Townsville crime: Parents worried about culture of violence at Heatley Secondary College
Parents are scared to send their kids to school and have raised concerns about a culture of violence at a Townsville high school after a series of violent incidents this year including one where a 13-year-old girl was taken to hospital.
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Parents are concerned about a culture of violence at a Townsville high school after a series of concerning incidents this year.
On Monday, an ambulance took a 13-year-old girl to hospital after she was injured in a fight at the school.
Shocking videos showing young students cornering and assaulting other students have also surfaced online. A Heatley Secondary College parent said she was worried about the safety of her 14-year-old son who had been subject to multiple playground beatings over the past week.
The mother, who asked not to be named in order to protect her son, said the school failed to tell her that other students grabbed her son’s backpack, pulled him to the ground and assaulted him last Friday
She said students also followed him between classes and subjected him to a number of attacks throughout the day.
“My main concern is that there is not a big enough deterrent for these kids not to use violence,” she said.
“I feel like the school’s approach is not tough enough.”
The mother said she only found out something was wrong on Friday when the office called to say she would have to pick up her son from the office where he was being kept “for his own safety”.
“It was not until my son got home that I knew anything,” she said.
“It is out of control.
“Why does he have to be on the alert looking over his shoulder?”
Since school returned last month, the Bulletin is aware of at least four incidents at the school.
A mother of two pre-teen girls said her daughters were assaulted about six times last year but claimed that the perpetrator in only one occasion was punished.
“Certain students get punished and certain students get away with doing the exact same thing.” she said.
“I am very frustrated and very afraid to send them to school.”
A Department of Education spokesman said it was investigating the incident that resulted in a child taken to hospital and was aware of allegations from a mother about a “physical misconduct incident” as well as a separate incident captured on video.
“Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of staff or students is treated extremely seriously, and dealt with as a matter of priority,” he said.
“The principal and senior staff remain in contact with the families of the students involved in these incidents to monitor their concerns and continue to support the student as needed.
“No further details can be provided due to student privacy issues.”
The spokesman said a number staff were employed to monitor student well being and that the school participated in the annual National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence and had recently introduced an online reporting system for students.
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Originally published as Townsville crime: Parents worried about culture of violence at Heatley Secondary College
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