Abused children often become school bullies

Apr 17, 2017 News

– CPA Director

Violence and other forms of bullying occurring in schools should not be treated lightly. This is the firm belief of many, including Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene.
Over the past few years, bullying has been behind many troubling incidents.
A few years ago, 14-year-old Kester De Agrella of Charity High School reportedly hung himself in the school’s bathroom. During that time, the child’s parents had insisted that he was being bullied in school, and that possibly triggered the suicide.
There have been many other instances where children have received serious injuries at the hands of school bullies or other violent children.
Reflecting on such scenarios, the CPA Director said that abused children are usually the ones who act out in schools.
“You see, the thing is, if a child is being abused at home, he or she is more likely to lash out and take advantage of children that are perceived to be weaker,” Greene posited.
She said that witnessing domestic abuse is really very distressing and scary for a child. “It causes serious harm,” Greene said.
Children who are exposed to witnessing abuse in the home are also considered victims of abuse themselves.

Rosanne Harris, 10, died after being kicked in the stomach by her classmate

Asked specifically to respond to the kicking death case of Rosanne Harris, the CPA Director declined to give much detail on the agency’s position, adding that investigations are still on-going.
“All I can tell you right now is, that we are working along with the parents and the child, and that has been going well so far,” the CPA Director said.
The 10-year-St. Stephenson Primary School student died a few days after being kicked to the stomach by her classmate on March 24 last, in the compound of the school located in Charlestown.
The kick, according to reports, resulted from an “unfriendly confrontation” between Harris and the male classmate.
Kaieteur News was informed that after Harris’s death, the child who administered the fatal kick was prescribed counselling.
Samantha Peters, the dead child’s mother had told this publication that her daughter had complained of not feeling well in her stomach. Asked what had happened, Harris reportedly related the incident to her mother.
According to Peters, on Saturday and Sunday (March 25 and March 26, last) her daughter was complaining about pains and began vomiting. She said that the child’s father had gone to the school and enquired about the incident.
The mother recalled being in the process of preparing to bathe her sick child, when she heard her older daughter’s frantic scream.
According to Rosanne’s older sister, when she checked on her sibling and felt her arm, it was stiff and cold.
“When I raise up she hand, it didn’t stay up, it just fall right back down.” She said that there was blood running from her sister’s nose as her lifeless body lay on the bed.
Kaieteur News understands that while the age of criminal responsibility is 10, the boy who kicked Rosanne is only nine.
Responding to the efforts to have the boy counselled, Rosanne’s family is maintaining that this will never be enough.
(Rehana Ahamad)

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