22/02/2006
Bullying - guidelines
LEGAL FIRM BEHIND BULLYING CASE OFFERS FAMILIES GUIDELINES FOR THE FUTURE ROUTE TO SUCCESS IN DEALING WITH SCHOOL BULLYING CASES
Cases such as that of Sophie Amor are notoriously difficult to win usually because of the passage of time between the bullying and the case proceeding and the fact that you are usually relying on the recollection of a young child.
Watkins & Gunn Solicitors of Pontypool, the solicitors who successfully conducted the recent case of Amor-v-Torfaen County Borough Council, where the Claimant, Sophie Amor, was awarded £20,000 set out those issues which they feel are important in dealing with school bullying cases, and these are as follows:-
If there is an incident of bullying the parents should ensure that an immediate complaint is made to the School Headmaster and ensure that the Headmaster indicates what his specific intentions are in dealing with the complaint.
They ensure that the Headmaster enters the complaint in the Headmasters School Log. All Schools must have a Headmasters Log in which important matters are entered.
If no satisfaction is obtained from complaints to the Headmaster a written complaint should be made to the School Governors.
The parents should obtain a copy of the Minutes of the Governors meeting when the matter was discussed and the proposed method of dealing with the matter is set out.
If complaints to the School Governors and the Headmaster are unsuccessful written complaints should be made formally to the Director of Education for the Education Authority for the area in which the School is situated.
The above are likely to make it easier for lawyers to successfully pursue a case for damages on behalf of a bullied child, but more importantly the same steps are the ones that should be taken to ensure that the bullying is properly dealt with by the school where the bullying occurs and the need for any claim is removed.
Further information on handling cases of school bullying is available from Clive Thomas, partner, Watkins and Gunn, Solicitors, Glantorfaen House, Hanbury Road, Torfaen, Pontypool, NP4 6XY, telephone 01495 745176.
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