A Tough Time for Wesley Student Coping with Cyber Bullying

The most shocking of the sexual images circulated over the weekend involves a fifteen-year-old student of Wesley College, in uniform. She has since taken a leave of absence from school to receive professional help from a counselor.  Minister of Education Patrick Faber says he supports the school’s administration in making available to the minor the resources to deal with the trauma of such indecent exposure.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“My personal position is that indeed she may need to take the time out of school.  I don‘t necessarily agree that it should be called a suspension and that it should be, you know, when that happens I am sure there is some psychological effect on the child.  So she does need to withdraw and maybe get some support from family members and from probably a counselor that can walk her through the very difficult time, you know.  It is an uncomfortable situation I am sure, going back to the classroom even, with her friends and everybody else who is of course some who are very mean.  So we want to ensure that she is able to face all of that and deal with all of that because this is a young person and even with adults, I am sure that would be a tough time for.  I support some kind of withdrawing from the regular school setting, but a lot of support for her because she certainly does not need to be a victim twice.”