Being made to write statements.

[ilovehens]

My son and his friend were harrassed by a girl who was in their class in Year 6. She has gone up to the local secondary school with them and has basically been tormenting them and goading them.

She gave my son's mobile phone number out to all and sundry and he was receiving foul mouthed messages, so I had to take it from him.

There has recently been an incident in school and my son and his friend were made to write statements and my son said that he felt frightened and couldn't stop shaking.

This girl appears to be somewhat of a bunny boiler and is desperate to have a boyfriend -anyone who rejects her is fair game and she cries that she's being bullied to her parents who then storm up to the school.

Is it legal for my son to be made to write statements and apparently I'm not entitled to even read them?

[mnistooaddictive]

How can the school take any action if they don't know what has happened? They need a statement to use in evidence against her. Why is that a problem. He also needs to learn the lesson about who he gives his mobile number to. I am not suggesting he is anyway culpable she is clearly in the wrong, but keeping personal info private is an important lesson.
She sounds like quita few students I have taught, they cause trouble and then cry and blame someone else when caught. If you reallywant to read what he wrote, then make an appointment with the appropriate person and ask.

[ilovehens]

Writing a statement without support or guidance from someone who represents him is surely a bad thing?

[mnistooaddictive]

Not if he has been asked to write his view of what happened. It needs to be done without support or guidance so it is not corrupted by anything else. It also needs to be done quickly while it is still frsh in his mind. It is a statement of an incident in a school not a legal statement for a law court. Would you want the girls parents to help her write her statement? Would you then believe it? That is why he has to do it alone. I am not suggesting you would make him add things in or change his words but there are parents who would.

[ilovehens]

My friends son had to write a statement about an incident with a bully and they told him to change some of it when he did submit it .

He is now in a state of exclusion.

The boy who started the fight is still attending school.

I just don't trust these people. I have a meeting tommorrow to discuss things.

[mnistooaddictive]

'These people' what do you mean?

[ilovehens]

The people who are dealing with the problem - head of year presumably. I don't know them, he has only been attending that school for about 3 weeks now.

[ilovehens]

I'm just a bit dubious that's all.

[mnistooaddictive]

Why would you automatically suspect your childs head of year. It sounds like you are going in with your mind made up. Teachers are people too you know. They do not atumatically want to 'get' at children. It is normal procedure to ask students to write down their version of events. Means they can't then claim they didn't say something when it is proved they are lying. Not suggesting this is the case for your DS but for some of them. The HOY will be dealing with it in the most appropriate way. If you go in looking for an argument you will not achieve the best. It is better to calmly state your viewpoint and listen to the answer. What are you dubious about? Do you think they will treat your son unfairly? What do they have to gain from this?

[ilovehens]

The girl is very manipulative and one of her parents has already been up to the school that's all. The parent has been harassing my son outside of school on the way home and I am just upset. I will see what happens tomorrow.

[mnistooaddictive]

The school will probably be aware of what she is like. As I said, go in calmly and if you think you might get upset, write down beforehand what you want to say and ask. It is very easy to forget something important when emotional. The teacher won't mind you having notes or reading from them.

[peeweewee]

I've been a HOY for several years. I will always insist on a statement from everyone involved in an incident, because there can be no going back on anything or any misinterpretation / manipulation by anyone afterwards. It also goes into the student's file - in my case, the one who was found to be the perpetrator. Would I let the parents read the ones their child had written? Of course! Sometimes I get them to write them overnight at home. Just occasionally though, it's obvious the parents have "had their input", shall we say.

Yes, some parents do run up to the school to state their point, but IME the ones who run up first aren't always the ones who are right. They usually are just more vocal, and it's often not appreciated. So don't worry about the school taking the first opinion they hear.

We tend to see a lot of different types of parents and can spot the difference pretty easily.