Police Pepper Spray 8 Yr Old

[skaternum]

Article

Wow! At first I was pretty appalled, but then I read the entire article. The kid had a stick and was threatening his teachers. Chased them into a closet or something like that, and said if they came out, they'd die. He'd thrown chairs and turned over a TV cart by the time the police arrived. His mom, of course, faults the police.

[BigB08822]

You want to act like a big boy then you will get treated like a big boy, I say...

I understand the mother is going to wish they didn't have to pepper spray her son but let's get real. This sounds like the type of mother who will find any excuse for her child. That is probably a big reason why he has such behavior issues, he has probably never been held accountable or disciplined correctly. Also, pepper spray is not going to kill or maim you. It isn't as if they shot him or used a stun gun. He will be fine.

For the record, I don't believe this ONLY happens at school. Not for a second.

[judiz]

Mom claims child only exhibits behavior at school and is undiagnosed. This was his third incident this year and he is in a school for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. If it was my kid I would be taking him to every doctor in the world to find out what was wrong and how to make him better.

[Kasey]

If it was my kid I would be taking him to every doctor in the world to find out what was wrong and how to make him better.

......instead of finding fault and blame in everyone around him.

[PrincessLeppard]

I find it difficult to believe that this (his tantrums) only happens in school.

[Allen]

I find it difficult to believe that this (his tantrums) only happens in school.

Right. I agree as well. My friend's daughter had a classmate that would have extreme tantrums at school. The mother claimed she never did that at home. Turns out that the mother was always dropping the kid off at her mother's so that she could go hang out with her boyfriend. So she didn't know if she had the tantrums or not.

I'm torn on this. I thinking pepper spraying a child is a little extreme, but I understand to a certain extent.

[ArtisticFan]

I saw the promos/teases for the story on Good Morning America. I hate to judge by appearance, but the little boy looks like he would be trouble. He kept smiling at the camera and looking like he was proud to be there. I realize he's a child, but his mother should have at least told him to look like he was sad or upset over the incident.

I wonder how the interview went after I left for work.

While I don't teach now, I spent a great deal of time in the elementary classroom when I was studying to get my certification. I've had students do things where I did fear for my safety. I'm talking five year olds included. Each time a student threatened another student, group of students, or a teacher, a parent would be called. Without fail, the parents would say that their son/daughter didn't act that way at home and that we must be mistaken.

[Satellitegirl]

The reason why it probably only happens in school, is because he's probably a spoiled little sh!t at home that gets his way. Some people really really shouldn't have children.

[danceronice]

I saw the promos/teases for the story on Good Morning America. I hate to judge by appearance, but the little boy looks like he would be trouble. He kept smiling at the camera and looking like he was proud to be there. I realize he's a child, but his mother should have at least told him to look like he was sad or upset over the incident.

I saw the clip on Fox & Friends, and the little brat was sitting there grinning and actually SAID, "I have aggression issues." I think someone's been told he's a special snowflake with a 'disorder' who just can't help himself. (Later in the hour they ran some e-mail and Twitter comments from viewers that...sounded a lot like this thread, actually.)

Mommy should just be grateful the cops didn't use a taser on his spoiled behind. I'm sure they'll have to some day at this rate.

[BigB08822]

It does sound like he has been told over and over that he can't help it and that it isn't his fault he has behavioral problems. He is just a child so he thinks he can do whatever he wants and it is ok because he can't help it. I don't even know if he realizes that he is taking advantage of the situation but his mother knows better.

[Grannyfan]

I wonder how the interview went after I left for work.

I saw the interview. When asked why he acted this way, the boy said something like "I was really angry." Apparently, the trouble started on the bus, and then he didn't get to do some things he wanted to do at school, according to him. When asked if he would really have hurt someone with the pointed piece of wood he had, he said he might have. He wanted to. The mother seemed completely oblivious to the fact her child has a serious problem. Even though the police have been called twice before this incident, she thinks it's the school's fault. And of course she will be filing a complaint. Seems to me the parents of all the other children this boy is around at school should be filing complaints.

I'm sorry if I don't have his words exactly right, but that's how I remember what he said.

[FigureSpins]

While it's nice to think that every child can be "fixed" if you just find the right drug, therapist, school, teacher, etc., if the kid doesn't want to be "right," no one can persuade them to change their behavior. The boy obviously likes the attention and being able to blame things on his disability and walk away without repercussions. Why the mother let him be interviewed is ominous and telling, too.

I find it difficult to believe that this (his tantrums) only happens in school.

James Lehman ("Total Transformation" program) felt that kids could "train" their families into doing what they wanted in order to avoid a meltdown or violence. While I do think the mother's overstating the truth a bit, she might be so overwhelmed that she can't see that there's an issue. Not making excuses, because she probably has issues of her own to not recognize the problem earlier.

Does calling him a snowflake mean he's so special that the rules don't apply to him?

I really liked Lehman's reply to that situation. He said that disabilities are not an excuse - kids need to learn to cope with their problems and fit into society. Some people object to that stance, everyone is unique, but I think for mild disabilities, it's a valid stance to take. For a child with a severe autism diagnosis, it'll take more than getting tough, but for a kid who just is lacking in self-control, Lehman's right. They need coping mechanisms and discipline, but more over, consistency.

[Badams]

My daughter has a girl in her class that acts out, not as bad as this boy yet, but they are only 4. Her parents tell everyone it's ok, because she's "ODD". Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Nevermind trying to work with the child to better deal with the issue, just throw a diagnosis on it and let it continue. Some parents seem to use a diagnosis as an excuse, and just continue to be lazy parents. I feel bad for the well behaved kids who have to deal with this nonsense.

[my little pony]

pepper spraying the little heathen could have prevented the situation from escalating even further. even if the mother doesnt care about anyone else, she probably isnt interested in legal problems. if you think a kid that young can't really hurt anyone,
when I was in college, a girl doing her student teaching was dragged down the stairs by her hair by a third grader and has permanent damage.

[Spinner]

An 8 year old boy? The police couldn't just pick him up? Really?

[dbell1]

I had a kid like this in my Scout Den. Father had the same type of angry outbursts. Little brother was 10 times worse. Kid had actually broken his grandmother's dog's back on purpose. Dog had to be put down. Grandmom cut all contact with them after that. No other family member would be near the children. After a violent incident in my home, and the parent's "he's special" BS denial, I refused to have them in my meetings. Found out later that dad had gone to school once and threatened to shoot some people. Thankfully, they're out of the school system now, but I wonder what fresh hell they're creating in a new school with their 'special' children.

People that refuse to acknowledge their child needs help and swear nothing ever happens at home should seriously be hauled up on charges. Some people shouldn't breed.

[FigureSpins]

I feel bad for the well behaved kids who have to deal with this nonsense.

Mainstreaming is a double-edged sword: it helps keep kids with issues on track, but many classes suffer. I have to think that it really does affect our school performance grades when there aren't enough resources to manage their cases.

My kids have a classmate who gets extra time to finish tests and schoolwork. The whole class has to wait until he's finished before they can move on to the next lesson. The girls and their friends complain that they're bored - they finish in 30 minutes and he takes 90, sometimes even a second day, to complete his work. They read books in Math for hours because no one's allowed to talk while he's working. My kids keep their books and papers away from him because he will impulsively grab and tear things when he's frustrated. At least he's not hitting anyone - he knows that's wrong. Still, it causes resentment.

[AliasJohnDoe]

I would have tazered the little shit. Then tazered his parents before I sent them to parenting classes.

[skatesindreams]

It sounds as though he'll likely have more severe "issues" in the future.
I'm not sure that putting him on television is a good idea.
Attention may feed his behavior..

[agalisgv]

My kids have a classmate who gets extra time to finish tests and schoolwork. The whole class has to wait until he's finished before they can move on to the next lesson.

Why doesn't the child just take his test in another (quiet) room or the library? If it's an issue of missing the new material, someone can take notes while the child is gone and pass it on.

Maybe an inclusion specialist/school social worker needs to work with the teacher to come up with a better accommodation plan.