Possible downsides of media coverage
The power of the media is great. When newspapers, radio or television take up the bullying case, in some cases you can see a 180-degree turn among those responsible; from playing the problem down to taking action. The change, from feeling powerless to seeing the right steps being taken, can be total. Many experience a sense of redress when the media expose injustice, and those responsible apologise. Despite these positive effects, we are cautious about recommending exposure in the media.
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Exposure in the media can make the school negatively disposed towards the family. When you uncover weaknesses and wrongdoing on the part of the school and the school owner, families with children at the same school or in the same local community may feel uncomfortable. They may be unaware of the problems, and think that the family is (unfairly) holding the school up to public criticism in the media. Reactions of that kind can leave the family isolated in its local community.
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Be careful about identifying the child. If someone googles the child’s name, the bullying case can come up long after life has come to consist of things that have nothing to do with bullying. Ask; what will the child, at 25, want a new partner, or a potential employer, to find when they google the child’s name?
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Children are not of legal age; it is the parents’ responsibility to exercise caution on the child’s behalf.
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The media will normally speak to the various parties involved in the case. There is therefore no guarantee that the case will be presented only as the family experiences it.
Changing school, and possibly moving house, can make it easier to go to the media.