THE assault of Melody’s Rumbal’s 12-year-old daughter is shocking.
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The girl was assaulted by peers her own age outside the Youth Café in Batemans Bay on Friday.
She was punched, grabbed and kneed in the face – an attack witnessed by the Youth Café’s security guard.
There are always two sides to every story.
But no reason for the girl’s brazen attack could ever excuse her actions.
Parents took to Facebook this week to express their concerns about what appears to be an escalating problem with youth crime.
One parent wrote on the Batemans Bay Neighbourhood Watch page that her daughter was being home-schooled this year because of her experience with bullies at high school.
“I love this area but when your children can’t feel safe really wonder if it’s worth living here,” she wrote.
State government research shows while a significant proportion of young people will at some time commit an offence, it is only a small proportion who do so on an ongoing basis.
Most young people who do offend will stop without any form of intervention and without ever coming into contact with the criminal justice system.
However, there is a small group of juvenile offenders who do not stop and this group has been found to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime.
When I was 12 I was too busy doing the Macarena in my grandmother’s pool to worry about fighting others my own age – or committing any other crime for that matter.
There is always going to be an element of rebellion among our youth but there comes a point when parents need to step up and take control.
I implore those who are targeted by bullies to stay strong and stand up against it.
If you have been bullied or witnessed others been bullied and need help phone the Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800.