Wahesh
The Forefather of The Kennel
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
- Messages
- 24,844
- Reaction score
- 12,158
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...imself/ar-AAwtspk?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=mailsignout
^ Video - click link above ^
I wanted to belittle him': Hero dad or a bully himself?
The Australian father caught on camera violently attacking a teenage boy he believed was bullying his daughter has broken his silence.
In an exclusive interview, Brisbane man Mark Bladen, 53, told 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes that despite having regrets for his aggressive actions, he was “suckered in” and felt forced to defend his tormented stepdaughter.
Bladen’s teenage step-daughter Kalani had become the subject of a torrent of deeply personal taunts not only in the school yard and out socially, but consistently via social media.
“[I was] insulted about my body hair,” she told Hayes.
“Called names like gorilla.”
For more than six months Kalani endured the nastiest of comments, and she says, was pushed and spat on.
And with each new attack, her parents’ anger grew.
One afternoon a distraught Kalani called her stepfather in tears.
Mr Bladen says it was then he decided he couldn’t stand by and watch any longer.
“I just went over there to give him a good old fashioned talking to,” Mr Bladen told Hayes.
“I wanted to belittle him in front of his friends, the same way he always did with Kalani.”
Mr Bladen was filmed unleashing an aggressive verbal tirade on the teen.
He told 60 Minutes he had every intention to leave until he felt “provoked.”
“He smiled at me,” Mr Bladen said.
“And I warned him. I said, ‘You’d better wipe that smile off your face,’ and he just kept smiling.
“The next thing I knew my hands were around his neck.”
When questioned on whether throttling the boy who was young enough to be his son in turned made him a bully, Mr Bladen told Hayes: “I don't know if I would call it being the bully. It was a kind of a one-off incident, and I regretted it straight away.”
“So, I wouldn't say I was a bully. I would say that I was out of order,” he said.
The bullying has since stopped but in March, Mr Bladen pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
He was fined $1000 but no criminal conviction was recorded.
But as Hayes revealed, in the court of public opinion Mr Bladen was hailed a hero.
For many parents, Mr Bladen’s story has pierced the heart of the complex and difficult issue.
In Australia alone, one in five children have been victims of bullying.
And with new technology and social media allowing what were once schoolyard taunts to follow victims home, the dilemma of how parents can protect their children continues to go unanswered.
Revealing another side to our national bullying crisis were Michelle and Quentin Pearson, who opened up to Hayes on their late son, Kodi.
Just two years ago, 14-year-old Kodi took his own life after being bullied.
The Pearsons told Hayes they are still tortured by what they wish they could have done, and what they still can’t understand.
“I just don’t feel I was there for him,” Mr Pearson said.
“And I question myself why he couldn’t have come and talked to me about it. I didn’t think a 14-year old could think like that.”
Before taking his life, Kodi wrote a letter to his family with a message they continue to spread throughout schools to this day – under the foundation Kodi’s Message.
“He wanted everybody to know how bad bullying is,” Ms Pearson said.
“It's very important… We've got something to work for, and try and help other people.”
The Pearsons are determined to make change in Kodi’s name.
“There needs to be some consequences,” Ms Pearson said.
“Everything else in life, there’s a consequence. At this stage, there’s not for bullies, so they can just carry on and do it to the next child, and the next child and the next child.”
More than ever bullying is proving to be terrifying - a nightmarish hell where parents are left feeling frustrated and powerless.
Hayes’ report identified two families torn apart by the suffering of their children, demanding that as a nation we make change.
“I think what we all would like to think people will take away from this story is that bullying is real,” Hayes said.
“Bullying has taken lives and that there needs to be something to stop this.
“As a society we all have to make a decision that this is not good enough. And we all have to decide something should be done.”
^ Video - click link above ^
I wanted to belittle him': Hero dad or a bully himself?
The Australian father caught on camera violently attacking a teenage boy he believed was bullying his daughter has broken his silence.
In an exclusive interview, Brisbane man Mark Bladen, 53, told 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes that despite having regrets for his aggressive actions, he was “suckered in” and felt forced to defend his tormented stepdaughter.
Bladen’s teenage step-daughter Kalani had become the subject of a torrent of deeply personal taunts not only in the school yard and out socially, but consistently via social media.
“[I was] insulted about my body hair,” she told Hayes.
“Called names like gorilla.”
For more than six months Kalani endured the nastiest of comments, and she says, was pushed and spat on.
And with each new attack, her parents’ anger grew.
One afternoon a distraught Kalani called her stepfather in tears.
Mr Bladen says it was then he decided he couldn’t stand by and watch any longer.
“I just went over there to give him a good old fashioned talking to,” Mr Bladen told Hayes.
“I wanted to belittle him in front of his friends, the same way he always did with Kalani.”
Mr Bladen was filmed unleashing an aggressive verbal tirade on the teen.
He told 60 Minutes he had every intention to leave until he felt “provoked.”
“He smiled at me,” Mr Bladen said.
“And I warned him. I said, ‘You’d better wipe that smile off your face,’ and he just kept smiling.
“The next thing I knew my hands were around his neck.”
When questioned on whether throttling the boy who was young enough to be his son in turned made him a bully, Mr Bladen told Hayes: “I don't know if I would call it being the bully. It was a kind of a one-off incident, and I regretted it straight away.”
“So, I wouldn't say I was a bully. I would say that I was out of order,” he said.
The bullying has since stopped but in March, Mr Bladen pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
He was fined $1000 but no criminal conviction was recorded.
But as Hayes revealed, in the court of public opinion Mr Bladen was hailed a hero.
For many parents, Mr Bladen’s story has pierced the heart of the complex and difficult issue.
In Australia alone, one in five children have been victims of bullying.
And with new technology and social media allowing what were once schoolyard taunts to follow victims home, the dilemma of how parents can protect their children continues to go unanswered.
Revealing another side to our national bullying crisis were Michelle and Quentin Pearson, who opened up to Hayes on their late son, Kodi.
Just two years ago, 14-year-old Kodi took his own life after being bullied.
The Pearsons told Hayes they are still tortured by what they wish they could have done, and what they still can’t understand.
“I just don’t feel I was there for him,” Mr Pearson said.
“And I question myself why he couldn’t have come and talked to me about it. I didn’t think a 14-year old could think like that.”
Before taking his life, Kodi wrote a letter to his family with a message they continue to spread throughout schools to this day – under the foundation Kodi’s Message.
“He wanted everybody to know how bad bullying is,” Ms Pearson said.
“It's very important… We've got something to work for, and try and help other people.”
The Pearsons are determined to make change in Kodi’s name.
“There needs to be some consequences,” Ms Pearson said.
“Everything else in life, there’s a consequence. At this stage, there’s not for bullies, so they can just carry on and do it to the next child, and the next child and the next child.”
More than ever bullying is proving to be terrifying - a nightmarish hell where parents are left feeling frustrated and powerless.
Hayes’ report identified two families torn apart by the suffering of their children, demanding that as a nation we make change.
“I think what we all would like to think people will take away from this story is that bullying is real,” Hayes said.
“Bullying has taken lives and that there needs to be something to stop this.
“As a society we all have to make a decision that this is not good enough. And we all have to decide something should be done.”
