A recent school bully assault in Derby proved just how vicious fellow students can be. On February 6, 2019, 15-year-old Nathaniel Dryden was violently punched in the face with so much force that his eyeglasses shattered. He was left with many cuts and much bleeding to the face.
Images by Amanda Dryden
The Results of the Bullying Were Horrific
According to the Daily Mail, the punch could have left him permanently blind if it had landed even an inch lower. His father, who is a nurse practitioner, said that his son will most likely suffer the psychological effects from this attack for the rest of his life. Plus, there is sure to be scarring from the glass that shattered around his eye.
Bullying Happened More than Once
While the worst attack on Nathaniel occurred on February 6, this was not the first incidence of bullying against him. On January 23, a schoolmate began punching Nathaniel seemingly for no reason. The next attack in February was actually caught on camera and shared via social media.
According to Derbyshire Live, Nathaniel sustained the punch directly to his face. The smashed glass gave him multiple cuts around his left eye and required him to receive 13 to 15 stitches. He also had to have a shard of glass removed from his eye.
Bullying Is Not Acceptable at School
Photographs posted by his mother, Amanda Dryden, on Facebook showed the damage as her son was in Derbyshire Hospital. She posted, “Bullying is not acceptable by any means.” Her posts have garnered numerous sympathetic comments and a sense of surprise that any child would stoop that low to hurt a schoolmate.
While bullying seems to be heating up in schools around the country, the Merrill Academy in Derby is dealing with this school bully assault as well as it can, utilizing its school behavior policy and keeping parents informed throughout the process. However, Nathaniel Dryden may be headed to a different school once his wounds are healed in hopes that a fresh start will accelerate his emotional recovery from this senseless act of bullying.