The father of a teenage boy who took his own life delivered a keynote speech at Stonewall’s Education for All Conference in London, last week.
Dominic Crouch’s father, Roger, set out a number of challenges for schools and the government in his key note speech on 1 July.
His son was just 15 years old when he took his own life after alleging that he was the target of bullying. During the speech, Roger (pictured with fellow speaker Gok Wan) described the circumstances that led up to his son’s death in May 2010 when he threw himself off of a nearby building.
As part of his moving speech, he called on all schools to treat the spreading of rumours and teasing as bullying – not banter. He also asked that schools be aware that homophobic bullying can affect any pupil – gay or straight.
Sharing a platform with Education Minister, Nick Gibb and Ofsted Director, Sue Gregory, Roger also called on government to adopt a “victim centred” definition of bullying in schools.
He also asked that the government force schools to implement a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and promote dignity and respect for all pupils, ensure Ofsted focus on how effectively schools implement their bullying policies and make local Safeguarding Boards prioritise the linked issues of teenage suicide and bullying.
Roger, a former local authority Director of Children Services said: “I was delighted to hear the Minister’s express intent to eradicate homophobia in our schools and impressed by the determination of Ofsted to ensure that schools act on this.
He added: “Dominic’s tragic story had a real impact on the delegates and I have received several invitations to talk to schools and local authorities as people realise that this work can help save a young person’s life.”
Also speaking at the conference was the fashion guru Gok Wan who shared his personal experiences as a target of bullying.
