Must have been one doozy of a tantrum!

[Magpie]

This was on Cnews this morning:

Boy, 12, charged in needle tantrum
By ROB LAMBERTI, QMI Agency


TORONTO - A 12-year-old Bowmanville, Ont., boy was charged after he threw a temper tantrum when he discovered he was getting a hepatitis B inoculation shot, Durham Regional Police said Wedensday.

Officers were called to Dr. Ross Tilley Public School during the lunch hour Tuesday after the lad became upset about the needle, police said.

Police spokesman Dave Selby said the inoculation appears to be what triggered the outburst by the child.

He wouldn't specify exactly what the boy intended on doing but it appears he made a threat that involved damaging the school building.

After consulting with a Crown attorney, police charged the boy with threatening.

"It is unusual," Selby said.

He said police take all threats to teachers, students, staff and schools seriously and while each case is looked at individually, he said investigators and the Crown believed the incident warranted a charge.

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board spokesperson Judy Malfara said public health nurses were at the school performing the inoculations when the threat was made by the student.

He "made some general and loud threats against the school" and other students became concerned when they heard them, she said.

School principal Todd Bishop sent a letter home to parents Tuesday explaining the situation.

"While Durham Health Department nurses were here giving students their required immunizations, one of the students became upset. In his efforts to avoid getting a needle, he made several general threats that were overheard by other students," Bishop wrote. "Fortunately, no one was hurt. Nonetheless, in the interests of student safety, we contacted Durham Regional Police immediately. Officers responded quickly and, after conducting a search, they confirmed that there were no weapons at the school, and that students were safe.

"We have reassured the children that school continues to be a safe place," he wrote.

rob.lamberti@sunmedia.ca

I have some sympathy for the kid - my daughter is afraid of needles, too, and has sobbed copiously through more than one jab. The cattle-call style of doing innoculations at school is terrifying for lots of kids. But making threats is something all kids have drilled into them is unacceptable from kindy age. It's simply not tolerated. And, in fact, threats of just about any kind (to do damage to or destroy persons, pets or property), are illegal under Canadian law.

What do you think? Should he have been charged? Is 12 old enough to know better, or young enough to be given a pass?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Not enough information.

Did the parents sign a form that allowed the innoculation in school and fail to discuss it with their child? Also, what did the 12 year old say? If he said certain things, the school would be obligated to call the police, so I don't really have a problem with that.

The police, on the other hand, should take into account everything (including the boy's history) before deciding whether or not to actually charge the boy. I would think that most police would use this as a teaching opportunity, but this kid could be a troublemaker in other ways.

So, again, not enough information.

 

[Hannathy]

Not enough info as to whether he should be charged

BUT I will say a 12 year old is certainly old enough to know better!!!!

 

[Magpie]

Not enough information.

Did the parents sign a form that allowed the innoculation in school and fail to discuss it with their child? Also, what did the 12 year old say? If he said certain things, the school would be obligated to call the police, so I don't really have a problem with that.

The police, on the other hand, should take into account everything (including the boy's history) before deciding whether or not to actually charge the boy. I would think that most police would use this as a teaching opportunity, but this kid could be a troublemaker in other ways.

So, again, not enough information.

Well, I can't say whether the parents discussed anything with the boy, but I do know that they definitely would have signed a form allowing the school to inoculate him. I've signed those forms for my own kids. If the form isn't signed and turned in, your child will not get inoculated by the public health nurse. Of course, the child brings the form home, the parents sign it, and then the child has to turn it in to their teacher. So, presumably this boy had some idea ahead of time that he was going to be inoculated.

 

[tasha99]

Sounds like he was terrified and had a major freak out. If he's never been in trouble, I think it would be inappropriate to let that go on his record in the form of formal charges. He ought to have a talk with a psychiatrist though.