INCIDENTS of sexual assaults, bullying and threats have been reported as impacting students and teachers in Ballarat’s public school system during the past four years.
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Documents obtained under Freedom of Information found 679 incidents were reported to the Department of Education’s Emergency and Security Management Unit between January 2010 and 2014.
More than 150 notifications were received each year during the period with aggressive behaviour accounting for one-third of all reports.
There were 65 burglaries reported, 36 unwelcome person or vehicles at schools, 19 reported sexual assaults, six police operations and three reports of drugs.
Department of Education spokesman Simon Craig said the data included incidents involving students and teachers during and after school hours and on weekends.
“We keep information on incidents that occur outside of school hours, including weekends, because it can impact upon learning,” Mr Craig said.
Victoria Police were called to three incidents at Ballarat schools in four years, including a burglary and report of criminal damage in Sebastopol and a burglary in Mount Clear.
The three other incidents could not be identified.
Schools are required to report to ESMU incidents that pose a risk to the safety of a student, parent, visitor or staff member.
This includes serious injury or death, allegations of or actual physical or sexual assault and threats to property or the environment.
“Once an incident is reported, an alert is created and sent to various sections (the department), depending upon the nature of the incident to support schools,” Mr Craig said.
“All major incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities, including those that require a mandatory report.”
He said the department had a shared responsibility with agencies and other government departments to work with children to minimise the number of incidents.
Victoria Police said it could not comment on data provided by another government department.
DEATH THREATS COMMON IN SCHOOLS
ANTI-BULLYING coach Sue Anderson says intimidation as severe as death threats have occurred in Ballarat schoolyards.
Ms Anderson is employed by private and public schools to assist students who are bullied or who bully others.
She’s not a counsellor, but has been told of the explicit threats made to some of her clients.
“I have seen more (cases involving) death threats, made by students as young as eight years old,” Ms Anderson said. “I’ve seen very, very serious physical injuries as a result of students assaulting other students and worked with clients who have broken limbs, noses and skulls.”
Ms Anderson doesn’t take any chances when threats are made by teenagers.
“I’m not going to risk it. I have to notify their parents,” she said. “Not only is it against school rules, but it’s against the law.”
Of the hundreds of clients Ms Anderson has seen in seven years, only three occasions have led her to make the call.
“A lot of students don’t realise that, over the age of 10, children in Victoria can be charged with committing an offence,” Ms Anderson said.
“The younger kids don’t realise what they are saying.
“They don’t know how the person receiving the threat is going to respond.”
Ms Anderson said she was not aware of any sexual assaults that had occurred in Ballarat schools. She hopes to one day eradicate bullying in Ballarat schools.
“Bullying is not something you have to put up with,” Ms Anderson said.
“You can do something about it.”
TEACH NOT TO BULLY
A BALLARAT grandparent has called on schools to adopt anti-bullying education into the curriculum.
Lynne Blackmore’s granddaughter has been taunted by her peers for 18 months.
Her year 8 granddaughter, whose name has been withheld, has received death threats.
“Students arebecoming more violent and aggressive,” she said.
“When you’re looking at schools for your child, you’re looking at what is best for their education.”
“But now you have to think about safety more than anything else,” she said.
Ms Blackmore, who is raising her granddaughter, said the bullying began in year 7.
The concerned grandparent has visited the school seven times in the past 18 months, meeting with teachers and the principal.
“There needs to be teaching of the teacher, not just the students,” she said.