Thanet Child Centred Policing Team is working with isle schools after a number of incidents including a sickening attack on a young student.
The Hartsdown girl was lured by other pupils to a woodland area and video taken by the children shows her being assaulted by another girl.
Video posted to a WhatsApp group and Tik Tok shows the youngster being made to get on her knees before her attacker kicks her in the face and repeatedly strikes her, even stamping and spitting on her.
A month after the brutal attack the youngster has healed physically but is suffering extreme anxiety about returning to Hartsdown.
The assault, which resulted in a 13-year-old girl being arrested, is one of a number of incidents which are being filmed and put on a TikTok account that is branded with the Hartsdown Academy logo.
Other videos seen by The Isle of Thanet News include footage of a boy kicked so hard he appears to pass out, fighting inside and outside of school and children being made to get on their knees and beg. Some of those involved are not in uniform and so which school they are from cannot be identified but other are in Hartsdown uniforms.
Parents are calling for action to be taken, with some pulling their children out of school due to them being targeted.
Margate mum-of-four Emma Clements removed her two daughters from Hartsdown after the eldest girl was targeted.
The 31-year-old said: “The problem started in Year 7 but last year, the week before they broke up for the Summer, was really bad.
“She was followed home by a group of girls and boys, verbally abused, pushed and shoved.
“I rang the school but nothing was done. A no contact order was made, meaning no contact between those kids and my daughter, but it was broken both in and out of school.
“She was being severely bullied and it affected her mental health so badly that she was cutting herself and she stopped eating.
“I had to limit her time on her phone and close apps like Tik Tok to stop her seeing the videos they made.”
Emma removed her daughter, now aged 14, from school and there has been intervention with a mental health early help programme but the youngster remains anxious and frightened.
Emma said: “The early help programme was just up the road but she wouldn’t walk there without an adult and if she saw any of the girls she would have a meltdown.”
The youngster, and her sister who was also targeted, are now in another isle school. Things are much better although the youngster still will not go out alone.
Emma says her daughters are not the only children who have suffered and she even had to contact police after seeing naked photos of a girl being posted into a snapchat by another youngster.
Emma and another parent have created a Stand Together – No More Bullying page on facebook as a safe place for other families to share their experiences.
She said: “It really is a big problem and these stories need to be listened to. There needs to be a bullying crackdown. You expect your children to be safe.”
Hartsdown headteacher Matthew Tate said: “The school has been made aware of a video that contains footage of students from Thanet schools fighting and bullying other students.
“We, and other schools, have worked with the police to identify where possible the students involved and the police are dealing with this.”
Child Centred Policing Team
A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police was contacted on 16 February 2024 and made aware of a reported assault on a schoolgirl near Hartsdown Road, Margate, which took place at around 4.15pm that day.
“Officers have since made contact with all of those involved and are ensuring they remain safe while enquiries into the incident continue.
“A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of assault and was later bailed pending further enquiries. Another teenage girl attended a voluntary interview.
“Thanet’s Child Centred Policing Team, which is in regular contact with schools in the district, has been working with the school attended by those involved.”
Police were also called in after stones were thrown at a child in Hartsdown Park on February 1. Officers spoke to the victim and informed the “appropriate agencies.”
The child centred’ policing team was introduced last year following changes to Kent’s policing model and officers in that team are involved across primary, secondary and pupil referral units.
Anti-bullying policy
Hartsdown has an anti-bullying policy, approved in March 2023 and due for review this month, which says: “We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our pupils so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Hartsdown. If bullying does occur, all pupils should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.”
The policy says the school employs methods such as restorative justice; mediation by adults : counselling or other interventions with both victims and perpetrators and assertiveness training.
Get Help
KIDSCAPE Parents Helpline (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm) 0845 1 205 204 or https://www.kidscape.org.uk/
Parentline Plus 0808 800 2222
Youth Access 020 8772 9900
ChildLine offers advice and support, by phone and online, 24 hours a day. Call 0800 1111. They have a designated page for bullying issues that includes a new video about building up your confidence after bullying.
Young Minds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Young Minds Parent Helpline 0808 802 5544
