood and MacAlpine poured fish sauce over her hair and clothes.

Ms Panlock had tried to kill herself in May 2006 by ingesting rat poison and had spent three days in hospital before returning to work where she was again taunted by the men who called her fat and ugly.

Mr Lauritsen said Da Cruz had given tacit approval to the bullying by telling his staff "to take it out the back" when abuse was being carried out within the cafe.

"Da Cruz gave tacit approval of the behaviour by not taking reasonable care to stop the persistent and vicious behaviour," Mr Lauritsen said.

Outside the court, Ms Panlock's mother Rae, who had been unaware of the bullying, described her daughter as a "beautiful girl who was full of compassion".

"She was my little ray of sunshine, a very pretty girl, and the things that they said about her ... what can you say, it just breaks your heart.

"As far as I'm concerned they drove her to the edge and they pushed her over - as far as I'm concerned they should be in jail."

Ms Panlock's father Damien said the law should be changed to include a custodial sentence.

"Change the law," he told reporters.

The acting executive director of WorkSafe Victoria, Stan Krpan, said the sentences send a clear message to the community that workplace bullying should not be tolerated.

"The offending in this case was of the most serious nature, the most serious category of offending," Mr Krpan said.

"The culpability was high, the culture at this workplace was vicious and was not acceptable."

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).