I'm not a big fan of Dr Phil, but I happened to catch the beginning of his show yesterday and I actually found myself really agreeing with him.

I got the impression that the show was at least a few months old (this was on daytime TV in Sydney). At the beginning of the show they showed surveillance film of an african-american man getting on a school bus with his daughter. The man was almost out of control. He was saying stuff like "any of you touch my daughter I'm going to *%#$ you up". He threatened to kill one of the students and the bus driver.

Flash back to the audience and it was clear that they disapproved.

Then Dr Phil brought the man in question out onto the stage. It was clear that he was a decent and caring man and he accepted that he had gone a little too far. It turned out that his 12 year old daughter had cerebral palsy and had been bullied mercilessly, to the extent that she refused to get on the bus. Boys were spitting in her hair, throwing condoms at her, calling her black trash, hitting her in the back of the head, grabbing her breasts, and the bus driver and the school were doing nothing about it. The man was in tears, the audience was in tears, and they were suddenly on his side completely.

If you ask me the only thing excessive about the father's reaction was the death threats. The rest was entirely reasonable given the circumstances. The man was charged with 2nd degree misdemeanours.

Dr Phil told the man that if it were one of his children bullying the girl, that he would testify on the man's behalf at the man's trial. I admired that sentiment. I would do the same thing.

I find it hard to blame him at all. Of course it wasn't the best thing to do, but then it's hard to make a good judjment in that situation.

Bloody sad that the father is the only one bieng convicted after all that.

I s that episode too, the girl was the cutest little thing!

I wont get the chance to have kids, sadly. If I would and did, any vile little thug abusing a child of mine they would have the shite slapped out of them sideways.

If I was the bus driver I would have done something about it.  The driver is responsible for all the children's safety on the bus.

That story was (local news) here where I live.  And I remember it clearly...

he obviously should have refrained from the language and threats-- but the real story of how his daughter has been bullied was atrocious and he was at his wits end.

(Bus drivers do nothing)

The kids on the bus are lucky he didn't kill them. Grabbing her breasts is sexual assault and should be charged as such. Throwing condoms at her and spitting in her hair. Hitting her....all assault.
My daughter is the same age but able bodied and healthy. In his position I would have been tracking people down. I personally think he showed remarkable restraint.

The fact that the teachers et al did absolutely nothing about it is disgusting. If they themselves had gone through one bus journey like that there would be lawsuits for one and they'd probably be permanently traumatised. This should not be less of a big deal when it happens to a vulnerable child.

The kids responsible should be facing criminal charges. What exactly did anyone expect her father to do?

Just because you think you know (or know) that the school official s or bus driver or teacher or polic will do nothing - does not mean that you do not FIRST go thru the motions of proper reporting. Give them one chance to properly address.

(Of course we all wish that the first time something bad happens to out kid they tell us - and they do not wait until3 or 4 things - worsening - happen - which is what happens in reality...we parents sometiems hear about it after the fact)

My point - tell  school- - create a police report - then if it happens again - you have every right in the world to sue every person---- and or beat , I mean threaten people up ( I meant to say - have them thrown in jail)...

I do not blame the man one iota

This post was last modified: 03-03-2011 05:49 PM by windy.

especially a big deal when it happens to a vulnerable child IMO. If anyone sexually assaulted a friend, let alone family, or showed such callous, disgusting disrespect to my baby, who I hold a thousandfold dearer than any friend or blood relative, a kid would get bloody battered. An adult who laid so much as a finger on my 'lil dormouse in that manner, jesus christ twatting wept, I would be apoplectic with fury. The piece of dog waste responsible would lose their kneecaps, that they may never again touch ground her feet walked upon, their tongue cut out, because I would not suffer her name to be so soiled, by being spoken by someone who hurt my lady, and their eyes put out with acid, for no such eyes are fit to look at her.       My girl isn't kid of course, she's 44, and wouldn't think twice about getting her rifle to deal with someone bringing violence to herself or her kids. If there are two things I despise utterly, they are bullies and abusers of women.

http://blog.drphil.com/2010/10/29/enrage...-bullying/

http://vodpod.com/watch/4614559-chatari-...s-to-today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpisJLnB0pY

http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Support...t=1&v=wall

I disagree. For starters, there's no point in going through bureaucratic hoops unless it's absolutely necessary. I've never had a situation where one of my family members was being abused by someone else under the watch of a government employee, so I can't speak accurately towards all the options this man had. I just know that asking a bureaucratic institution for justice would not EVER be my first choice, unless it was to give myself justification for later, more radical actions (like beating up the students involved.)

And also, civil court (lawsuit) is super expensive and risky no matter how substantial your case may be - even if you win. You could win a significant amount in damages from the involved parties. Then, they could declare bankruptcy without paying a dime, and be clear of all civil liability. And if victory is out of reach in civil court, there's no guarantee that the responsible parties will even settle out of court, and pay all of your legal expenses. So, you have a chance of either paying a ginormous legal bill, or declaring bankruptcy yourself and ruining your financials.

I was not clear in my point.  The man in the "story", (happened about an hour from where I live) his life is mostly over- he was charged with a crime--he had to hire defense lawyers, he lost his job... and there was no "report" "filed" that he can use as a defense that would help him prove he was justified... that he was the only one who could protect his daughter..

That is all I mean. Now he is the one with the record a "violent temper" and abuser of "children"...

Banned from school and the bus...

Not about winning - it is about having a record of the school NOT DOING ITS' JOB.