News Story - Looking for your opinion

GuardianB · 01-26-2005, 09:05 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/26/dr....ap/index.html

Quote:

OCALA, Florida (AP) -- Two boys were arrested for making pencil-and-crayon stick figure drawings depicting a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said. The children, charged with a felony, were taken from school in handcuffs.

The 9- and 10-year-old boys were arrested Monday and charged with making a written threat to kill or harm another person. They were also suspended from school.

One drawing showed the two boys standing on either side of the other boy and "holding knives pointed through" his body, according to a police report. The figures were identified by written names or initials.

Another drawing showed a stick figure hanging, tears falling from his eyes, with two other stick figures standing below him. Other pieces of scrap paper listed misspelled profanities and the initials of the boy who was allegedly threatened.

The boys' parents said they thought the children should be punished by the school and families, not the legal system.

curlyarca · 01-26-2005, 09:07 AM

Neither--those two knuckle heads need some counseling. if i absolutely had to choose, i'd pick the first option.

at 10 you're getting near the age of discernment, therefore you should be well on your way to recognizing right and wrong. that was wrong.

Scarlet · 01-26-2005, 09:10 AM

Out of those two choices I picked the second. However, like curlylara said, they need counseling.

curlyarca · 01-26-2005, 09:15 AM

also, if it goes on their criminal records it won't matter anyway because aren't those sealed for juveniles or something?

Sweet Curly · 01-26-2005, 09:16 AM

I thought I heard on the radio this morning that these were "Special Needs" children. Anyone else know if that's the case? Doesn't that have some relevance in this case?

GuardianB · 01-26-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Curly

I thought I heard on the radio this morning that these were "Special Needs" children. Anyone else know if that's the case? Doesn't that have some relevance in this case?

that would be an interesting twist

curlyarca · 01-26-2005, 09:25 AM

i think it's interesting that they used initials (at times) instead of names as identifiers of the players in their sick little drawings.

special needs or not, they need counseling above all else. i think they're more likely to get that if they go through the legal system.

GuardianB · 01-26-2005, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyara

Neither--those two knuckle heads need some counseling. if i absolutely had to choose, i'd pick the first option.

at 10 you're getting near the age of discernment, therefore you should be well on your way to recognizing right and wrong. that was wrong.

I only chose 2 options since the story itself only lent to offering the 2. I would tend to say that in option 1 that they would be mandated counseling as part of the juvenille sentence and under option 2 the school could mandate inschool detention with counseling as well as the parents hire a third party of their choice.

I agree with you but I was looking for where do we start the process and make accountable for the direction at this point of these ?fourth? grader's lives.

CurlyCanadian · 01-26-2005, 09:30 AM

I picked the second choice, but I think it would only work if the parents had some sort of reprocussion for seeing it through. Too many parents will just say "Boys will be boys" and leave it at that. As long as the parents and school were going to do something about it, I think that should be suffient for a first offense.

10 is a funny age. Alot of kids are really starting to grow up, but others just arn't mature enough yet. Some kids may do this and really not see the harm, while others know exactly what they are doing.

I think it needs to be handled on a case by case situation.

GuardianB · 01-26-2005, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CurlyCanadian

I think it needs to be handled on a case by case situation.

This would be great but in a public school system shouldn't there be a set of guidelines that spell out the punishment for improper behavior. They must have this on the school district level and the school administration acted on this according to their interpretation of those rules correct?

CurlyCanadian · 01-26-2005, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianB

Quote:

Originally Posted by CurlyCanadian

I think it needs to be handled on a case by case situation.

This would be great but in a public school system shouldn't there be a set of guidelines that spell out the punishment for improper behavior. They must have this on the school district level and the school administration acted on this according to their interpretation of those rules correct?

I've only ever dealt with the seperate school system, and it's pretty cut and dry. I think at times it goes overboard and that if the situations were handled individually that it may have better results. My 10 year old cousin was just suspended for wearing those sex bracelets to school. He basically got 3 days off of school. I realise that there not allowed, but 3 days off of school? I think thats a little extreme, but the rules are very "strict" and if they brake them, they know the consequences.

I just don't think a set of guidlines works with a group of kids. There all very diffrent and maturing diffrently. Each issue needs to be dealt with on it's own and taken from there.

three rivers curly · 01-26-2005, 01:01 PM

I cautiously take the side of the teachers and parents. I think that the counseling sessions should be a mandate and the progress or lack there of, should be reviewed by a family court. I did some stupid things when I was 10. I never went to jail...course in my day the word jail usually got us to stop.

*steps up on soap box*

I wish that there were more programs actually involving convicted criminals. It would serve 2 purposes. 1 The convicts could pay "restitution" for their actions by talking to young people about making better choices. 2 I think that if troubled kids could really talk to people on the other side of the bars, they may be less inclined to do things that will land them there. Just a thought.

*deposits 2 cents and walks out the door*