Pretoria - The parents of a 16-year-old Pretoria West boy say they have had enough of hearing him complaining of being bullied and refusing to go to school as a result.
The teenager has allegedly been bullied by a girl in his grade since he arrived at the school. “It started in Grade 8. At first it wasn’t bad and in Grade 9 it stopped for a while,” the boy told Pretoria News.
He said it then got worse and he would sometimes say things back to her to defend himself.
His mother, who cannot be named to protect her son’s identity, said the girl in question had been heard saying it was fun to bully people.
It is alleged that the girl intensified her bullying by having her two male friends physically abuse him. “The two boys would hit him over the head with open hands and fists, and they’ve even done this in front of the teachers,” the mother claimed.
The mother said after her son disclosed that he was gay, the girl began using that as ammunition to torment him further. She called him a “wuss” and other derogatory names.
The boy has failed all three of his school terms this year and is likely to repeat Grade 10 due to his constant absenteeism. Last term he only attended school five times, he said.
“I have some classes with them so I am scared to go to school because they will hit me.”
He said he thought it better to repeat Grade 10 and not have to face them in class than go to school and be tormented.
His father was concerned that his son would be pushed over the edge and do something to hurt her in retaliation after years of bullying.
“I do not want my son to turn around and shoot, stab or harm her, but one day he will lose it and take her out. I dread that day and I promise you, he will not be the guilty party. I will hold the school responsible for not doing anything,” the father said.
The mother said when they spoke to the school principal about these incidents, he claimed there was nothing he could do because it was not in the school’s code of conduct. However, the school principal disputed this.
“We take bullying very seriously in this school. The moment anything happens we deal with it strictly and swiftly,” the principal said.
He said they were not able to properly address any issues the boy might be having since he was absent from school all the time.
“The learner is not at school. I cannot do anything if he does not come to school. The district sent a representative to come and address it, but he did not come to school,” the principal said.
He said the last time the boy was at school they spoke and when asked if he had any complaints, he said he was “fine for the moment”.
“Then I told him that if anything happened, he must say something and it would be addressed immediately.”
Pretoria News