Autistic girl's plea to stop bullies

Sarah Mennie

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IT was one of the most frightening moments of Chloe Hill's life: locked in a school toilet and being punched by seven other children.

And all because she had autism.

Being taunted, teased and shoved around had been part of the 13-year-old's life - until, fed up and utterly despairing, she decided to make a stand.

Tired of trying to put up with the constant bullying, the brave teen wrote a letter and read it out at assembly at her Port Pirie school, Airdale Primary.

"It came from my heart," Chloe told the Sunday Mail.

"I wasn't feeling anxious or have butterflies in my tummy when I got up there - I just expressed how I was feeling."

It was a courageous act but, despite her plea, it has had little success - the bullying has continued and Chloe still spends most of her school life in solitude, too frightened to leave the classroom.

"I don't play with anybody, I just walk around by myself at recess and lunch," Chloe said.

"I'm scared to go out of the class room. I get called names like 'retard', 'Minda' and 'spastic' and sometimes I get pushed and punched.

"It makes me angry and sad.

"Sometimes when I'm absolutely wild when I'm being bullied I wish I was dead."

Mum Kellie Wood, 34, and dad Damien Hill, 37, enrolled Chloe at Airdale 18 months ago after removing her from another local school because of bullying problems.

Kellie looks after Chloe and the couple's two other children, Jacsyn, 8, and Nicholas, 17, while Damien travels 350km to his job with BHP in Roxby Downs for days at a time to financially support the family.

Kellie, a postal worker, said it broke her heart to send Chloe off to school every day knowing that she would be bullied, but she had no choice as Airdale was the only local primary school with a special needs class.

"Every day it's scary. It's heartbreaking sending her to school - I don't know if I'll get a phone call because she's had a hard day," Kellie said.

"I don't want her at school but she has to keep going because she's too young to leave."

"It is very upsetting knowing that your child is bullied," Damien said.

Jacsyn, who also attends Airdale, sticks up for his sister but said when he first saw her bullied he was so young he didn't know how to help.

"A couple of times I stuck up for her but I was only in reception so I didn't really know what to do," Jacsyn said.

"The kids were pretty nasty to her. She's really a very nice, loving, caring person.

"I was really proud of her when she read out her letter."

Kellie said bullying had always been a particularly big problem for Chloe.

"She's always had a hard time. She struggles socially and kids don't like that she's different.

"She just wants to be accepted."

And as her daughter poured out her heart to her entire school last month, Kellie stood at the back of the hall and wept as she watched her.

"Chloe had on the biggest brave face she's ever had," Kellie said.

"Not one kid moved while she read out her letter, not one kid spoke.

"I was very emotional and I was very proud."

And up the front, Chloe was feeling proud too.

"I felt so proud of myself and I thought people would leave me alone," she said.

And it seems Chloe's small act has made a big difference.

"After my speech two kids came up to me and said they had a secret - one said 'I've got autism' and the other said 'I've got Asperger's'," Chloe said.

"I felt really good when they told me. And I felt really proud of them for speaking up."

But the good feelings didn't last, with the two children who confided in Chloe bullying her again just days later.

Chloe's teacher, Elzby Styne, said the school took bullying seriously, but there were a number of serious bullies who were continually being dealt with.

"They don't just target Chloe, they will target any child they see as weak," she said.

A Department of Education and Children's Services spokeswoman said a bullying program was in place at the school to assist Chloe.

"The school is aware of instances where Chloe was bullied and action was taken to discipline and counsel the students responsible for this behaviour," she said.

"This included suspension and exclusion for some of these students to clearly state that bullying behaviour will not be tolerated at the school."

University of South Australia bullying expert Professor Ken Rigby said Chloe was to be admired for reading her letter at school assembly.

"It's a very brave and a good thing to do. It is sure to have an impact on some children," Dr Rigby said.

He said new evidence suggested there was a slight decline in bullying but he said there was still far too much of it.

"Of students who say they are bullied, 30 per cent tell their teacher but, of those, 50 per cent say things don't improve," Dr Rigby said.

"Telling your teacher is a good thing but it's not enough unless the teacher is well equipped to deal with the problem."

Source: Herald Sun