It’s time to treat the issue of kids being bullied more seriously

DRIVING along a road in Dundee, I saw a crowd of pupils on the pavement outside their school.

They had formed a semi-circle and it was obvious there was some kind of fight going on.

Before I knew what I was doing, I’d reversed back, pulled over and jumped out.

What I found was one boy in his teens cowering against a wall.

The boy who’d thrown a punch had run off.

“You all right pal?” I asked (I don’t call anyone pal in real life but it’s funny how instinct takes over and I just wanted the boy to know he was safe and that I was an adult he could trust).

He was shaken and crying. He told me the bully picks on loads of people and no one stops him.

I asked three pupils beside the boy why no one stuck up for him. They shrugged. They weren’t nasty, just clearly scared too.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the travesty of Scottish schools being found not to employ anyone to counsel kids, whether a bully, their victim or someone suffering abuse — physical or mental — at home.

It was found that rarely is there such a member of staff based in school. Often there is no one at all who the child can call upon in their time of need.

What happened outside this Dundee school (which of course I won’t identify) demonstrates exactly why this needs to change.

One of the boy’s friends was so much more likely to ask for help if there was a door on which they could knock.

The boy, clearly intimidated, desperately wanted help.

Why should he have to ask a teacher if there’s a number he can call, leave a message and hope for a reply?

No doubt the bully himself has issues — and it’s unlikely he’ll voluntarily seek help.

If there was someone on the ground who knew what was happening at the school gates, chances are these incidents wouldn’t happen.

I asked the boy if I could do anything but he said no. Heartbreakingly, he didn’t want to be singled out any more than he already was. He just wanted to be invisible.

Sadly, that’s what he is — invisible — until we start taking bullying and vulnerable children in our educational charge seriously.

This boy had a bruised cheek. We cannot wait until the harm is more serious before we sit up and take notice.