BBC One, Sunday, 10 April 2005 at 22:15 GMT
Panorama looks at the way we tackle bullying in schools - and asks why thousands of children are left with nowhere to turn.

Tackling bullying in schools is now a government priority. Millions of pounds are spent persuading victims that they shouldn't suffer in silence - and that their first response should be to tell someone.

But what happens if you tell someone, and no-one listens?

Panorama goes behind the headlines to find out what it's like for victims of bullying and their families whose schools have been unwilling or unable to stop bullying.

Featuring the first full national television interview with the parents of Laura Rhodes, who took her own life last year, the programme explores the limited options open to parents and children who find themselves in this desperate situation.

One leading anti-bullying charity reveals the shocking statistic that in three quarters of cases they deal with, the school suggests that the problem actually lies with the victim.

Some suggest that teachers are no longer able to enforce the discipline necessary to tackle bullying - but others strongly believe that bullies themselves shouldn't be punished or blamed for their actions.

Natalie King has stopped going to school due to bullying
Amidst the confusion, bullying victims are now turning to the law for help. Panorama follows the case of Natalie King in Aberdeen, who is fighting a legal test case by suing her local council for negligence because she claims it failed to stop her bullies.


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Is anyone else going to watch this tomorrow night?

I don't know.
I'm trying to put all that stuff behind me.

Can understand.

I'm going to watch it.

I'm always going to fight for this issue and the only way to build up anything useful is to watch for research.

My old headmaster should watch it.

I think all teachers should watch it.

My headmaster especially.

Ignorant cocksmoker he was.

My old Headmistress is in Australia somewhere

My school got a terrible ofsted report and closure threat so she left.

Guilty concience.

Must have been. Lol.

Ahhh she was naff anyway.
From what my younger cousin has tole me, its gotten really bad there in the last year or so.

Part of me thinks 'HA!' but another part thinks 'Aww, I hope they pull it together'

My old school is rubbish. You get all the kids from the estate going there, it's quite rough.

Mine has a 'reputation'.
We were talking about school in Media the other day and my mate's Mum used to teach at my old place then my teacher goes 'Ohh that school has a bad reputation, I pity and fear anyone from there' and I was like 'Then you better pitty me and then run away screaming'
she goes 'Oh my god, you poor child'

Then I told her about the gun in the exam room thing and her jaw dropped.

there was a gun in the exam room?

I swear I told you this...

We were in a mock exam and half way through 4 teachers burst in and go over to the teacher supervising us then they look over at my side of the hall, walk over and make me stand up. They start checking my chair and ask me to pull out my pockets, I was asking them what was going on and they said 'nothing' (I asked if they were checking just in case someone was trying to blow me up. they didn't find it funny) then they proceed to check my entire row and they move down.
We get out of the exam hall and all of our bags have been searched through.
Turns out, they had a tip that either a gun or some form of drug had been taped to the underside of someone's chair.

Nope you didn't

Our mocks were funny

Someone in the room kept on ringing loads of people secretly and no one knew who it was

LMAO

A mate of mine kept shouting 'I'VE BUGGERED THIS UP' and various other things loudly.


He got sent out in the end.