Spare the bully, spoil the child

Serious cases of bullying should result in expulsion from schools.

This is according to Paul Colditz, CE of the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools.

His comments come in the wake of two video incidents of bullying at a Stellenbosch high school.

In the latest video a larger schoolgirl in a blue and white uniform swears at a smaller classmate and pushes her around.

"Don't walk away, don't walk away," shouts the larger girl in Afrikaans.

The girl then grabs the victim's ponytail, yanks her head sideways and rains punches to her face and head.

The fight is temporarily halted when a larger, male pupil grabs the bully around the neck and separates the two.

In an earlier incident, also caught on video, a schoolgirl smashes her knee into the face of a crying Grade8 classmate and then punches her in the head.

The incidents prompted an emergency meeting of education officials at the school yesterday.

Jessica Shelver, spokesman for Western Cape education MEC Debbie Schafer, said: "Behaviour like this in our schools is unacceptable and it must be dealt with as a priority.

"We will be in a better place to comment once the meeting has concluded."

A disciplinary hearing for the pupil involved in the first incident was scheduled for tomorrow, Shelver said.

The victim, who was injured, is receiving counselling.

Her parents have laid a charge of assault against the bully, who is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

Bullying, according to Colditz, falls in the third category of the three types of misconduct included in the schools' code of conduct.

It is an offence that is dealt with by the school's governing body, which recommends a sanction to the head of department at the school after completing its investigation.

"It [a bullying offence] can lead to a suspension or a disciplinary hearing," Colditz said.

"Depending on the seriousness of the incident, personal circumstances of the offender and whether they are a first or repeat offender, expulsion can follow," the Fedsas chief said.

"In cases where the offence is not serious, a pupil can be suspended for seven days," Colditz said.

"The bullying of the nature I saw on social media is very serious.

"Bullying is inclear lying the becoming a problem at our schools," he said.

Beverley Dyason, of MIET Africa, a non-profit African education organisation, said bullying was a widespread problem.

"It's not always easy for children to tell someone when they are being bullied. Bullying is under-reported because children fear further bullying," Dyason said.

Educational psychologist Cara Blackie said bullying was "extremely common", but not often spoken about.

"Our biggest problem is brushing it off.

"It's something that parents need to take a deeper listen to," Blackie said. - TMG Digital