Bellarine Secondary College altercation under police probe, court orders rise

Police are investigating reports of an altercation between three students at a Geelong school, as new data shows the Barwon region is a hot spot for protective orders issued against students.

Police are investigating reports of an altercation between three students at Bellarine Secondary College.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Alex Day said police had received a report after an altercation between students at the school’s Ocean Grove campus on February 17.

“No one was injured during the incident,” Ms Day said. It’s understood the Department of Education and Training is supporting the students.

It comes as children as young as nine are taking out intervention orders against their schoolyard bullies and former friends.

Almost all protective orders handed down in the Children’s Court are to protect kids from other children at school, with the number of orders issued rising just before the pandemic hit.

Rural and regional Victoria accounted for 55 per cent of orders issued to young people, with 45 per cent in the Greater Melbourne area.

Gippsland and Barwon South West were the top regions for where orders were issued, with 603 and 571 respectively.

— with Olivia Jenkins

Originally published as Bellarine Secondary College altercation under police probe, court orders rise