Friend of Asad Khan calls for more support for children
Stricter punishments are needed in order to tackle bullying throughout Bradford’s schools, a close former friend of Asad Khan told the Asian Express newspaper.
Nine-year-old Yusuf Jahangir, who has also suffered torment at the hands of bullies in the past, spoke about the tragic death of his friend and the reaction he has seen in the city.
Asad was found in an unresponsive state by paramedics at his house on Tile Street, Bradford, on Wednesday 28th September.
One month on, his family and friends are still coming to terms with the news.
“After hearing about Asad’s death, it came as a shock to me and my friends,” Yusuf said. “My teachers have been feeling very sad since his death.”
Yusuf says he was told about Asad’s death by a teacher at school, who explained that the young Year 7 student had committed suicide the day before.
He adds that his school has now taken a more proactive approach to tackling such issues.
“School has changed a lot since that day,” he said. “We have had a lot more talks about bullying.”
Over the past few years, Yusuf has also been a victim of bullying on both a mental and physical level.
He did speak to his parents about the issues and thankfully the incidents stopped after his mother spoke with the parents of the children who had been bullying him.
However, as in Asad’s case, children do not always step forward to openly admit being bullied and to what extent that is affecting their life.
When asked how schools could tackle bullies in an effective manner, Yusuf said: “I think bullies should get bigger punishments or be kicked out of school.
“I think it’s a problem in schools because if you get bullied you might not want to go to school.”
