Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1448619
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS GRABBED by the throat in the school toilet and threatened by a fellow student, 13-year-old Ja- cob's (not his real name) life was overturned two years ago. As the bully's fingers pressed against Jacob's neck, a second student looked on while anoth- er stood watch near the door. A few days later they sent Jacob a message, threatening him that he will end up with more than a scar. The incident marked a sinis- ter turn in a story of repeated verbal abuse and bullying Ja- cob had endured at the private independent school where he attended. After the toilet incident, Ja- cob's parents went to the po- lice because the school failed to take action against the boys who threatened their son. The case is ongoing in the ju- venile court. But the bullying did not stop there. The school intervention consisted of keeping Jacob apart from the gang of bullies 'for his own protection'. The move ostracised him from the rest of his friends, who feared being victimised by the bullies if they spoke or played with Jacob. When I sit down with Jacob's parents they have mixed emo- tions about their son's experi- ence – anger, frustration and a sense of helplessness. Philip and Joyce (not their re- al names) feel that the school let down their son when it failed to take concrete action to discipline the bullies. "The school's response was weak and as a result Jacob ended up socially ostracised – he was victimised for a second time because of the school's inept response," they tell me. Humiliated by bullies, ostracised by Jacob* was bullied at the independent school he attends. His parents tell Kurt Sansone better regulation is required by the educational authorities of independent schools and how they deal with bullying When schools went online Jacob was subjected to remote bullying. At one point a fake Instagram account impersonating him was created. "This was organised, systematic destruction of a person," Joyce says as she leafs through multiple screen shots of offensive Instagram messages directed at her son KURT SANSONE