Case Scenario 2: Harper
Harper is an 11-year-old girl who lives in a small house on the outskirts of Mulgoa
with her mother, a younger sister, an older brother and her father. The house is an
older home, a bit run-down but, generally clean. Harper’s mother does not work.
Her father drives a semi-trailer and often spends several days or weeks away from
home.
It is no secret to Harper and her brother that her parents’ marriage is going very
badly. Recently, their fighting had started getting louder and angrier. Harper loves
both of her parents, and she does not like hearing the fighting every time her dad is
home.
While her father was away, her mother would often spend several days in bed with
depression.
This means that generally, there are few rules to follow, and Harper is expected to
do most things independently and be responsible for herself. Responsibilities to look
after the home, prepare meals and help the youngest sibling also started to fall to
Harper and her brother.
They ride their bikes to buy groceries from the nearby corner store. Harper and her
brother purchase food and necessary items with their mother’s Centrelink allowance
and little income that her father would leave behind.
Money for meals had to be stretched as far as possible, often meaning fewer
expensive foods like vegetables and meat and more cheap, longer lasting foods
such as canned soup and pasta. As she must pack her own lunch, she usually just
takes a packet of chips.
Harper and her siblings have always had a thickset build like both of their parents
and are the biggest kids in their grades. Recently, Harper has noticed that she has
been putting on weight, particularly around her mid-section. She has become
increasingly self-conscious and perceives her stomach as flabby and not like the
other girls in her year. To avoid being seen, Harper makes excuses to miss school
on the day of swim carnival.
Harper has been practicing her ball skills, but she has noticed that she is not as good
as her peers. She would like to play soccer with her friends outside of school, but there is not enough money for the registration fees. Several kids in the
neighbourhood began making fun of Harper when they were playing after school and
Harper found herself getting into frequent fights. Eventually, these fights started
occurring at school as kids would make comments to her on the playground.
Harper has already been suspended twice this year and her mother is told that if it
happens again, she will be expelled. Expulsion would mean that Harper must attend
a different school which her family cannot afford.
Despite these issues with her friends, Harper’s parents haven’t been able to increase
their level of involvement with their Harper’s schooling. They think it is Harper’s fault
when her teacher speaks too quickly for her to get all the notes down in class.
They have also noticed that while she is fairly good at solving problems that are
directly related to her experience, she does have more trouble solving hypothetical
problems or considering more abstract problems.
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Resources:
Australian Government Services Australia. (2021). Mutual obligation requirements.
Available from: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/topics/mutual-
obligation-requirements/29751#whatcurrentrequirements
Ribar, D. C. (2019). Lesson for Australia. Make it hard for people to get benefits, and
they’ll stop, but they mightn’t get jobs. The Conversation. Available from:
Armstrong, D. (2018). Why suspending or expelling students often does more harm
than good. The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/why-
suspending-or-expelling-students-often-does-more-harm-than-good-93279
