Special Needs Boy Bullied At Arvin High School, Left With Bald Patches On Head

A special needs child was bullied by a group of students at a California school and the harrowing incident was captured on video. One of the attackers gave the boy a haircut, leaving bald patches on his head, while another person recorded it.

The alleged incident happened at Arvin High School on Wednesday. The boy did not resist the haircut and was seen wiping his tears away with his t-shirt. The video caused a furor after it surfaced on social media Thursday, 23 ABC reported.

Bakersfield resident Erika Harris, who shared the video online, said the boy was pressured into shaving his head and accused the school security staff of not doing anything to stop the incident.

The boy's mother, Flor Santiago, urged the school to take action against those involved.

"We want those kids to be punished and to understand that what they did was not right," said Santiago. "They cannot continue to hurt others."

Santiago said she received an apology from the school for not calling her right away. She said her son used to take very good care of his long hair and the bullies had no right to pressure him into cutting it off.

Arvin High School issued a response on Twitter: "In regards to the recent events at AHS, please know the school has taken and will continue to take action. Due to the ages of those involved, disciplinary actions will and must remain confidential."

"We appreciate your strong emotions and anger toward this incident; the staff at AHS share your feelings. We do not condone these actions and please know we do educate against bullying. Please continue to have discussions with your children about bullying and how we can be better together," the statement read.

The Kern High School District has promised action against those involved.

"The behavior exhibited in the video is clearly unacceptable, and we do not condone bullying of any kinds," said Erin Briscoe-Clark, public information officer and communications manager. "When students breach the boundaries of acceptable behavior, they will be held accountable for their actions, and the school will provide support to any affected student. The incident is being thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken."

A new survey showed one in three middle and high school students faced bullying or harassment between 2016 and 2020, reported San Bernardino Sun.

In a similar incident, an Australian boy with ADHD and developmental issues was savaged by three bullies who left him in a pool of blood. Part of his head tore open in the attack and had to be stapled back together.