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Right, a young girl has been subject to a horrific bullying incident in Birmingham, and I've been asked to comment. Here goes. /1 
A young girl attending Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School in Kingstanding, April Ward, was jumped by about 20 other kids on Kingstanding Road at 3.40pm. Some filmed the assault. /2
The footage was uploaded to social media, & was quickly picked up by media - footage of schoolyard scraps always draw attention.
Luckily, police are involved, & school have placed several students into isolation - basically, removed from classes - while investigations occur. /3
Luckily, police are involved, & school have placed several students into isolation - basically, removed from classes - while investigations occur. /3
First up, seeing this kind of bullying and violence is abhorrent, and it's disgusting that it took this footage going viral to draw attention to April's case.
Schools could do so much more to tackle bullying - and I say that as someone who has taught over a decade. /4
Schools could do so much more to tackle bullying - and I say that as someone who has taught over a decade. /4
Second, the role that social media has to play in these episodes must be examined - Facebook, in particular, need to do so much more to remove content like the video that went viral.
Smartphones, YouTube and Facebook Live encourage this crap. They need to be challenged on it. /5
Smartphones, YouTube and Facebook Live encourage this crap. They need to be challenged on it. /5
That leads me to my third point, and this is key.
Various clowns like 'Danny Tommo' are trying to push this story as a kind of counter-weight to the story of Jamal, to somehow negate his experience.
They're politicising schoolyard bullshit. /6
Various clowns like 'Danny Tommo' are trying to push this story as a kind of counter-weight to the story of Jamal, to somehow negate his experience.
They're politicising schoolyard bullshit. /6
If you watch the video of April being beaten, you'll note the cowards kicking her come from all kinds of backgrounds - just like those making up the majority of British schools.
This isn't about race. This is about a school not giving students a way out of destructive BS. /7
This isn't about race. This is about a school not giving students a way out of destructive BS. /7
If your first reaction is to use this incident to stoke racial divisions, you are a coward.
If your response to this incident is to wonder why this kid isn't getting a 'payday' like Jamal, go read about the experiences of him and his family. /8
If your response to this incident is to wonder why this kid isn't getting a 'payday' like Jamal, go read about the experiences of him and his family. /8
If there's one thing schools don't need right now, it's extremists of any kind using schools as a battlefield in their culture wars.
They certainly don't need chancers and thugs turning up to spout racist bollocks and make a few bucks on their PayPal.
There. Made clear. /FIN
They certainly don't need chancers and thugs turning up to spout racist bollocks and make a few bucks on their PayPal.
There. Made clear. /FIN
