JAMIESON Reid is a quiet, nine-year-old who keeps to himself and loves to bury his head in books.

On Tuesday he was involved in a shocking and unexpected incident while he was waiting in the school pick-up queue at Musgrave Hills State School in Queensland.

“This week I saw my small-for-his-age, book-loving nine-year-old son attacked by a much larger child,” Jamieson’s mother Jessie told Kidspot. “The attacker quickly progressed from jostling to grabbing my son around the throat and holding his bag, stopping him from leaving to get in the car.”

“As my husband and I watched in horror from our Tarago in the school pickup line, I saw my son yell ‘Let me go!’ – striking the attacker in an attempt to get away.”

“And then I watched in absolute terror as my tiny son was punched in the head three times before a staff member removed the much larger boy.”

OUR NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS SUSPENDED

The next day Jessie got a call from the school to say that her son, along with the other child involved in the altercation, had been suspended for two days.

The distraught mother says her son was the victim and doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. She says it’s proof that the blanket bullying policy in schools is making matters worse for the victims.

“When this ‘zero tolerance’ approach is applied as a blanket policy it is no longer a useful deterrent or a tool against bullying,” she says. “It has crossed the line in victim blaming. It’s gone too far and our children are suffering because of school policy,” she says.

THE INCIDENT WAS THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED

But a Department of Education and Training spokesperson says the matter was dealt with according to the policy which clearly sets out expectations of student behaviour, and the consequences for students when these expectations are not met.

“The Musgrave Hill State School principal thoroughly investigated this matter. Consequently, the students involved were suspended in line with the school’s Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Kidspot.

Oscar Yildiz, from Bully Zero Foundation Australia, also supports the policy stating that zero tolerance is the only way to go.

“If someone is hitting a child, they should move away immediately and get themselves out of danger,” he tells Kidspot.

Jessie disagrees says ‘moving away’ wasn’t an option for her son. The older boy, she says, was holding him down. Blanket approaches like this, she says, “allows victims to be beaten if cornered.”

‘GET TOUGH’ SUSPENSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS DON’T WORK

The government’s very own Bullying No Way! website agrees with Jessie that a zero-tolerance approach to bullying is not necessarily effective.

One of many points stipulated under the heading “What we know doesn’t work” is – any form of zero tolerance and ‘get tough’ suspensions and exclusions.

Here it is in full:

“There are many beliefs about bullying and ways of dealing with behaviour that have shown, through research, to be far less effective than whole-school positive behaviour support approaches. These include:



• zero tolerance and ‘get tough’ suspensions and exclusions

• rigid control of student behaviour

• belief that students must receive punitive and negative

• consequences in all cases

• increased security measures

• unfair and inconsistent use of discipline

• punishment without support

“WE STILL SENT OUR SON TO SCHOOL”

Although Jamieson was told that he was not allowed to go to school for two days, his parents still decided to send him yesterday.

“The principal told us three times to pick him up but we said we wouldn’t pick him up because he wants to be at school,” Jessie says.

JESSIE SAYS VICTIM-BLAMING IS RAMPANT

This was an isolated incident for Jamieson, but his mother says this is just one of many examples why the “zero tolerance” policy against bullying in our schools just simply isn’t working.

“I shared my frustration and outright anger with my friends and discovered that this is a very common situation,” Jessie says.

“One friend [whose child got in an altercation at school] said her son was told he shouldn’t have defended himself because his home life was more stable than his attackers,” she says.

Jessie says that another friend pulled her children out of school and now teaches them at home because they were being reprimanded and punished when attacked by others.

She claims victim-blaming is rife at schools as she has gathered anecdotes from all over the country echoing similar experiences.

“Another child was suspended on two different occasions, neither of the perpetrators receiving punishments for initiating physical attacks and tormenting a child that was known to be on the autism spectrum,” she told Kidspot. “Once again the victim takes the blame. In this case, all of the blame.”

The mother told Jessie that it had been an eye-opening experience to see how the school had reacted to the incidents with her child.

“Violence is never OK – I get that – but if you put a kid in a situation where they are in pain or scared, it’s likely they will react in the same way they are being treated,” the mother said.

“We had lots of issues with that school and ended up having a discrimination case pending with them, before we all agreed it would be better for everyone if we got a fresh start somewhere else. A teacher ended up being sacked.”

ARE WE SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE?

Jessie says the policy is teaching kids the wrong message.

“Teaching children that defending themselves when they have no other option is wrong and that doing so results in a severe punishment has far reaching implications,” she says.

“We don’t teach sexual assault victims that defending themselves is wrong – in fact it is encouraged, why should victims of non-sexual assault be any different?

“Victims of violent attacks need to feel safe to defend themselves and our children deserve this in their daily school lives.”

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAYS ‘NO TOLERANCE’ IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO

The Queensland Education Department strongly defends its policy to Kidspot.

“Every student has the right to learn in a positive, safe and caring environment where they can reach their full potential. Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of students and teachers is treated seriously, and dealt with as a matter of urgent priority,” the statement says.

“The Department has a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures to assist schools in creating safe and supportive school environments. These are outlined in the Department’s Learning and Wellbeing Framework.”

“TELL THE PRINCIPAL THIS IS NOT OK”

Jessie is calling on all parents to take a stand on behalf of their children about the blanket policy.

“Zero Tolerance needs re-examining. It doesn’t work in practice in our schools and our kids are suffering as a result. Is this happening at your school? Speak up,” she implores.

“Tell the principal this is not OK. Tell the Education Department. Tell the Education Minister. Our kids are worth it.”