Update: It’s a video which will make any parent’s stomach drop… their child being beaten and thrown about in a schoolyard brawl.
Yesterday we spoke to Nelson man Mike Harvey, whose 14-year-old son was attacked at Waimea College.
Today FM has since received more than a dozen messages from parents - with kids at schools across the country who say they’ve been bullied, beaten and terrified to go to class.
The mother of a boy involved in another fight at Waimea College last week… we’ve obtained footage - a screen recording of a Snapchat - which shows him being circled and assaulted while others jeer and film. At one point he raises his fists but is quickly beaten back by the other kid.
Another parent sent her the footage with a warning.
"She said look, it is sickening," she told Tova O'Brien on Friday morning.
The mother sending her the video had told her to "sit down" and to "be warned, that this is an awful video."
"And then when I saw it, I was just absolutely blown away."
On Thursday, Mike Harvey, the father of a Waimea College student who was beaten by a group of classmates, expressed immense pride in his son's courage during the ordeal.
The incident, which took place during lunchtime at the Nelson school, saw his son being attacked by six classmates without any provocation, Harvey claims.
The assailants claimed that Harvey's son had insulted one of their girlfriends, which he denies.
In a Facebook post, Harvey shared how his son, despite being shaken, was calm enough to contact him immediately after the incident. He further revealed that his son was threatened by the attackers on social media before the beating occurred.
Harvey said in the post that "he stayed low at lunch but his “friend” told them where he was."
When he locked himself in the bathroom, the attackers banged on the door and threatened him, with a crowd of over 30 onlookers watching the entire ordeal.
Harvey was astonished when his son told him that he decided to unlock the door and step out, facing the beating head-on. The attackers recorded the incident and posted it on social media, leading to their eventual capture by the school authorities.
Harvey's son had the courage to stand up to the bullies and report the incident to the school authorities despite being accused of "snitching."
Harvey expressed pride in his son's empathetic and kind nature, which he attributes to his upbringing with an older sister with Down syndrome. The father expressed frustration over the attackers' behaviour. Harvey believes that his son's courageous act has encouraged others who have been victims of the attackers' violence to speak out and seek justice.
The school in question has released a statement addressing the recent incident involving violence at the college. While the school claims that such incidents are not common, they have taken immediate action and started their formal disciplinary processes, which include specialist agencies.
The school's disciplinary response is multi-faceted and may include counselling, learning and behavioural support, and regular monitoring and check-ins.
The school say they value belonging, caring, and learning, and they work hard to address the behaviours at the centre of any issue.
The statement assures parents that they have high expectations for their students and take any issues that arise seriously.
The police have been made aware of the incident, and one student will not be returning to the mainstream environment. Parents are encouraged to contact the school if they have any questions or concerns.
We have reached out to the school for an interview, to which they have declined.
The Secretary of Education said “We are aware of the recent incident at the College and are working with the principal to identify what additional supports we can provide, if needed.
"The school is taking this matter extremely seriously. They know their students and community best, and we know they will respond appropriately and put the right supports in place to make sure that their students feel safe at school.
"Bullying and violence is never acceptable. Schools have clear policies and procedures in place to manage any concerns or unacceptable behaviour in the school environment.
"Tackling bullying is a shared responsibility. Everyone, including students, school staff, parents, whānau, school boards and the wider community, has an important part to play in successfully addressing bullying behaviour.
"Our role is to support schools to develop their bullying prevention and response approaches that work for them and their communities.”
Watch/Listen to the full interview between Mike Harvey, the distressed mother and Tova above.
You can also download the full interview on the Tova podcast, and listen on the go. Download the rova app on apple or android to listen to this podcast on the go, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.
