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Golden Grove High students suspended for ‘bystander behaviour’ as more fight videos emerge

More brawl videos involving Golden Grove High students have emerged, with the Education Department revealing it is taking action against not just the perpetrators of violence, but bystanders.

Oct 06, 2022, updated Oct 27, 2022
A still image from one of the fight videos.

A still image from one of the fight videos.

It comes as one mother recounts the terrifying moment she heard her daughter being beaten up while she was on the phone to her, as other students egged on the attack.

InDaily has been sent further videos of fighting among students, after last week exposing confronting violence at the school, filmed and shared on pupils’ mobile phones.

We are again choosing not to publish the videos in full – instead selecting still images from them and obscuring faces.

In the videos, students shove, kick, punch and grab each other, often watched by a crowd of their peers.

In some of the videos circulating, teachers attempt to intervene but make little difference.

Commenting on the latest videos to come to light, Education Department chief executive Martin Westwell again condemned the behaviour as “completely unacceptable”, saying perpetrators of the violence were being suspended as well as those watching on.

“Golden Grove High School has taken strong action to deal with this behaviour, including suspending students last week for bystander behaviour,” he said.

Security guards will be stationed at the school when classes resume after the holidays, as part of a suite of measures announced by the State Government last week aimed at stemming the violence.

An experienced former principal will be brought in to provide support to staff and advice to the Education Department on further action required.

A parent liaison officer will also work with parents and families and a specialist behaviour coach will be introduced for students.

“The Minister for Education has taken decisive action by asking the department to add additional supports into the school…” Westwell said.

“I am confident this additional resourcing, along with action already taken by the Golden Grove High School leadership to deal with this behaviour, will result in the change that is needed to tackle any unacceptable behaviour at the school.”

A still image from one of the latest fight videos.

He added that the incidents were “isolated” and stressed “the majority of students are focussed on their learning at this school”.

I could hear the egging on, I could hear the fight. I was shaking… I was so scared

It comes as another mother voices fears for her daughter’s welfare, in a story with striking similarities to that told by another family.

The latest mother, who asked not to be identified, said her 12-year-old daughter had experienced bullying at the school since starting Year 7 there this year.

She said it culminated in her daughter being beaten up in August, by some Year 9 girls, which she said she heard occur while on the phone to her daughter.

“My daughter has been bullied, she’s been beaten up, she’s been threatened and it’s by the same Year 9 level of school kids,” she told InDaily.

“She called me in school one day and I was really surprised because they’re not supposed to have their phones on them.

“She said, ‘Mum, I’m worried because everybody is making fun of me,’ and I said, ‘Don’t give them a reaction because that’s what they want from you,’ and then all of a sudden she just went really quiet and then… I heard a noise and it sounded like she had tripped and fallen over and I could hear all this screaming. And she’s been beaten up while I’m on the phone.

“I could hear the egging on, I could hear the fight. I was shaking and I went straight to the school… I was so scared.”

The mother said her daughter suffered a slight black eye, a chunk of hair pulled out and ongoing mental health problems.

She said although the school told her it was “dealing with it internally”, she reported the matter to police “but they said to us there was really nothing that they could do”.

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The mother said she also took her daughter to the doctor.

She said her daughter was now experiencing mental health problems including depression, had lost weight, and “her hair falls out from stress”.

“She has self-harmed and we are worried that the next step she is going to take is she is going to try something like suicide,” she said.

“She’s still getting bullied, still now at school.”

The Education Department did not comment on the individual case.

It said as well as taking disciplinary action against violence, the school was tackling the issue of bystander behaviour seen in some of the videos, including engaging SA Police to educate students on the legalities around it.

A still image from one of the fight videos that emerged last week.

The school is also recruiting the Sammy D Foundation to provide middle school students with education on the impacts of bullying and equip them with age-appropriate knowledge and tools.

Parents are also being advised of their right to report violence to police.

A still image from one of the fight videos that emerged last week.

SA Police last week said it was “aware of four incidents” involving students at Golden Grove High School.

“Police are working with staff and students at the high school. No one has been charged with any offending at this time and police continue to investigate the incidents,” SAPOL said in a statement.

InDaily asked SAPOL for an update on its investigations and whether any further fights had been reported.

A spokesperson said police had spoken with students, families and the school and “no charges have been laid at this time”.

A still image from one of the fight videos that emerged last week.

The spokesperson did not advise if any further fights had been reported.

“We will not be making comment on any specific investigations or individual’s cases due to privacy principles, and particularly when the people involved are juveniles,” the spokesperson said.

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