Can my friend be kicked out for this?

[TriggerOnly]

Okay, this is actually my friend, not just some person I've made up, as to remain anonymous.

Anyway. So this friend of mine, (Let's call her JenniferFirst name I could think of) is extremely depressed, to the point of anorexia and self harm. To make a long story short, the high school we both attend found out about this, and has sent her to the school psychologist.

Except the school psychologist isn't helping her. All she has done is threaten Jennifer with expulsion if she continues to starve herself, or cut herself. Not a single word of help. Just threats.

I'm honestly really concerned about this. Jennifer is terrified of expulsion, and while she has stopped her self destructive behaviours, she hasn't stopped thinking these thoughts. She's still borderline suicidal, and getting worse thanks to this threat hanging over her.

So I need to know. Can she actually be kicked out? We both live in Western Australia, and attend a Public school.

I have been in your shoes, so allow me to give you hard facts that I personally found out.


A lot of people are depressed especially teenagers. Most of them don't off them self's, she is probably crying out for help more then any thing. Crying out for help is not a bad thing its when people don't listen that things go down hill fast.

But its never something you want to assume, talk to her and tell her to get help out side of school.

Be there for her to listen. I would advise leaving the advise up to the pros.

If you happen to dig the chick don't take advantage of her state of mine. Dating damaged goods is not only wrong, IMHO but makes said person use you to ground them and keep them centred and that is not fair on them.

In short, tell her to get help, be her FRIEND, Be there to listen, show you care not a lot else you can do.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

No.

And err... I would say its more likely that 'Jennifer' is lying. Most people don't want to see a psychologist, if she says they've been saying shit like that then she'll think she won't have to go.

This. First thing I took note of was that she said the psychiatrist was threatening her and not helping. From what you've given, you have no other source to back up that there were even threats. My best guess would be that she doesn't want the help, after all she only went to the psychiatrist after the school caught on and made her.

Make sure she keeps going and ask around your head teacher if she actually can be excluded for that.

 

[Natasha_LB]

I'm not sure where you are, but in the UK you can be suspended (And possibly kicked out - don't know for sure) for those reasons. My girlfriend had something very similar to this happen to her about 5 years, in the end she got suspended for 3 months... I think mainly because the school was worried about being sued if she got seriously hurt (Or worse) whilst in their care. It's messed up that they're threatening expulsion, but sadly I doubt that it's an empty threat : (

I hope your friend is okay, I know how shit it is to feel like that *hugs* Best advice I can give, is to get some outside help, from someone who has her interests at heart, rather than the schools.

 

[Naeo]

I live in America, so I don't get to claim familiarity with Australian law, but it sounds like the school psychologist/therapist needs to be fired. If all they do is say "if you don't stop being depressed we'll expel you" then they're really only making the problem worse. You just don't do that. I would bring this up with the principal.

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

I call bullshit sounds like your friend is whining and won't own up to her problems but chooses to blame others instead.

 

[Ciaran Lunt]

no and you could probably do the "psychologist" in for malpractice she could easily send jenifer over the edge. get her to go to a psychologistnwho knows who knows about mental health issues and isn't also one of the dinner ladies.

 

[000Ronald]

I won't speak for Australia, but here in America, the answer is yes.

That's what happened to my sister, anyway. Grama fought tooth and nail to get her back in, and it worked, but she still gets unbelievable piles of crap from the school.

On another note, have you considered home-schooling might be a better environment for her, anyway, considering all the stress she must be under?

 

[Titan Buttons]

No they can not kick you out of a school here for being depressed but I'm not sure you should tell her yet, as although it's a threat it has actually stopped her hurting herslf. And if the school psychologist isn't helping and maybe her family she try paying for professional help. Public school are under funded compared to private schools so I understand why the school 'psychologist' isn't really that good.
Tell the psychologist he's not helping her, tell the priciple the psychologist isn't help, tell her family she needs help, hidding depression away only makes it worse because there is no one helping.
She'll probobly be very angry at you for talking to any of them but a true friend gets help for those he cares for by any means and you obiviously care for her. A friend of mine is still angry at me for telling his family but he's alive and he understand why I did it.

 

[DefinitelyPsychotic]

This, the psychologist is being terribly unreasonable, hell she isn't even doing her damned job. I'd seek outside help.

Exactly

 

[Gamblerjoe]

I dont know how it works in Australia. I know that in the U.S. schools can potentially have any policies in place, and once they are there, it is almost impossible to fight them. Since public schools report to the municipal system, this means that the policies are set by the school board.

Yahtzee has certainly painted the politicians of Australia to be fat, old, ignorant selfish conservatives. They dont sound very reasonable, and the laws they support are probably incredibly draconian.

The psychologist is clearly bad at their job, and a bad person. I would not feel bad if they were whisked away by dingos in the night.

 

[Glamorgan]

No.

And err... I would say its more likely that 'Jennifer' is lying. Most people don't want to see a psychologist, if she says they've been saying shit like that then she'll think she won't have to go.

This. First thing I took note of was that she said the psychiatrist was threatening her and not helping. From what you've given, you have no other source to back up that there were even threats. My best guess would be that she doesn't want the help, after all she only went to the psychiatrist after the school caught on and made her.

Make sure she keeps going and ask around your head teacher if she actually can be excluded for that.

Actually, she was seeing a pysch beforehand, of her own free will. This is why I don't believe she's lying: she wants the help, but the school psych isn't helping in the slightest.

 

[Glamorgan]

I dont know how it works in Australia. I know that in the U.S. schools can potentially have any policies in place, and once they are there, it is almost impossible to fight them. Since public schools report to the municipal system, this means that the policies are set by the school board.

Yahtzee has certainly painted the politicians of Australia to be fat, old, ignorant selfish conservatives. They dont sound very reasonable, and the laws they support are probably incredibly draconian.

The psychologist is clearly bad at their job, and a bad person. I would not feel bad if they were whisked away by dingos in the night.

While I'll agree with you other two points, I have to disagree with the comment about our politions. While we have some godawful ones *cough*Tony Abbot*cough*, one of our current polititions is an ex rock star. From what I've heard of him, he's a reasonable politition too.

But he's a freaking ex rockstar!

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Actually, she was seeing a pysch beforehand, of her own free will. This is why I don't believe she's lying: she wants the help, but the school psych isn't helping in the slightest.

You might want to include that in the OP. In which case, I would say that it would be best to get her to stop going to see the school psych. They'll only make things worse and her own psych will do a hell of a lot better for her than threats. She doesn't need to have two psychs trying to do one job.

 

[crudus]

So I need to know. Can she actually be kicked out? We both live in Western Australia, and attend a Public school.

I will admit the only think I know about Australia is it has koalas and all the wild life can murder you by sneezing. In the U.S. they couldn't do that. Actually there would be a huge P.R. incident waiting to happen just threatening they could. It is possible the psychologist thought Jenny would respond best to the threats but that is very doubtful. It would blow up in the schools face if they expelled her.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Firstly, when you say public school, do you mean state school? There's a difference, in my country at least.

Secondly, is "Jennifer" actually you? I'm asking because I don't believe this at all. A psychologist or whatever gains nothing from making threats. Someone who has these kinds of problems don't generally want people to help them out, they are self depreciating, and generally read into things incorrectly.

Talk to the psychologist, and get her referred to a real psychologist. In the respect, it should be on the health service and be free for her (not sure what the healthcare system is like in Aus, but in the UK, that's how it would be counted).

I know a public school in Australia refers to a state-run school. (Otherwise it'd be a private school - which are quite rare anyway.)

Medicare in Australia should cover medical help. I know the UK system, and the system in Australia, and there's a few administrative differences, and a few odd bits & pieces (You have to pay a small amount to see a GP for instance, but it's still 'free' in a relative sense.)
So, yeah, you should be able to get help in Australia, just like you would in the UK...

 

[Del-Toro]

Doubtful, even if she was the public backlash against the school would be massive.

This, the psychologist is being terribly unreasonable, hell she isn't even doing her damned job. I'd seek outside help.

I concur completely. Actually, I'd qualify by saying that she's probably just a really bad psychologist. If she wasn't, she'd have her own practice, or at least work outside a public school. Public schools are, unfortunately, kind of a an institutional waste bin.