"It" is actually a plural - two bruises on my little son's body - one on his right shoulder and one on his hip. They are grazes with bruising; both about the size of a teacup. I feel like crying when I look at them. How did they happen? Some little punk at school pushed him over so hard that he fell face first onto the cement path. He was carrying his laptop at the time and that now has some fairly substantial scratches on it but appears to still be in working order.

So people we have property damage and assault occasioning bodily harm. This is more than just a "you shout I push" incident, boys will be boys, shake hands and get on with it. This is assault! What would happen if I went down the street and pushed someone over, bruising them in two places and damaging whatever they were carrying at the time? Well I can tell you from experience (and it's a long story starting with a slap across the face and ending in District Court) that I would be charged!

David has been suspended seven times from school. He even had to go to a four week boot camp where he was the youngest child. The "camp" catered for all school ages including high school and most of the students were there for dealing drugs. Most of david's suspensions have been for verbal abuse to the teachers, non-compliance, kicking furniture and on ONE occasion for hurting another child. I have never condoned his behaviour and have supported the school on most of those suspensions. They have worked for him - no incidents in over a year now whereas he was averaging one per term.

Thing is, he never did to any child what has been done to him today. This is not okay! Assault is not okay in ANY form but it is especially not okay that I send my eleven year old autistic child to school each morning believing that he will be safe from harm and will given an education only to pick him up in the afternoon and find bruises like that on him. I ask you .. if I gave him those bruises, what would happen to me??

I know the child in question, I have met him and found him to be rude, sly and mean. Interestingly, he is from a theoretically "good" family and by that I mean white, middle-class, two parents. It took all my self control today to NOT ring his home and abuse the fuck out of his parents. Luckily I appreciate the importance of following procedures, jumping the hoops and understanding the pecking order. It's the only way I made it through my 30+ court cases.

I've rung the school, they're looking into it, I'm going up there tomorrow and God help them if they don't do something about it. I want that child disciplined - in the very least he should get the detention equivalent because at least then his parents will receive a letter of explanation and they might just realise that their bootiful liddle boy isn't so fucking perfect after all. Let their cheeks burn when they get the call from the Principal saying "We're having problems with your son again" and "Really, I think it would be best if you relocated him". I've been through this and David did much less.

I've also rung the local police station and if I don't get any validation from the school I will investigate pressing assault charges on that child. Mind you, the last time the school pissed me off I had the Department of Education onto them so fast that I got the response I wanted before the school day ended. Yes, I know sometimes I have been known to go overboard and do the "rhinoceros stamping out the fire" bit but this is different. It is not acceptable that my child should come home from school with bruises on him. We're not living in some seedy part of LA .. this is Brisbane, Australia and my child deserves to get a safe education.

t.