As parents hunt for solutions to bullying, this dad decided to take out a personal protection order through the courts

They might appear to be just a few pieces of paper. But this document, a personal protection order, carries with it all the weight of the law. “I think it's an appropriate response that no one was actually charged, no one actually, you know, had a permanent record. This was just an official way to keep two people apart” This dad decided a PPO was necessary after his son was physically bullied by another student. “He had some difficulty with another kid who started to target him, and this was pushing and shoving in the school corridors and after school with the occasional threat and violence.” “He tried to take a swipe at my son. Missed. Then he got pushed and asked, you know, do you want to fight you so and so” Police are aware of the incident in question and issued a caution to the perpetrator. But the victim's father wanted more protection. He says he went to the school first, which was also involved in the court process. As were the parents of the other child to make sure the conditions set out in the document were practical. That included keeping a specific distance from one another apart from in the stairwells and the timeframe on the order, as they are always temporary. “The Education Department's main aim was to keep the two kids in school, which, you know, I agree with that's fine.” Exact figures aren't available for how many ppos are used to combat bullying, although legal aid act says it's not uncommon and unlike a unlike a criminal case, there's no need for guilt to be proven for a ppo to be issued “They're obtained in circumstances where the court is satisfied an order is necessary to prevent further personal violence” But their use comes with a warning “We've got to remember that we're dealing with children, and as much as we can say that children understand right from wrong, their brains aren't developed, and they sometimes do silly things that they don't really think about the consequences of their actions” Mediation offers a more communicative and less punitive approach “We need to build the skills up in our young people to resolve these things. They've got to have an ongoing relationship. They do need to return to the schoolyard.” A restorative approach to an inherently adversarial problem