Jason * says he’s “tied” to start at a new school on Monday, but the reason he has to change is something he says should never happen.
Key points:
- Jason* was too scared to go back to school after being attacked twice by other students
- His mother says she had no choice but to enroll him in a private school
- The number of Tasmanian public school students suspended for physically abusing another student has been rising
Warning: Some readers may find the content of the story distressing.
The 14-year-old was allegedly assaulted twice in the space of two weeks at his previous school in southern Tasmania.
“Ever since I got hit, I’ve been so scared to go back to this school,” Jason said.
“No child should have to go through this.”
His mother Jessica* said she had no choice but to send Jason to a private school.
“What happened in the [first] The attack was very serious. He had been hit on the head and beaten so many times,” she said.
“School fees that were never supposed to be part of the budget … will have to be now, because I can’t put it back there.”
A video of the attack was also uploaded online.
Police say the matters dealt with under the Juvenile Justice Act
Jessica reported the attack to Tasmanian police. When Jason returned to school a few days later, he was assaulted again, this time by a different student.
Jessica also reported this incident to the police.
He said both students were suspended for a maximum period of 10 days.
Tasmania Police said: “Police have received two reports of assault on a young man… in August. Both matters have been dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.”
Jessica said the school developed a safety plan for Jason after the first attack.
“[It] it involved him being in certain places where the teachers would be so they could keep an eye on him, but it also limited where he could be… so he couldn’t go to the oval and kick the football around with his mate and he could.” I won’t be on the basketball court because the teachers weren’t there,” he said.
“I think it was almost like a punishment for him, like, ‘You can’t do what you used to do anymore because we have to watch you,’ but I also know that was her way of protecting him.
“They only have limited resources, so we agreed that this would be the safest option.”
Jason said the backup plan made him feel like he was the one being punished.
After the second attack, she said she was too scared to go back to school.
Both he and Jessica said their teachers were supportive and some were in tears because they couldn’t do more to help.
“They are the best teachers ever,” Jason said.
Jason is a neurodiverse child which Jessica said meant he could “fall victim to people not getting who he is or the things he does”.
Increased suspension for violence
The number of students suspended from Tasmanian government schools due to violence has been rising.
In 2016, 1,023 students were suspended for “physical abuse of another student.”
In 2019, this number was 1,349, and last year it was 1,511.
“It’s deeply troubling that there are students across the state who feel like they can’t attend school because they’re not in a safe environment,” said Workforce Education spokesman Josh Willie.
“We need more support staff in schools … that’s more school psychologists, social workers, more youth workers and of course we also need more speech therapists.
“Nobody is suggesting that every incident [of violence] it’s preventable, of course our schools are dealing with all the problems in society that walk through the school door every morning, but we need good support for our schools.”
A Department for Education spokeswoman said providing safe learning environments in schools was a priority.
“Every student deserves to go to school and feel safe. Harassment and violence in schools is totally unacceptable,” said the spokeswoman.
“All schools are implementing programmes, policies, procedures and support networks to reduce the impact and occurrence of bullying and violent behaviour, with clear documented processes and supports for managing such behaviour.
“Bullying can be embedded in social systems and structures, cultural experiences, community values and social relationships. There is strong evidence that bullying is best addressed as a social problem in the context of family, community and social relations
“The department takes a number of steps in response to these types of incidents, including reaching out to the families of the students involved, along with reinforcing behavioral expectations, respectful relationships and moral responsibilities for all students and the school community in general.”
He said parents were encouraged to report matters that could be a crime to Tasmania Police.
Other states are also struggling with violence in schools and the problem of videos of violence being posted on social media.
Jason said he already had some friends at his new school and is looking forward to starting over.
“I hear the PE is very, very good,” he said.
*Not their real names.
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