Mum devastated after daughter sexually harassed by two Bundoora Secondary College students

A devastated mum of a Bundoora Secondary College student who was sexually harassed by two male peers is calling on the government to enforce stronger punishments on perpetrators, as peer-on-peer abuse incidents surge.

Police are investigating after two male Bundoora Secondary College students sexually harassed a female classmate.

A 12-year-old Victorian state school student was the subject of both a rape joke and a rape threat from two of her male classmates in the first five weeks of year seven, sparking national outrage.

The devastated mother of the Bundoora Secondary College student is calling for the perpetrators to be suspended from school until they pass a consent and respectful relationship class.

The issue has already become a national talking point, with parenting author and writer Justin Coulson calling it a “catastrophic failure of leadership” and a “character-defining moment for schools, families, and communities”.

Victoria Police are conducting inquiries into an incident that occurred on March 4 involving a Bundoora Secondary College student who sent a text over instant messaging platform Discord during school hours threatening to rape his female classmate.

One of the boys threatened to rape the girl in a message on social networking platform Discord. Picture: Supplied

In screenshots seen by the Herald Sun, the boy joked he was a “sex worker” and said if the female student wasn’t “careful”, he would rape her.

Other screen shots in the class Discord chat talked about “epic raping”, “ball sac licking”, “plastic vaginas” and “pov bitches trynna eat my dic”.

The incident occurred just five weeks after the same female victim – a Year 7 student at the school – was sexually harassed by a different male pupil, who also made a suggestive “joke” about raping her.

Despite the harrowing events, the mother said both boys remained in her daughter’s class, with the girl adding the incidents have made her “feel uncomfortable going to school”.

It’s understood the school has established that students were using private chat groups during school hours, but has been unable to verify who sent specific messages.

A Department of Education spokesperson said the school “takes allegations of harassment very seriously while providing wellbeing support to impacted students”.

However, the girl said: “It feels like the principals of the school I go to don’t care for my safety (or) health.”

The girl’s mother said: “This isn’t just happening at my daughter’s school – it’s happening across Victoria, across Australia”.

“At what point do we recognise this as the crisis it truly is?” she said.

Collective Shout research has found the number of peer-on-peer assaults and sexual harassment in the classroom has reached new highs.

Following the first incident, the male perpetrator was told he had to write an “apology letter” to the girl, which the mother alleged took two weeks of “following up” it was received.

The school is investigating the second incident and cannot speak publicly about disciplinary matters, but the principal told the girl’s mother in an email such behaviour was
“not a matter of expulsion”.

The girl’s mother described the boys’ behaviour as “a slow-motion car crash that everyone could see coming but no one would prevent”.

“I’m devastated for my daughter who’s experienced something no child should, twice in just five weeks. Not the start to high school she ever expected,” she said.

The mother is urgently calling on state and federal governments to provide schools with improved resources and training to deal with rising rates of peer-on-peer sexual assaults and the impact of pornography on young boys.

The latest Bundoora Secondary College incident occurred less than two weeks after a 16-year-old boy allegedly circulated sexually explicit, AI-generated photos featuring the faces of at least 10 female students from a northwestern suburbs high school.

He was arrested before being released by police.

The threatening messages came within five weeks of the girl being sexually harassed by another male peer in class. Picture: Supplied

A Collective Shout survey found two thirds of Australian teachers reported they had witnessed students sexually harassing their peers, with children as young as three engaging in sexualised behaviour in the classroom.

Collective Shout movement director Melinda Tankard Reist said the stories of sexual harassment and peer-to-peer assault were “getting worse and (the children) are getting younger”.

The author and advocate suggested schools have a code of conduct students have to sign to acknowledge what is expected of them and the consequences if they breach it.

“Teachers in our report wanted stronger penalties, more disciplinary action, and to be supported in taking that action for the sake of other students and for themselves as teachers,” she said.

Collective Shout movement director Melinda Tankard Reist says the stories of sexual harassment and peer-to-peer assault are ‘getting worse’.

Dr Coulson also called for schools to respond with consequences proportionate to the harm caused and for boys who demonstrate these behaviours to receive immediate, intensive intervention focused on responsibility and empathy.

He said there was a need for “clear pathways for boys to repair harm, not just ‘do their time’” and robust support for victims that prioritised their continued access to education.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers “received a report following online harassment on March 4”.

“Inquiries are ongoing,” she said.