Answers:
I believe that stopping bullying should be a high priority for schools. Here is a site that addresses this problem:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool...
Here is an excellent report, "Tackling Bullying"
I wonder if your niece could move to another class or to another school. Perhaps her mother can find a private school where she can enroll and not have this problem.
If there is no other solution than homeschooling, that's what your niece's mom should do. The girl should not have to be subjected to this kind of treatment.
Has her mom talked to her teacher or to the principal? I must admit, however, that adult intervention may result in the bullies just being more sly in tormenting her.
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While you don't say what the root cause of the bullying is...still, you've gone to the wrong person to try to solve it (the teacher).
Send a certified return receipt letter to the Principal of the School and copy the the Superintendent of the school system and the child's teacher as well.
Notify the principal in writing that the child is being traumatized during school and that her teacher has expressed indifference when informed of it. Make a demand for immediate action. Declare the circumstances "utterly unacceptable" which you will now "no longer tolerate".
Include in your letter details of any and all attempts to communicate this problem with the child's teacher.
Demand a face to face meeting with school officials on this matter, and give them a deadline to respond. Make sure the school officials understand you are on a mission to make their lives utterly miserable until the problem is brought under control. Threaten legal action, and be ready to follow up on the threat. School officials really really really hate parents on the attack. They will usually do whatever they need to in order to stop the noise. So get LOUD and stay LOUD for the sake of the child. Also, it will benefit the little girl to know her parents are outraged and going on the attack in her defense.
Few things are more disheartening for a child than to turn to their parents for help and get none.
Get MAD! Get LOUD! And GET GOING!
How very sad for your young niece! I use to be in the same situation. Some teachers knew and took pity on me, others knew and didn't care and instead took pity on the bully because they had a bad home-life (like that's an excuse!).
There is little that you can do other than to urge your sister to go to the school and accompany her. Since she is the child's legal guardian, the school needs to hear about the situation from her, but don't be afraid to rally around he and join her in a crusade for justice for your niece. She needs to stay firm and demand to speak to the principal and let him/her know what is going on, both how sick your niece is from stress but also that the teachers have refused to listen to the child's reports of bullying. In today's society, schools need to have zero-tolerance policies and its most likely that they already do. Let them know that something needs to be done IMMEDIATELY about the problem bullies and that you are NOT afraid to raise a fuss about it if your niece's welfare isn't better maintained during school hours. Let them know that you will go to the PTA, the Superintendent, the news paper and radio stations, and a lawyer and then actually go to them and speak out about the problems your niece is facing. Chances are she isn't the only child that these bullies are picking on. The school needs to know that bullying is exactly what causes Columbine and Virginia Tech; kids who are tortured by bullies and ignored by the school system are starting to take up their own vigilante justice.
Its important that your niece knows that her family is not just standing around doing nothing with the knowledge of her bullying problem. You need to act in her behalf not only for her physical and emotional safety (you can already see that its taking a toll on her health), but for her respect for you. I always hated my parents for knowing what happened to me and doing nothing about it.
My school trouble's started as early as 1st grade and lasted until my senior year in high school. I was chubby, a redhead, and terribly shy. I was called names, had a chunk of my hair cut, had a chair thrown at me and broke one of my ribs (the teacher was out of the room; she didn't see it so it didn't happen), and was generally teased and abused through out those years. I started out much like your niece; in elementary school I was sick and throwing up all of the time because of stress and nerves. The school nurse *hated* me and thought I was just lazy and trying to get out of school. When I got older, my fear / anger / hurt all got turned inwards. I felt and thought that since nothing was being done for me that I must really have been the problem. I was self-harming and suicidal by age 12. I've always felt that self-harming is an addiction much like crack or meth; not only is it incredibly harmful, but its extremely hard to stop and and an urge that is always there no matter how long one's stopped. I'm now in college, about to be married, and doing well, but I still have terrible nightmares about people that I haven't seen in at least 5-10years. The psychological damage done from my bullies all those years ago was great and I'm still waiting for time to heal those wounds.
I implore you, do all that you can do to help your niece before things get much worse for her. If she's throwing up and experiencing diarrhea just from the stress of bullies, things have gone way too far and she needs to step in and help her. Do whatever you can to help end her bullying situation.
The child needs to be out of this situation NOW. Not next week, NOW!
As another poster said, this has a huge psychological impact not just now, but later in life.
I too was that child. I lasted through 12 years and escaped to college. Later I joined the Army and finally got the self confidence I needed to handle the rest of my life.
A suggestion for the little girl is to put her into a martial arts class. This will begin to build her confidence back up. Most of the time, one doesn't even have to use the skills learned. Just knowing you can projects a confidence that keeps others from bullying you.
I think they do need to do more about bulliyng in schools but what is there to do? Every school is going to have bullying you can't stop that but, when i got bullied my mom went right to the kids face and talked to them about it not mean but she told them Firmly.Try that but i dont suggested putting anyone through homeschooling unless its really really nedded because kids need friends and im sure this won't happen for situation won't go on forever!
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