It started in the fourth grade, when they changed teachers, says the mother, “Helene”, when Dagbladet meets her in Oslo. She and her family live in another town in Eastern Norway. Dagbladet has also spoken to the boy’s father. For the sake of their son, they wish to remain anonymous.
In the beginning, there were bad words, backbiting. Then it became violent, the boy’s activity plans show. Once the school called and “Helene” had to come and collect her son. Then he had a real bruise over one eye – it was so swollen that he couldn’t see with that eye, she says. “I only see green, mother,” said the boy, who was then nine years old.
– We called it “a good week” if he had only been exposed to threats of violence, she says.
– Very disturbing
Hit and save
Dagbladet has read the activity plans that were made for the boy, correspondence between school and parents, and documents from the State Administrator.
In the activity plans, it is described that the boy has been beaten, kicked and choked, things have been thrown at him, his possessions have been taken away and he has been called “damn gay”. It is also described that fellow pupils have laughed when the boy has been exposed to these actions.
Neither the principal of the primary or secondary school the boy attended wants to comment on the case to Dagbladet.
SAME DAY: Sør-Öst police district dropped the report on the same day. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet Show more
Appeal upheld
The parents of “Martin” (14) had reported bullying since the 4th grade. The school had prepared several activity plans, but the bullying did not stop. After two years, they lodged a complaint with the state administrator, who concluded that the school had breached the activity obligation in the Education Act: They had not put in place sufficient measures.
The school had not carried out the investigations that are reasonable to expect, they had not drawn up activity plans in time and these plans did not meet the minimum requirement either, concluded the State Administrator.
– Large castles in the air have been built. The measures have not been followed up. There have also been diffuse measures, which are difficult to follow up, such as “support in transitions”. What kind of support? What transitions? Ask mom.
The state administrator instructed the school to prepare adapted measures.
But according to the mother, there was no change. For Martin, the bullying continued at secondary school.
Emely (12) died: The unimaginable happened
Reported
The parents reported the school for breaching the Education Act. On 6 March this year, the police confirm that they have received the report. On the same day, the case was settled: “You are hereby notified that the case has been closed because there is no reasonable reason to investigate whether a criminal offense exists”, the police wrote in the closing letter, also dated 6 March this year.
– When they drop the case on the same day, they cannot have investigated at all, they can hardly have read the documentation, says Helene.
The Sør-Öst police district has not responded to Dagbladet’s questions about this case.
Dagbladet has mapped all 154 reports that have been made under the Education Act since the school’s activity obligation was tightened in 2017. 96 per cent of the completed bullying reports have been dismissed.
When Dagbladet met Education Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) for an interview at Hovin school in Ullensaker in the first week of June, we asked what she thought about the fact that almost all bullying cases are closed.
– I think it must be a goal that we do not come to a report, but that we solve it in the bodies that are in and around the school. As Minister of Education, I cannot say anything about how the police have assessed individual reports, but I am concerned that the system we have around our schools must work, replied the Minister of Education.
SHOULD BE RESOLVED EARLIER: Education Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) says she is concerned that the bullying cases are resolved before they come to a report. Photo: Geir Dokken / Dagbladet Show more
Asked questions
In the aftermath of Dagbladet’s revelation that 96 percent of bullying reports are dismissed, parliamentary representative Himanshu Gulati (Frp) demanded that Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) step in.
He therefore sent a written question to the Minister of Justice, in which he asked whether there is reason for a review of the police’s handling of bullying cases, or a revision of the rules on the school environment in the Education Act.
Gulati is not reassured by the Minister of Justice’s reply:
– She doesn’t answer what I ask. When the map does not match the terrain, it is time to update the map. The regulations may look good on paper, but the reality out there is different, says Gulati to Dagbladet.
HAS ASKED: Himanshu Gulati (FrP) has asked the Minister of Justice whether the rules for the school environment in the Education Act should be revised. – She doesn’t answer that, he says. Photo: Nina Hansen / Dagbladet Show more
In the written response from Justice Minister Mehl, she writes that the question “largely targets a set of regulations and an area of responsibility that falls under the Minister of Education”. Otherwise, the Minister of Justice refers to the legal text in the Education Act.
– Probably not punishable
Dagbladet’s mapping of the bullying allegations shows that the most used accusation code is “not reasonable grounds to investigate”, as in “Martin’s” case.
Mehl comments on it as follows in his reply to Gulati:
“This is an indicator that the content of the report probably does not describe a criminal matter or that an investigation will lead to an indictment”, says Justice Minister Mehl.
DOESN’T ANSWER: Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) does not answer Dagbladet’s question about whether the police and prosecution authorities sufficiently prioritize violations of the Education Act. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Show more
The Minister will not comment on individual incidents, such as the one with “Martin” mentioned in this case, the Ministry of Justice states.
Dagbladet has asked Education Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) what she thinks about the police referring the case to the boy mentioned in this case.
State Secretary Sindre Lysø writes in an e-mail that the Ministry of Education cannot say anything about how the police have assessed individual reports.
– Does not take the student seriously
Changed school
For “Martin”, according to the mother, the violence did not stop even though the police found that there was no need to investigate. According to his mother, he was again punched in the face, this time in the jaw.
– It was so bad that he struggled to chew, she says.
Then she had had enough.
– I refused to send him to school, he was not safe. He was subjected to violence on a weekly basis, excluded and threatened with death.
Just before Easter this year, “Martin” started at a new school, in another town in Eastern Norway. And finally he has a safe everyday school life. But the wounds remain.
96 percent of bullying cases are dropped
Do you have any tips or information on this matter?
.
Difficult to read about bullying?
There are many people who can help. Talk to someone.
On Helsenorge.no you will find an overview of telephone numbers and chat services for children and young people. Red Cross has both a chat and a helpline (800 333 21), it also has Mental health (116 123). Blue Cross has its own Talk about bullying chat, same has Mental Health Youth. The services are free and you can remain anonymous.
Your school is obliged to help you if you experience bullying. Tell your contact teacher or another adult at school. All municipalities are required to have a school health service where you must be able to get help from a health nurse or other health workers.
On Elevombudene.no you will find an overview of the bullying ombudsmen in the various counties, they can also help you.
If there is an acute crisis, call 113.
2023-06-27 19:42:12
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