THE mother of a boy in secondary school is at her wits' end. Her son, she says, is "a shocking bully". He has been suspended three times from his school and will be expelled if another incident occurs. He is in third year.
"All through primary school I would be asked to talk to him," says his mother. The boy, who has two other brothers, knows that he was adapted when he was three.
He likes to control, to tell people what to do. He teases but if anybody teases him, he takes it very badly. There's a real strain of wanting to be able to control and to be the centre of attention."
The family moved house often when he was young and there has also been another family upheaval recently.
"When he's bullying," she says, "he'll bring the gang behind him. He won't go on his own. He does it to an audience. He's very strong.
"It's got so bad you're too numb to worry. The other members of the family are suffering. He used to bully within the family but not any more.
"I've brought the local Junior Liaison Garda Officer to him and he has been very good. Parents should know that these men (and women) are trained and they are so good. He's keeping in touch. The Garda are very keen to help, because once a kid goes to court he's lost.
"When we say anything to him about it to correct him, he's absolutely `bolshy'. He bullied me, he's without remorse and this worries me. He says it's only messing and that we're over reacting."
