OT-all parents should read this

[Donna2105]

Hi, I don't normally post in this forum but I wanted to share a story that my aunt just told me and this seemed like the appropriate place. This is happening to a friend of my aunt's. I thought all parents should be aware. Thanks

The boy who is in 8th grade in a Catholic school had an arguement with a girl in his class. He said to the girl "if I had a gun, I would shoot you". Now he was probably just saying an idle threat which kids do. Well, a teacher overheard him and informed the principal who in turn called the police. The police came to the classroom and arrested the boy. They took this boy out of the school in handcuffs and took him to the police station. He was fingerprinted, had a mug shoot taken and was CHARGED with making terroristic threats. This boy is 13 has never been in any trouble. His family is well known and liked in the school. He is the 4th child in his family to go to this school. He now has to appear in front of a FEDERAL judge and could be sent to a detention center.

So I'm telling all my friends so you all can talk to your kids about this and let them know that saying anything like you're going to shoot someone, even in fun or playing around, could get you into BIG trouble. These parents had to hire a lawyer and are going through hell right now because they don't know what is going to happen to their son.

So pass this along to your friends and family and don't forget to talk to your kids about it. By the way, the principal said even if it was a 1st grader, she would have done the same thing.

 

[bookgirl]

Hey schools have to take this stuff seriously, if not and a kid does actually bring in a gun they could be held responsible.

One of my nephews as a preschooler made a comment similar to this. Well, they didn't call the police but the school took it very seriously and his parents were called in, he was suspended and there was a lot of intervention done. He never made another threat like this because it was handled so seriously. I'm sorry about the boy in the OP story but all parents do need to talk to their children about this, because it does have to be taken so seriously by schools. Sad but true.

 

[Donna2105]

Hey schools have to take this stuff seriously, if not and a kid does actually bring in a gun they could be held responsible. QUOTE]

I totally agree. While I do think they went a bit overboard in actually charging this child and making him go to court, I definitely think you have to take every threat seriously because you never know when it could be real. Just this week a 17 yr old in our neighborhood school was able to sneak a gun in through a side door while someone was making a delivery. Luckily a teacher saw him and realized he was supposed to be suspended and took him to the principal and the gun was found. Imagine what would have happened if noone ever noticed him.

 

[MiniGirl]

I have to sign a paper before the beginning of each school year stating that I will explain the consequences of such actions to my now 7 and 5 yo girls. While I feel badly for this boy and his family, I absolutely understand where the school is coming from.

BTW, this paper also mentions medications and such in addition to threats and weapons of any kind.

When the kids are older, they will have to sign it as well.

 

[SnowWhite12]

You do have to take it very seriously. A third grade boy in one of the schools I work in DID have a gun at school for 3 days before he pulled it out and held it on his cousin at the bus stop after school. He was expelled.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Wow...how's this for coincidence...this just happened to DS this past week! Truly very sad and goes to show that is more and more common, which is pretty scary. Only DS was on the receiving end of the threat. We had no clue what even happened-by the time the school called us, they had notified the police. I don't think this boy was taken out in handcuffs or charged, but a police report is mandatory in the state of NJ. This boy got into a verbal argument with my son and said he was going to bring in a 9mm and shoot him. This disturbs me-not only that he was going to bring in a gun, but he specifies what type of gun he'd be using. Nice, huh?

While I try not to overreact, this is a serious thing to say to another person and these kids have to learn that in real life you cannot say this type of thing without serious consequences. If it were an elementary school child saying this, I'd have a different perspective, but once they hit their teens, they really ought to know what is acceptable-you don't threaten people with bodily harm or death in any circumstance. I'm not sure if I agree with the booking and mug shot...seems a bit extreme, but in the wake of Columbine and Virginia Tech, you have to err on the side of caution. In DS situation, the boy was suspended from school for a week, a police report was made-that's it. We were asked if we wanted to file charges and we declined-I'd like to think it was just bs talk on the part of two high school boys-at least I hope that is all it was. Makes me nervous-these things were not the norm when I grew up in the 60's and 70's.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

The sleep away camp my daughter goes to has not allowed 2 boys back this summer. Supposedly one of the boys posted some "threatening things" relating to shooting up the camp on his website. Another boy offered to join him. The camp took this very seriously. they contacted both families and the police. The boys, who were supposedly "good kids" said they were just kidding. the camp will not allow them back. Better safe than sorry!

 

[nettii]

For the safety of our children such threats need to be taken seriously. The embarrassment this young man is facing along with his family is unfortunate, but it will pass. Loosing a child or any one to violence would be unbearable. IMO the school and the police did the right thing!

 

[Schmeck]

A 13 yr old should know better than to threaten to shoot someone. It sounds like they are making a very good example out of him.

I know someone who was in the school in MA, at the time when one student stabbed another one to death in a bathroom. That student had supposedly talked about doing it before it happened.

I work in a school, and I know we take these threats very seriously as well.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

An 8 year old boy at my kids charter school was kicked out permantely for constantly threating other kids, he told my son he was gonna cut his neck open with a knife, and was saying other violet graphic things. This kid also cut his dogs tail off and stabbed his pet rabbit. I think the school did the right thing, they need to take threats seriously, and at 13 he should know better.

 

[PatsGirl]

13 years old??? And he doesn't know better? I'd say a 13-year old that makes a a threatening comment like that to another student does know better, knows exactly what he is doing, and needs to be punished severly (as was the case). At what point do we stop making excuses for these children? I'd like to know the statistics of how often does a child that threatens something like this eventually do something violent? My degrees are in adolescent psychology and behavioral science and if I remember correctly, saying now and doing later are definately linked. Not that all kids will but...

It's all about making these kids take responsibility for their actions and you can't start too young. Now, if it was a 5 or 6 year old, maybe the parents should go in front of the judge because IMHO they should take responsibility for their childrens actions!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Well better than my DS's Catholic school where a 4th grade boy did the same thing and the school did absolutely nothing. The parents went to the Diocese and everything,.

That is just one of the many reasons DS will not be returning there next year.