BULLYING in schools has been with us since the days of writing slates and dunces' caps.

Occasionally it gets out of hand and the consequences can be tragic.

This is what happened in Hyndburn when schoolboy Reginald Grist died as the result of a stone throwing incident.

Incidents such as the one which led to Reginald's death happen in schools up and down the country every day.

A child is often singled out for bullying by a group or individual and his or her life can be turned into a complete misery.

It is part of adolescence, part of growing up.

This tragic incident was out of all proportion to what was going on. The boy who threw the stone and Reginald had been watching films together at the dead boy's house only days before.

For some reason they fell out, as children frequently do.

But whereas these playground tiffs usually end up with a bit of pushing and shoving and the occasional bloody nose, this one ended in tragedy.

It was a tragedy for the Grist family, for the family of the boy who threw the stone and the others involved on the fringe of the incident. The "misadventure" verdict recorded by Coroner Andre Rebello was the only one he could arrive at, given the circumstances.

He went on to say that the behaviour of the boys on that day could not be accepted in a civilised society and that parents must be the people with "primary responsibility for teaching their children appropriate behaviour."

He is right, of course.

For, although these boys were by no means thugs or villains, they were indulging in behaviour which can quickly escalate to tragedy.

And it is up to every parent to drum into their children from the earliest possible age that bullying will not be accepted.

After the inquest hearing there were some unsavoury scenes involving adults.

Reporters and photographers covering the proceedings were attacked and verbally abused...for doing their job.

One of the foundation stones on which a civilised society is based is that justice is seen to be done, and done in open court.

Such attacks only serve to threaten civilised society, and what sort of example does that give to impressionable children?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.