13 year old arrested for.....yup, writing on a desk

[kaiser soze]

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_095170448.html

In this day and age where young students are frequently charged for serious school offenses such as possessing weapons, dealing drugs, or assaulting other students on school property, one Brooklyn teen's arrest may come as a surprise. A 13-year-old girl was handcuffed and placed under arrest in front of her classmates in Dyker Heights after she wrote "Okay" on her desk.
Wow, the ciminialization of childrens' behavior (mostly minorities) in this nation is running rampant, kids have been tasered (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6468373/?GT1=5809), put in handcuffs for temper tantrums (http://www.sptimes.com/News/121800/TampaBay/2_hands__1_cuff_and_a.shtml).....why are these kids being handled in overzealous ways, is this a sign of a growing Police State, where the law doesn't distinguish between immature behavior and criminal activity?

In other news....kindergardners silenced with clothespins (http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/05/clothespins.punishment.ap/index.html)

[abcdefz]

How about the fifth graders arrested for having sex in the classroom?

[kaiser soze]

Now I'm stumped, because that was a lewd and lascivious act...But I think the teacher is partly (if not 3/4) to blame for not paying attention to his students. It's frightening to know these kids were willing to screw at a young age in class in front of fellow students, so I believe there is a bit more psycho-social deviance in their behavior compared to writing on a desk or having a temper tantrum.

Assuming 5th graders should know the difference between right and wrong, but do they know or should know what is appropriate sexual behavior?

It may have not warranted an arrest, but rather suspension and counseling.

[abcdefz]

I think the teacher should have his or her ass handed to him or her. The teacher went to some convocation instead of taking charge of the class like he was supposed to do, which let the kids have a class period unsupervised.

But, yeah -- that sort of activity, and especially how brazen it is -- I mean, hell, I don't think that in fifth grade I would've had the nerve to say "Let's fuck in front of the class!"

Yikes.

[kaiser soze]

Which also makes one wonder, what kind of environment are these kids exposed to at home to come up with these ideas?

[abcdefz]

Basic cable.

*shrugs*

[QueenAdrock]

I once had a whole diatribe written on my desk when I was in the 12th grade. It was describing in detail how a kid was going to go on a shooting rampage, and said exactly what kinds of guns he planned to use. I got a little freaked out, told my teacher, she called security, and security confiscated my desk and took pictures of it in the hallway. Naturally, all the kids passing by our class stopped and stared at the desk, and then stared at the girl who was sitting in the chair, sans desk, and mistakenly came to the wrong conclusion that I was a psycho. :mad:

I hope the kid who wrote on my desk was arrested, that's for sure.

[chromium05]

How old are "5th Graders" ? ( My schools in the UK had a different way of doing the school year thing)

[MIKEtotheD]

How old are "5th Graders" ? ( My schools in the UK had a different way of doing the school year thing)

Fifth Graders in the U. S. of A are ten. (!)
Man, that's some nasty shit. :eek:

[Lyman Zerga]

Australia rocks, I did a shit in a classroom once and only got suspended.

and he is not even joking

[chromium05]

Australia rocks, I did a shit in a classroom once and only got suspended.

Ha ha ha...

I once nicked a 150 gram chunk of sodium from the chemistry lab at school and chucked it into one of the toilets. Bloody thing went off like a bomb and shattered the bowl and cistern, flooding the toilets and part of a corridor.

People knew it was me and when the headmaster came storming over in the schoolyard I thought I was in for it big time. From about 50 yards he shouted "Nicholson - where is the caretaker?" and I shouted back "I don't know Sir - probably taking care". I got suspended for a week for that retort, not the explosion and subsequent damage.

I also got a week suspension for each of the following:

1. Writing "Mrs Hargreaves shaves the lot" on the overhead projector so it shone on the wall in 6 foot high letters in assembly in front of 600 pupils

2. Placing a stray toilet seat above a classroom door with the rather high hope of it coming down and landing around someones neck in a comedy fashion. It never. It came down edge first on our music teachers head causing sudden knockout and 14 stitches.

3. Being caught with a .177 air pistol in my bag (this was 1988). My form teacher asked if it was loaded and I said no, honestly believing it wasn't. He cocked the pellet gun and for some reason aimed it at his foot and pulled the trigger. He shot himself in the shoe and screamed like he'd blown his leg off. He stormed over and grabbed my tie to pull me over the desk but I had a clip on tie so it came off in his hand causing him to stumble backwards and flat on his arse. He managed to get up and put me in a headlock and gave me one of those burn things when you rub someones hair. Then he called the police. Then my mum. I got a caution. (For you Americans - Us British don't have "real guns" we have gay pellet air pistols and rifles that fire .177 or .22 lead pellets and a maximum 1 foot per second or something equally harmless)

4. Stapling my thumb to my little finger. By accident.

[ASsman]

Hah, hell no. Thats a lot of shit. I don't look at a sexual act as being more serious than anything else children shouldn't be doing. So, I don't think its SUPER bad simply because it's sexual, especially between two little kids who aren't even sure of what they are doing. But yes, teachers and parents to blame for the most part. And as usual the government picks up the tab when neither does their job.