Parents demand more action on severe bullying at Queensland schools

PARENTS are so frustrated “nothing is being done” to stop their children being bullied and tormented they are dramatically taking matters into their own hands.

From posing as students and posting their own threat against other kids, to pulling children out of school, Gold Coast families say they are fed up schools aren’t stepping in before they do.

Students are allegedly being sent death threats, slut shamed on social media and told to kill themselves, leaving them too scared to go to class.

But the Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace said appropriate action was being taken and the state was actually leading the way in addressing bullying, which was not just a school issue but a community responsibility.

Several parents have spoken out about the issue this week, stressing something must be done because no one is listening.

In one case a mother sent Upper Coomera State College into lockdown earlier this week because she posted threats on social media.

The school went into lockdown twice, initially thought to be hoax shooting threats from students.

“I’m shoot the f***ing school tomorrow, got a gun … this will be nothing on Colombians k***s,” read one of the messages.

Other parents have spoken out regarding separate cases at Gold Coast schools.

A terrified mother said she had no choice but to pull her 13-year-old son from Coombabah High School after he received repeated death threats from a bully.

Yvonne said her son had been chased by senior students — one of them allegedly expelled from another college — who told him they had already pushed someone to suicide.

“The first I found out about the bullying was when (my son) came out of his room in tears one night, and showed me the messages,” she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“I was horrified other kids were threatening to kill him — I’m not having (him) become another Dolly (Everett).”

Last month Dolly’s Northern Territory parents revealed what led to their daughter’s death, after bullies drove the 14-year-old to take her life in January this year.

Backlash over Dolly’s death prompted other teachers to come forward, with one Queensland primary school teacher claiming he witnessed a student stab another with a pencil.

He said he learned the hard way the state’s education system worked in favour of bullies and against staff who tried to protect young victims.

“I don’t know that teachers could have done anymore to help because we’re not supported by the system to do so which makes us helpless to an extent,” said casual teacher Grant Elmsly.

Yvonne said the bullying started late last year when Shane received a message on social media: “If you go to high school you’re a dead (expletive).”

Her story prompted another father-of-two to come forward, revealing his two daughters were forced into counselling, claiming their school, Aquinas College, would not do anything about it.

He said his daughters were being told they would be made to “commit”, called wogs, kicked and their lunch stolen.

The father told the Bulletin the behaviour was at the point where he was taking a stand because “evil prospers when we do nothing”.

The mother who sent Upper Coomera into locked down posed as a student through fake social media accounts to stop the “physical and emotional” abuse of her daughter who gets slut shamed and has been bullied for five years.

“I regret that the children had to be in lockdown and were scared but I don’t regret sticking up for my daughter,” she told the Bulletin.

Students texted parents from inside the school with one parent sharing a screenshot from her child saying ‘we’re in the back room, our teacher is trying to keep us occupied’.

The woman was charged with use of a carriage service to menace or harass, wilful disturbance at an educational facility and fraud and will face Southport Magistrates Court on June 28.

Aquinas College said they were investigating the father’s issue, while the Queensland Education Department said Coombabah SHS dealt with all bullying matters as a priority and were working with Upper Cooma Sate College to address concerns this week.

Minister Grace said there was no place for bullying or violence in schools.

Last week, she met with 16 student representatives for the first Ministerial Student Advisory Council Meeting, where bullying and cyber-bullying was the first matter discussed.

The group includes a Year 9 student from Varsity College on the Gold Coast.

Their feedback and ideas will be progressed to the Queensland Anti-Bullying and cyber-bullying Taskforce to help inform Government policy.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, or visit kidshelpline.com.au