A terrified Scots parent has spoken out about the shocking injuries her young daughter has suffered at the hands of school bullies.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she has broken down in tears on several occasions after dropping off her daughter at school in the morning, and has raised concerns over how the incidents have been investigated and dealt with by teachers and Midlothian Council.
The mother of the six-year-old girl, who was five when the majority of the incidents occurred, has also shared photos of bruises and cuts that her daughter has returned home with, according to EdinburghLive.
The distraught parent is now at a loss as to where to go to ensure her child's safety when she is not present, and says that her little girl is now fearful of going to school, even making herself sick with worry.
The woman said: "My daughter says she was strangled in the playground on multiple occasions, had her hair pulled and cut out and came home with cuts on her face. She is not safe and there is no real concern for her safety.
"We also pursued legal advice following an incident where she was concussed after falling onto her head from a height. She was asked to put something away on a stool and fell as a result, but we were told by the council that following an internal investigation, my daughter was swinging on her chair and fell.
"We were told we could actually sue them for negligence as a result of how they handled the incident as the teacher and support teacher confirmed to me that they didn't actually witness her fall of her chair.
"I'm not attacking individual teachers or children, I just want to make my daughter safe."
The mum first noticed there was something wrong around Easter time last year when her daughter came home with multiple cuts on her face, but the teacher said they didn't know how it happened.
The youngster then informed her mum in April that someone had grabbed her neck in the playground, and displayed purple finger marks on her neck the next day.
The worried mum said that her daughter has been through a year of "hell" but she is not aware of any incidents since September 2022. However, the way each incident was dealt with still causes her concern.
She continued: "My daughter told me a boy put his hands around her neck and I have multiple pictures of all the injuries she has suffered in the last year. My biggest concern is that neither me or her have been believed.
"After querying the bruises on her neck the next again day, the headteacher asked my daughter if she was sure this is what happened and instead put it down to someone playfully grabbing her hood.
"My daughter was also taken around all the classes following the incident where she was strangled and asked to point out who did it. She pointed out one boy who is several years older, but the school maintained he was off school that day. I asked why would she make up who did that to her.
"I know teachers can't prevent incidents such as these happening, but it's just the way it has been dealt with that's wrong. The teacher's excuse was the fact she's a sensitive child, but what's that got to do with anything."
Following a lengthy complaint to the council, officers admitted an accident form should have been filled out following the head injury sustained when falling.
They also confirmed she should have remained under supervision of school staff until her mum arrived, instead of being left in the care of an After School Club staff.
As a result of the constant bullying and aggressive behaviour, the mum decided to withdraw her daughter from the school for two months to allow her to physically and emotionally recover.
After the council delivered their outcome report, the parent was told to contact government body Education Scotland if she was still wasn't satisfied - but that would take up to ten months for the case to be assigned before even being investigated.
She added: "I can't say it's one kid in particular, as my daughter told me the one who punched her and cut her hair was in her class, but the one who strangled her was in primary five.
"Me and my husband are both very concerned. He spends a lot of time away through work but has also been phoning and emailing the council to get answers. I feel like they're calling a five-year-old a liar before even investigating.
"I have even considered moving her to a different school, but it's not that easy. She would leave behind her friends, after school club and we'd have to drive further to drop off and collect her. I just want this to be resolved."
The parent said supposed cuts to the education budget in Midlothian also played a part in the situation, as all the additional support that her daughter is to receive are areas that are set to be cut by the government.
For instance, her daughter has enrolled in a school choir to boost her confidence, which has helped massively, but one of the proposed areas of cuts is reducing the instrumental music service.
The mum continued to say that the school in question does not have the staff required to look after so many pupils and the jump from classes of eight throughout nursery to as many as 26 in primary school is hard to control.
Since being contacted by EdinburghLive, Midlothian Council stated the authority takes bullying allegations "extremely seriously" and will continue to engage with the girl's parents following their concerns.
A council spokesperson said: “There are procedures in place within the school and within the Education and Children’s Services division to deal with reported incidents and to respond to concerns and complaints.
“These procedures have been followed and the concerns of the family fully investigated. The school has met with the parent and will continue to work with her to address any issues.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: "Bullying and violence is never acceptable and the safety of pupils and staff is paramount. It is for schools to decide what action should be taken depending on the individual circumstances of each case.
"We want all pupils to behave in a respectful manner towards their peers and staff – both inside and outside of the school grounds. We have produced guidance for local authorities and schools to promote positive relationships and manage behaviour.
"Scottish Government guidance is also in place to ensure a consistent approach to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools. This includes ensuring that appropriate support is put in place for all children and young people involved in a bullying incident. We expect all schools and local authorities to be using this approach.
"There are a number of programmes schools and local authorities can and do use to promote positive relationships and behaviour in schools."
It comes as the Daily Record launches its 'our Kids... Our Future' campaign calling for more action to be taken on the epidemic of youth violence.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
