School Bullying? - Surely Not

This school year started off quite badly for my daughter. Almost from day one, there were problems. She was taken out of a group where she had friends and support and put in one where she has nobody. I asked the school to move her to another group, they refused. We fought long and hard with them over the issue, but they won't budge even an inch. She already pretty upset about being away from her friends, but I told her life works that way sometimes and we have to do the best we can.

Flash forward a few weeks and the bullying begins. One kid elbowed her in the head on purpose. Another kid shoved her back in to her seat after class was over one day. I called the school, they never even asked the names of the kids involved. Instead they assured me that they don't have a problem with bullies. To this day, they've never investigated either instance. They never asked my daughter who hit her or who shoved her back in her seat, they just swept it neatly under their little rug.

As teen girls sometimes do, my daughter and a friend had a falling out. The other girl spread rumors about my kid and basically made her life hell. Her sister threatened my child with violence. Again, I called the school and nothing was done. They don't have a problem with this sort of thing you see. I've fought quite hard, but this is a small community and the principal and the superintendent of schools are bar buddies. Finally, things became a bit settled or so I thought.

There are some kids in my daughter's school who are well known to the local police and just about every authority figure there is. They're the kind of kids the rest of the kids aren't allowed to be around. They started trouble with my daughter at home and it progressed to a police matter. Of course, now they've taken their grudge to school. The vicious rumors they're starting about my soon to be ex-husband are slanderous to say the least. Again, I called the school since they bullying is going on there. I told them that it is now a criminal act as these kids are making wild accusations in school and causing my daughter grief at every turn. Again, I'm not expecting anything at all to happen. Apparently, school districts are a kingdom of their own and the municipal police won't go there unless they are called in by the school. So, I've got a child who is having the worst school year of her life and a school that turns a blind eye to all of it. I can't turn to the police to help and I dont' beleive in taking matters in to my own hands.

The bottom line here is, children are bullied in school. No matter how much schools want to claim they are not, they are. It is up to the schools to protect our children while they are there. When the school fails to so do, what is a parent left to do? If my child cracks under the strain and lashes out, we'll be held accountable. Bullying is not harmless childhood fun, it is destructive and devistating to the child who is the target. These issues should be addressed within the school. Admitting that there is a problem with a particular child is not a failing on the part of the school. Parents would like to know their children are safe, when we know they aren't, we want something done. I know my child is being bullied and the school pretends it is not happening.

These are our children, the most valued beings in our lives. We owe it to them to protect them. To do that, our schools need to be honest about problems when they arise. Sweeping these problems under the rug until something tragic occurs is not an answer.