Perhaps there are legitimate concerns necessitating the removal of Bega High School’s Facebook page. Certainly some of the commentary on there before it was removed was particularly worrying and threatening. Questionable comments and the need to continually moderate reader engagement is par for the course for modern day media outlets.

But coupled with the shutting down of a student-led rally against bullying and at least one of the students we contacted during the week being chastised for speaking to media, it indicates an organisation closing ranks. (Just to be clear, we approached multiple contacts confidentially and in turn were contacted by many concerned students and parents last week).

We don’t blame Bega High thinking it would be better for the school to not make the news in this way. But we also say the incident becoming so public should result in the wider conversation of dealing with issues of bullying and violence in general.

You only have to read some of the comments posted to social media in the wake of Tuesday’s alleged assault by a 13-year-old girl to wonder where we are as a society.

Calling for the return of the cane in schools, or urging similar treatment to be meted out on the offender or her parents.

Do these people see the awful irony in calling for violence in response to violence? Towards children? And if these are the opinions and attitudes held by our adult population, how on earth are our children supposed to learn better behaviours?

As one astute commentator put it, you only have to look at our nation’s highest representatives, federal politicians at Question Time, to see how bullying tactics and lack of mutual respect comes across publicly.

Our children and students need support, mentors, appropriate role models. They do not need calls for the perpetuation of violence and for attitudes that feed bullying behaviour.

We don’t have all the answers, but we also would encourage everyone to be proactive rather than reactive, as we are seeing this week. The issues go beyond Bega High School and are not new or unique, as terribly unfortunate as that is to admit.

As a society we need to do better.