Malicious rumours

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply to our dilemma. Looks like my son is going to just have to ignore the taunts and lies and try to get on with his life. Hopefully the perpetrators will get bored of it soon and sadly move on to some other poor victim. At least my son knows who his ‘real’ friends are. Most of his peers believe the lies and have abandoned him but one or two have stuck by him so they’re his real friends. Tis the way of the world and very sad that the most vulnerable folk don’t have any protection and the real criminals and thugs get away with it and the law seems to be more on their side. I know if he keeps getting goaded, he will react out of frustration and the whole unjustness of it all. Time to move away to a desert island I think…

There is something they can do:  Protection from Harassment Act 1997.  Sorry the snip didn't come out too well.  If their rumours are meant to harass your son (and clearly they are) police should first issue them with a letter to tell them to stop.  This covers the point about "ought to know".  They DO DEFINATELY KNOW once they get the letter.  If they continue there after, they can be arrested.

The problem police will have to be fair is proving who said what in order to demonstrate their harassment.  Keep any evidence you may have.

As your son has ASD, he is classed as 'disabled'. If the malicious rumours are directed at him because of an aspect of his autism, then it can be classed as discrimination on the grounds of disability and be a 'hate crime'. If you pursue this line of reasoning, then the authorities may be forced into some form of action.

those bullies won't stop, I know I had to deal with similar kind all childhood, they're (like someone mentioned) being seen innocent in eyes of their parents, because it's their parents teaching them that behaviour, they were bullies themselves probably.

your kid needs to realise:

1. they are talking rubbish just to spite him, they're like pack of hienas e.g. how can you be pedofile when you are adolescent? , 

2. fighting physically isn't good idea, there'll be always few of them, and we're not the muscle type to stand a chance 1vs1, they wouldn't honour it anyway

3. in my experience best solution was to ignore them completely, it has to be the type of ignore that criminals get in White Christmas episode of Black Mirror, it'll drive them nuts

4. ignoring their words is the best way to protect his reputation, others will see it as proof of his innocence

Moving isn't always the best option, but my son switched Uni after a year. The world is big and there is something to cutting ones loses and having a fresh start. At some point in 10 or 20 years he may have built up better rules to negotiate through something like this or have the confidence to brush them off like fruit flies. But this is a time when he should be acquiring skills and learning amazing things. Not dealing with a mini-mob. 

This is a great read on whether or not to just cut ties or spend time trying to repair: https://markmanson.net/not-giving-a-***  (I'm going to apologise in advance. This article swears like an Aussie, but it is incredibly funny and critically on point and at 18, going through this nonsense, might really help with perspective and dig him out of this chaos. You could paste it into a document and edit out a few bits which might be too mature, and it would still be really good.) 

He maybe needs a clear perspective on how what goes around comes around. Maybe a good book or a good church group. These kids may have won a round but, if when opening ones mouth, a bin of rubbish just drools out, it's not only ugly, it will come back to haunt them. Nothing is without consequence. But at this point it might be better to redirect his focus. Having agency to say no more and leave a situation IS a healthy response to an unhealthy situation. It's completely valid to find an exit in an abusive environment. 

He's much better off in a situation he's inspired and productive than one he's not ready or skilled to fight (just yet), agreeing with and internalising these bullies by hurting himself as a result.  

Thank you for your replies. Yes the other kids are spreading it about that he is a pervert and paedophile which is blatant lies. Yes, he has some younger friends he speaks to on line ( he is very young socially and emotionally) but it is very innocent. He gets on better with either younger or older people who don’t play mind games and mess with his head. I don’t believe there’s any jealousy involved, they’re just spiteful bullies who want to make themselves feel better for some reason. What they’re doing is so damaging though and they’re getting away with it. My son is cutting himself and just can’t handle the bad reputation he’s getting. Btw he doesn’t get PIP, it was refused although he always got DLA as a child??! 

….

Or get their Solicitor involved!

You've got to feel sorry for the teachers they are on a-hiding-to-nothing. And the parents of these little thugs would come in the school saying, 'not my little johnny'

…,

Kids have no respect, these days. Sad reality of life. At that age, you're either a Lion in the making or a Wildebeest in the making.

Having witnessed what our society has become, I wish every kid would be homeschooled. Schools were temperamental enough, in my days, but now they've been turned into Maximum Security Prisons. Some people in power allowed their personal resentments to forge their agenda.

Rant over.

Your son needs to be with those who appreciate his company; ie. other kids with Autism. He needs to create a Hobby; to motivate himself. Issuing Court-Orders on his Bullies is like asking a Shopaholic to remain in a Mall - with no money or cards - and expected not to steal.