A devastated mother has taken to Facebook to send a defiant plea to the bullies who have made her 11-year-old son’s life a misery since he was three.
In a post that’s been shared more than 120,000 times, Amy Hanson, 31, from Kirkby in Ashfield, called Jayden a ‘broken boy’ – adding she hopes his tormentors see the ‘damage’ they have done to him.
The mother-of-four said she was speaking out after being sent a video showing Jayden – who is partially deaf – being slapped, punched and strangled while on a school bus.
Amy revealed Jayden had returned home afterwards and hadn’t mentioned a word about it to his parents – and when they questioned him, he told them: ‘I’m used to it now.’
Jayden, 11, (pictured) from Ashfield was the victim of a vicious physical attack on the back of his school bus -which followed years of torment at the hands of cruel bullies
His mother was sent a video showing Jayden – who is partially deaf – being slapped, punched and strangled while on a school bus
The mother to Facebook to send a defiant plea to the bullies who have made her 11-year-old son’s life a misery since he was three
Taking to Facebook, Amy, a hospital worker, wrote: ‘This boy right here. He is not your punch bag, he is not your stress relief, he is not a fighter, he is not your excuse to lose your s***, he is not fat, he is not ugly, he is not deaf, he is not your bait, he is not your target, he is not a reason for you to make yourself feel better or for you to use because you can’t do it yourself.
‘This right here is my son and I will no longer watch him suffer day in day out from all your horrible bullying. Kids thinking it’s okay to give him a slap whenever it suits you but it is not OK to egg people or to hurt my child. He is harmless, he is sensitive, he is my son. I hate the fact we have fought this since he started his 1st journey in school and now it continues.’
Admitting her brave son is a ‘broken boy’, she continued: ‘He tells me everyday he’s OK and he’s happy, but inside he’s a broken boy who braves the world to continue to be your punch bags. I pray one day you see the damage you’re all doing.
‘This boy right here he told me tonight, “It’s OK Mum, I’m fine. I’ve got used to it now.” This is a goddamn joke, why should my son get used to being slapped, punched or being strangled like it’s a goddamn hobby (sic)?
Amy revealed Jayden had returned home after the beating and hadn’t mentioned a word about it to his parents. Jayden is pictured with his mum and dad, Amy and Daniel
Amy, a mother from Kirkby in Ashfield, called Jayden a ‘broken boy’ – adding she hopes his tormentors see the ‘damage’ they have done to him
Amy says the bulling has affected her son, adding: ‘He used to be quite bubbly and cheery, he isn’t a naughty boy and he would do anything for anybody’
‘I hope each and every single one of you who have hurt my boy or called him fat, deaf or ugly have a fantastic sleep knowing you have done this to him, you have made him the insecure person he is today. The reason he doesn’t leave his bedroom, how dare you video him and put it all over social media. Now let’s see how far this post gets about you. This is all your fault and I hate you all.’
Amy said she was left in tears after she received a text message with the violent footage two weeks ago.
The video was then shared online – so she and husband Daniel, 34, asked Jayden, who doesn’t like to leave his bedroom, what had happened.
He told her: ‘Mum, seriously it’s OK. Don’t get involved, I’m used to it now.’
Amy admits Jayden has been bullied for years – and until now it was verbal abuse. She said: ‘It was name calling, where bullies would say he was fat or call him deaf because he is partially deaf.
‘He has always been picked on since he was in nursery from the age of around three.
Amy said she was left in tears after she received a text message with the violent footage two weeks ago and fears her son (pictured) could end up in hospital
The worried mother also described Jayden’s first few days in secondary school where he was left upset and panicked when bullies gathered loads of classmates to call him names. Pictured: Jayden in hospital
‘One time, he wore a Nike hat on non-uniform day and the boys took it off him, chucked it around and called it fake.
‘It has affected him quite a lot. He used to be quite bubbly and cheery; he isn’t a naughty boy and he would do anything for anybody. However it has affected his confidence and he doesn’t like to leave his bedroom.’
The worried mother also described Jayden’s first few days in secondary school where he was left upset and panicked when bullies gathered loads of classmates to call him names.
She said: ‘When he first started Year 7, he went out to meet some friends and he really enjoyed it. But on the second day, the bullies that picked on him encouraged everyone to call him names.
‘The chain came off his bike and they wouldn’t help him, they just left him. So he rang me up crying.
Amy confessed she is scared the bullying isn’t over. She is pictured with her husband and Jayden’s father, Daniel
Amy is also mother to daughter Tiffany, nine, son Joshua, seven, and daughter Tilly, five (pictured together as a family)
‘He just wants to sit in his bedroom. He does have a couple of friends but they are all a little bit shy.’
Admitting that she has now been left fearing for the worse, Amy confessed she is scared the bullying isn’t over.
‘I fear that one day I’m going to be sat at home and receive another text message with something more serious, or even worse, a call from the police to say Jayden is in hospital.
‘He has gone through days where he hasn’t eaten at all from the bullying – but then on the other hand, he sometimes eats as much as he can, as to him, he is already fat – he is constantly being told by bullies he is fat and ugly, so why stop?’
Following the nasty attack, Jayden has now returned back to school. Amy said processes are being put into place and Jayden has been able to go into school later, leave early and has been weaned back into lessons slowly.
Following the nasty attack, Jayden has now returned to school, but Amy fears the bullying will continue
She said processes are being put into place and Jayden has been able to go into school later, leave early and has been weaned back into lessons slowly. Jayden is pictured with his sister
Amy has also signed Jayden up for boxing lessons, after a kind stranger offered them to him free of charge.
After hearing about Amy’s story, Neil Huntley, who runs boxing classes at Revolution Gym in Sutton, offered Jayden a year’s free membership.
Amy said: ‘It is so out of Jayden’s comfort zone and I do not condone violence but I am hoping this helps him learn how to protect himself should something like this happen again.
‘Neil actually took a membership away from the bully who attended the gym and told him not to come back because he doesn’t tolerate bullying.’
Amy, who is also mother to children Tiffany, nine, Joshua, seven, and Tilly, five, described how she was grateful Neil sorted Jayden out with boxing gloves, training shoes and a boxing club T-shirt.
Neil also took to social media to document his first time meeting Jayden and shared a defiant message against bullies at the beginning of March.
After hearing about Amy’s story, Neil Huntley, who runs boxing classes at Revolution Gym in Sutton, offered Jayden a year’s free membership
Sharing a photo of himself sitting with Jayden, Neil wrote: ‘This is Jayden, Revolution’s new member of the future squad’
Sharing a photo of himself sitting with Jayden, Neil wrote: ‘This is Jayden, Revolution’s new member of the future squad’.
‘Jayden has been bullied constantly and been the victim of an incident that I was sent by a parent of other kids filming the attack. This is something I will not tolerate as it’s very close to home and something I went through as a youngster that I hid and coped with on a daily basis.
‘As a result of this I’ve offered Jayden 12 months free membership, gave him some gloves and a set of wraps. He walked into my gym tonight into an adult class, nervous which anyone would be, but left with a smile on his face. I’ll guarantee this will be a different kid full of confidence and holding his head high in the coming months.’
Speaking about her viral post, Amy admitted she has had mixed responses. She said: ‘Some people commented and said I need to “grow a pair and be a better mum, stop being useless and use actions rather than words”.
‘When I saw the video, I saw red and instantly wanted to cause a scene, but when I thought about it, if I go out and start fighting with the bullies’ parents, it’s not going to get me anywhere and it’s going to show my son that hitting people is fine when it’s not.’
After putting the post up out of anger, Amy said she was shocked when she woke up the next morning to find thousands of comments and more than 100,000 shares within a week.
She thanked people for their nice messages, cards and presents and said she has explained to Jayden that he has a lot of people on his side that are relating to his story.
Hoping to put a stop against all bullying, Amy said she liked the fact people are reaching out and making Jayden feel like he is not alone.
‘When he received his first card through the post he was over the moon. I saw a smile on his face that I haven’t seen for a while,’ she said.