Meeting the bullies who broke my arm in three places has given me

THE VICTIM

A remarkable scheme that brings bullies face to face with their victims is helping young people. David Hurst met two schoolboys who have been helped by the Enfield Restorative Justice Scheme a victim and the boy who bullied him

AARON Knight, 15, says: I was kicked and punched by some boys in my year for several minutes in the school playground one lunchtime last April. I thought they were going to kill me and didn't think it would ever stop. I was really scared.

I'd only been at the school in Enfield for three months and some of these boys had constantly called me names. The actual attack was over a stupid thing: some of them had taken a girl's ball and were throwing it between them so she couldn't get it. It came near me, so I caught it and gave it back to her.

They came over to me, about 10 of them in all, and started calling me things like "gay boy". There were three of them who were the worst, all the same age as me, but the main one was the hardest boy in school; no one messed with him.

I tried to walk off when one of them kicked the back of my knees causing me to fall to the ground.

Then they started kicking me, quite hard like I was a football. I was just lying there curled up protecting my head while they kicked me. I closed my eyes and felt a lot of blows all over my body and heard their insults.

Then one of them picked me up, I don't know why, and I managed to push him out the way and run. They chased after me, through the school, but when I got to the school mentor's room, they stopped. The mentor-sat me down. I couldn't move my right arm. I was bleeding from my head and also had a cut on my right thigh. I had lots of bruises all over, mostly on my back, and a lump on the back of my head. I was shaking with terror while I was patched up.

Later, I found out my arm had been fractured in three places. My head injury has since caused me some problems with concentration, and I've always had breathing problems, but since the attack they have been worse.

The headmaster was called. He said I would have a new school found for me and that the boys who beat me up would be dealt with. My mum then came to take me home.

But once home, my fears really grew and I became scared to go out.

So I stayed in, not going outside once for two weeks, and even stopped seeing friends because I thought if the bullies found out they had seen me they might get done, too.

Then my mum told me someone from the Enfield Youth Offending Team had been in contact about this Restorative Justice Scheme. A man called Joe, who has become my mentor, called at my house and said that if I took part in the scheme it could help me to face my fears.

Staff at the Enfield team first helped me when I went to court two weeks later; the three boys I could identify were charged with actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to do community service.

A few days later I visited a centre set up last February in Enfield, the first one in Britain, for young people who are victims of crimes, such as bullying or muggings.

There I met others who'd had crimes committed against them, and I met their friends too, so through it I've got loads more friends. It's called the Young People Affected by Crime Centre, but we call it the Y-Pacc.

One of the main parts of the Restorative Justice Scheme is meeting the offenders. Joe explained to me it would help us all to move on with our lives, and give the boys who beat me up an opportunity to say sorry and to understand the consequences of their actions. It would have no effect on the punishment they had already received in court. It's not a softer option for them.

So a month after the attack I went to a place they go to that is a similar set-up to the Y-Pacc, but for offenders. There I met two of the boys who attacked me. Apparently the main bully wasn't showing any remorse, so wasn't suitable to take part.

I saw them separately for 20 minutes each, in a small room with a couple of sofas. Also there was Joe and our parents, who shook hands with each other, and their parents said they were sorry for what had happened to me.

I kept my head down, as I didn't want to look at the boys. I had been told that at any time I could get up and leave if I felt uncomfortable.

Joe explained to my attackers the consequences of their actions on me, the injuries I had suffered, and what could have happened if they'd kicked me in the wrong place and that if I'd fallen differently they could have caused a very serious injury or even killed me, and they'd now be in prison for years for murder.

He also said how I had been too frightened to go out. They were continually asked if they understood, and he only continued when they said they did.

They were asked to write a letter to me saying they were sorry for what they had done, that it had been wrong. And they said sorry to me there as well.

They were asked to sign a contract with various conditions on it too. For instance, if we were walking towards each other they have to cross the road because they are not allowed to come near me.

Now I can go out and I don't worry.

They live near me but if I see them they can't say anything because if they do they will break our contract and get arrested again.

This scheme really works well for me.

I still go to the Y-Pacc once a week and I really look forward to being there.

There are about 10 other victims regularly there, too, aged 11- 18. Meeting the others helped me to realise that I am not the only one who has been bullied and we help each other with problems.

We have group meetings and we can talk to a counsellor called Gina who is there. There's PlayStation, musical instruments, and we can paint and cook there. We've also been on a few trips out, say to the park, a pizza restaurant or the cinema.

At any time I can call Joe who will come to my house to chat if I have any problems. If it wasn't for the help I've had I'd still be trapped indoors. I think it has helped my attackers too, not to do such a thing again. I hear they have both stayed out of trouble since.

I have heard that the one that didn't come has since re-offended and has been arrested for a violent crime. If anyone has a crime committed against them like I did they should try to find a scheme like this. It has really been good for me - I have my life back.

BULLY

PETER SMITH, 15, says: Me and some mates were pushing this boy around in the playground. When he fell over a few of us started kicking him. When he ran off we walked away, and I thought that was it.

Soon afterwards a teacher came to take me to see the headteacher who told me I was getting excluded from the school and that the police were involved, too. I had to write a statement of what happened for the teachers and then one for the police.

It's the first time I've been in trouble with the police. A few weeks later I had to go to court, which was a scary experience. I pleaded guilty and got sentenced to 20 hours' community service - cleaning toilets and painting a police station - and have to attend a youth offenders' centre once a week for eight months.

At the youth offenders' centre I have to fill in papers asking if I have taken drugs and questions like that.

Basically, they are keeping an eye on me for eight months. I don't mind doing it because I think it's helping me to get back on track.

After I was sentenced, someone came to see me from the Restorative Justice Scheme and asked if I was sorry for what I had done. When I said I was, he said it might help me to meet the boy I had attacked, and that it would help him as well. There was no deal, no reduction in sentence.

We met in a room and the consequences of what I had done were explained and it was made very clear that things could have ended up much worse.

I had the chance to say I was sorry and that I wished it hadn't happened. It felt good for me to apologise to him and now I can get on with my life without thinking about it. It has helped me move on.

I had to sign a contract that if I see him I am not allowed within 100ft of him or his school and that I can't say anything to him. If I ever did I'm likely to be back in trouble. But I won't. Since the attack, I've not been involved in any sort of trouble and I don't want to get involved in anything like that again, or go back to court.

I don't think anyone should do anything bad like I did. Apart from it being wrong you miss out on doing lots of things you want to do because you spend so much time with the police and at court. And now I realise the harm my actions can cause to others.

This is a good scheme. My dad thinks so too, so much that when he heard about it he volunteered to help. He is now a mediator for the Enfield Youth Offending Team, helping to bring together victims and offenders together.

. Peter Smith's name has been changed at his own request.

How the Restorative Justice Scheme works

MARK Creitzman, project co-ordinator for Enfield Youth Offending Team and chair of the London Restorative Justice Network, says: We take referrals from courts, schools, police and social services to deal with 400 youth offenders a year and 250 victims of youth crime, especially youth victims.

Of these victims, about 80 will take part in the Restorative Justice Scheme (RJS). Before we consider an offender, they have to show remorse; likewise, the victim cannot be looking for revenge. We spend weeks on assessments.

A meeting usually happens after a first court appearance when an offender is given a referral order. They come to see us with their family and then attend a meeting where a contract is drawn up.

This sets out such things as the obligation to attend meetings with us once a week and to stay away from their victim. If they break it they can be resentenced.

The victim and family is invited to this meeting.

Victims can then ask questions, realise the crime may not have been personal, break down the fear of repeat crime, learn about their offenders, gain some understanding of why the crime happened, and there is some closure on the incident which allows a victim to move on.

Offenders get a chance to apologise, explain why they did the crime, understand the consequences of their actions, and then they can also get on with their lives.

The old way of just punishing has been shown not to work - bullies expelled from schools have gone on to bully again at new schools. In the past, victims were left to rot.

The scheme is never an alternative to punishment, and there is an element of punishment within a referral order. And it works: there are hundreds of examples of offenders not re-offending after doing this scheme and of victims getting their lives back on track.

. Enfield Youth Offending Team 020 8345 5557.

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