Three Grade 11 girls have been suspended from Vukuzakhe High School in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, after cellphone footage showed them beating up a fellow student, The Mercury reports.
The boarding school girls are seen shoving, slapping and kicking a younger girl in their dormitory room. The attack was allegedly sparked when the victim ignored one of the other girls, whom the victim refers to as "mother", in the room when she was called.
The Grade 9 victim, who is sitting on a bed in the room, is then accused of ignoring the summons, which she at first denies, but after being attacked she admits to the allegations.
The two-minute and 40-second clip shows a group of three girls, including the victim. The fourth girl takes the video with a cellphone. The abused girl and the bully are in the school's sky-blue skirt and navy jersey. The third girl, who appears to encourage the assault and, on one occasion chips in with a kick, is in a white top and white and pink pyjama bottoms.
School principal Doris Fulela confirmed the incident but referred queries to the Education Department.
Department spokesman Isaac Luthuli said the video had been watched and three girls had since been suspended, pending a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Thursday.
"The pupils were suspended immediately after the department was made aware of the video. Yesterday there was a tribunal – it has made recommendations. The school’s governing body will sit tomorrow and will look at the recommendations and take it from there."
According to an Education Department spokesman, the incident happened in September last year but that the provincial education department only became aware of it this week after the video viral on social media.
"What happened was wrong and unacceptable – it doesn't matter what culture it was. It was not supposed to happen," he said.
Durban child psychologist Linda Naidoo described bullying as a "tragedy" that principals needed to address.
"If victims are aware of this they will feel supported. Even when those incidents occur, they will feel confident to report it, knowing that the matter will be handled," she said.
Watch the video below or click here to download on mobile.
The boarding school girls are seen shoving, slapping and kicking a younger girl in their dormitory room. The attack was allegedly sparked when the victim ignored one of the other girls, whom the victim refers to as "mother", in the room when she was called.
The Grade 9 victim, who is sitting on a bed in the room, is then accused of ignoring the summons, which she at first denies, but after being attacked she admits to the allegations.
The two-minute and 40-second clip shows a group of three girls, including the victim. The fourth girl takes the video with a cellphone. The abused girl and the bully are in the school's sky-blue skirt and navy jersey. The third girl, who appears to encourage the assault and, on one occasion chips in with a kick, is in a white top and white and pink pyjama bottoms.
School principal Doris Fulela confirmed the incident but referred queries to the Education Department.
Department spokesman Isaac Luthuli said the video had been watched and three girls had since been suspended, pending a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Thursday.
"The pupils were suspended immediately after the department was made aware of the video. Yesterday there was a tribunal – it has made recommendations. The school’s governing body will sit tomorrow and will look at the recommendations and take it from there."
According to an Education Department spokesman, the incident happened in September last year but that the provincial education department only became aware of it this week after the video viral on social media.
"What happened was wrong and unacceptable – it doesn't matter what culture it was. It was not supposed to happen," he said.
Durban child psychologist Linda Naidoo described bullying as a "tragedy" that principals needed to address.
"If victims are aware of this they will feel supported. Even when those incidents occur, they will feel confident to report it, knowing that the matter will be handled," she said.
Watch the video below or click here to download on mobile.