School bullying: what to do? An example
Once upon a time, a little girl, Inaée (12 years old), was victim of school bullying. A boy in her class, Eric, had decided that they were "in a relationship" and was spreading rumors about Inaée's alleged "sexual performance. The whole class made fun of her.
Anaïs told her mother who reported it to the school. The supervisors were supposed to watch over her.
One day, at recess, Eric tried to kiss Inaée on the mouth.
The same day, he pushed her, she fell on the ground and he got on top of her, making movements with his pelvis.
The supervisors did not see anything. Inaée and one of her friends went to ask them for help, they said: "we didn't see it, we can't punish him".
Amicable attempt
Inaée told her mother, who asked for a meeting with the school administration. The principal promised to "be careful". Neither Inaée nor her mother were reassured.
The boy's parents were summoned.
One evening, Eric's father went to Inaée's mother and said: "It's a mistake, it wasn't Eric who did it, it was another boy. Inaée's mother had a hard time keeping her cool.
Clearly, Eric's parents preferred to bury their heads in the sand rather than face reality and provide support to a boy who clearly needed help and guidance.
Legal consultation
Inaée was not well. Her mother decided to consult a lawyer and explained the situation.
The lawyer presented the different procedures: disciplinary procedure with the school, criminal complaint and finally if the school persisted in not fulfilling its obligations, an administrative procedure.
She advised psychological support. Inaée already had one.
On the statement of Inaée's mother at school, a disciplinary procedure was launched. But the investigation took weeks. In parallel, a criminal complaint was regularized.
Practical advice
Inaée's mother said, "That's all well and good, but how does my daughter deal with it on a daily basis? She is so afraid of this boy that she can't do her homework or go to school. The school doesn't protect her. What can we do?"
Sometimes the best solution is to scream (Munch inspiration) and run away.
When Eric attacked her, Inaée felt completely helpless, unable to react.
How did it go? She went to practice screaming really loud. She cried, she laughed and she went back to school. But she still wasn't serene (obviously).
Inaée's mother contacted a private school in the area and explained the situation. The director received her within a few days and Inaée was enrolled very quickly.
At D + 1 year: Inaée is still in the new school, she is class representative and she is happy with her classmates.
The procedures are underway.
