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Helen Algar - Source: ONE News -
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Sixteen year old Daniel Gilles was a bubbly, positive teen, whose life was cut short due to the consequences of bullying.
Not even his mother knew the extent of the problem until it was too late.
"There's nothing more devastating than losing a child, I don't believe, and that's how bad bullying can get," says Gillies' mother Helen Algar.
It is believed that Gillies took his own life after being the victim of text bullying.
Although the way bullying occurs may be changing, it is not a new thing.
"It would be naive to think that we don't have bullying and harassment, but we do something about it," says Mt Albert Grammar Principal Paul Ferner.
His school has a roll of almost 2300 students, and a number of policies in place to tackle bullying.
"If something comes to a staff members attention, it's heard and it's acted on and it goes to the appropriate people," he says.
But for Algar, the approach needs to change. She says bullying is a community problem.
"Until we actually appreciate and understand that, then all we're going to do is patch the bike tyre and at some point there's always going to be a blow out," she says.
Algar firmly believes that by pouring resources into our young families, others will not endure the pain she has.
"The pain and hurt for Daniel is over. The pain and hurt for our family will go on for the rest of our lives," she says.
While she cannot turn back the clock, she hopes that speaking out will help avert another bullying tragedy.
Do you think bullying in New Zealand is as bad as the
report makes it out to be? Have your say on our message board
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentsleek said on 2009-04-20 @ 12:52 NZDT: Report abusive post
Bullying in schools can only be effectively addressed by implementing the whole school approach in all New Zealand schools. The British Sheffield project found this approach worked in schools that applied it thoroughly. Violence not dealt with at school escalates into violence in the community. Between the ages of 5 and 18 schools and teachers have a huge influence on our children, so what better place to change the patterns of behaviour?
Topnotch said on 2009-03-17 @ 00:18 NZDT: Report abusive post
I believe it is not the school's fault. We need to be teaching kids parenting skills as it is obvious that the present "parents" are largely to blame. The government needs to take a very strong stand on teaching people to respect the law AND other citizens. We all have rights but that in itself means we have obligations and responsibilities to our fellow man. Make parents responible for their kids till they are out working, then the wayward ones will be under control or the parents will pay.
lolotam said on 2009-03-16 @ 22:59 NZDT: Report abusive post
I am a mother of 7 and we have just moved here 8 months ago from the USA (las vegas). I have 3 kids in rototuna primary and for the first 4 weeks of school my 7year old son was coming home every day crying or upset because he was physically assaulted on the playground. All of my kids said that every time it happens they would go and tell the duty teacher and then that teacher would send them to their room teacher and so forth. We have never had this problem before and it is heartbreaking.