A parent in New Zealand said, “I’m proud that I didn’t fight back” even though her high school son suffered school violence, and encouragement poured in from all walks of life.
According to New Zealand media reports on the 2nd (Korean time), Mike Harvey, a father of five who lives in Richmond, near Nelson, New Zealand, learned that his 14-year-old son was gang-raped by six other students at school.
Harvey said that his heart was torn when he received a phone call from six other students during lunchtime on the 20th of last month that his son had been assaulted by a group of 30 people at school. About this day,” he said.
His son went into the bathroom and locked the door when the children who were threatening him through social media chased him, but eventually opened the door himself and was assaulted by the children. However, Harvey’s son did not fight back, confronted them confidently, and responded by reporting the incident directly to the school.
In response, Harvey said, “I am more than proud of my son for not fighting back. He’s a really strong kid. He could have done it, but he showed self-control in order to be faithful to his principles.”
He said his son is understanding and kind, and that he thinks he can because he grew up with a sister who has Down syndrome.
He explained that after seeing a video of a group assault scene spreading on social media, he himself posted a video of his son being assaulted on Facebook to publicize the issue of school violence.
Then, a lot of support poured in from students, alumni, and parents who said they had been bullied or witnessed violence.
The video, which appears to have been taken by another student, is known to include a scene where the head is hit with a fist and some students cheering while watching.
A New Zealand media outlet emphasized that school violence occurred across New Zealand last year and reported that they had received numerous horrific videos of students being beaten.
On the other hand, the school side emphasized, “This is not a common occurrence,” and “we do not tolerate any form of violence at school.” In addition, the parents of the students involved were notified of this fact, and an official disciplinary process would begin soon.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.