A video of a 12-year-old boy being harassed by an older female student on a school bus has gone viral, sparking outrage across the country. The incident has left the boy physically and mentally traumatized, according to his heartbroken mother who spoke with Inside Edition.
Bullying has become a pervasive problem in schools across the United States, with an estimated 1 in 5 students experiencing some form of bullying. The tragic passing of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch, who was bullied by students at her New Jersey school, has further highlighted the devastating impact that bullying can have.
In the case of the 12-year-old boy, his mother is calling for justice. “I would think that they would expel her for strangling my son,” she told Inside Edition. She plans to transfer her son to a new school in light of the incident, but says that the move is difficult for him.
“He’s sad and depressed,” she said. “We haven’t even been here a year and just to say like, ‘we got to move you to another school.'”
The school where the incident occurred, located in Virginia, has defended its actions. The administration says that they handled the situation in line with the student discipline manual, but many are questioning whether this response is adequate.
UFC veteran turned jiu-jitsu coach Tom DeBlass swooped in to try and save the day. DeBlass helped get the young man into a jiu-jitsu class.
“Remember the video I posted last week of the smaller boy being attacked on the bus by the bigger girl? Here we are a week late with him on the mats.”
DeBlass thanked the people responsible for putting him in contact with the boys parents and the local gym who he connected them to, decided to sponsor his training. THe young man is now sponsored by Capital MMA & Elite Fitness out of Alexandria ,Virginia and is likely to be bullyproof in future.