First Graders Handcuffed At Chicago School, Told They Were Going To Prison: Lawsuit

So it's OK to inflict permanent psychological trauma on children by the state, but it's not OK to to spank your own children if they rightly deserve it without risking child abuse? What is this world coming to?

If something like this doesn't qualify as severe mental abuse, then I seriously don't know what would. Doing something like this to high schoolers is one thing, but doing this to children who are barely potty-trained is entirely another. At six and seven years old, they're going to believe it when you tell them they'll never see their parents again; it's basically mentally torturing them for an hour.

reply to post by Hillbilly123069


They are six year old first graders who were talking to friends or forgot to "raise their hand".

the boy was among several 6- and 7-year-olds who were detained and handcuffed for hours for talking in class.

When I was in second grade a substitute teacher sent me to the principal's office for not raising my hand, and I was petrified.
That whole ordeal lasted about 5 minutes, I was sent back to class, and had to have a note signed by my parents.

reply to post by Hillbilly123069


That is so true. Yes, there is some abuse but putting laws in place that doesn't allow the parents to set boundaries for their kids has been a disaster. Without boundaries kids go wild. Then who pays? The kids and society. This is funny but it's apt. Warning, a couple of F bombs:

reply to post by Oaktree


This has just mad these children question policia potentials. Could they have used a more mature approach then this which will SPARK rebellion in them. SAD

A few things need to happen at that school.

FIRE ALL THE TEACHERS AND OFFICIALS INVOLVED. SUE THEM.

FIRE ALL THE COPS INVOLVED. SUE THEM.

Parents need to man up and kick some butts.

Originally posted by gabby2011

Originally posted by Heartisblack
This crosses the line, let me guess were they black ? And we wonder why the brown people are so angry all the time.

Little Johnny's going to grow up to whoop somebody's ass and nobody will blame him. Thank god children aren't in my future. Thank god I'm not in the intercity. Poor kids, they will be scarred for life.

Most of the students are probably black..as well as the teachers and the guards.. please don't play the race card on this..it so takes away from the validity of the message.

Sweetheart, I'm not playing the race card.
I'm telling the truth. These kids will be scarred for life over some stupid # that didn't have to happen.
There are other ways to punish children and this isn't one of them. I was raised in suburbia, the Susie Salmon-esqe lifestyle. I was never punished like this, I rarely got in trouble.
I was seperated from talking too much, never handcuffed. This is unreal and what did these kids do to deserve this ?

I think this is not being well played. We're talking bureaucrats here. These questions should be asked of their boss. He CAN be fired by the populous if he can't get to the bottom of this. Hell, he should be on top of it. It's his responsibility.

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
If something like this doesn't qualify as severe mental abuse, then I seriously don't know what would. Doing something like this to high schoolers is one thing, but doing this to children who are barely potty-trained is entirely another. At six and seven years old, they're going to believe it when you tell them they'll never see their parents again; it's basically mentally torturing them for an hour.

I will explain this very quickly for everyone here. The Black Mentality, these kids are black(I know HIS is playing the race card. That is not the point.)

The point being is that it is instilled in the black community that getting psychological help is wrong.(Strange but true, I am #ing crazy and lord knows I'm getting help.) That is why there is a lot of crime in the African American community, people think psychological help is wrong over there. So they let their mental problems build up and then they snap. After that, they join gangs and do things like that.

My mother explained that to me, she never really believed that # though; my folks believed that if you need help you go get help, not go kill somebody to prove a point.

In a few years these kids will probably be on the news for something. Sad but true.

Originally posted by Oaktree

First Graders Handcuffed At Chicago School, Told They Were Going To Prison: Lawsuit

www.huffingtonpost.com

The school allegedly authorized on-campus security to discipline disruptive first graders, Fox Chicago reports. The children who were considered disruptive were then allegedly handcuffed for an hour and sent to an office, where they were told "they were going to prison and would never see their parents again,"

"There appears to be no reason for an officer to isolate 6- and 7-year-old children, place them in handcuffs and threaten them for hours during a school day, or any other day,"

(visit the link for the full news article)

What a disturbing image. I have no doubt these kids will carry some serious lingering issues over treatment like this. One thing I think we can bank on is the long term impression this sort of thing left the children involved and the children who were at the school to see it. When many of these kids pass on through school and become adults with a seemingly curious hatred for the Police and all things related to them, one need only think back to experiences like this.

What happened to judgement and discretion among the adults entrusted with helping these kids form their views of the world? This just teaches fear, 'obedience or else', and a real warped sense of escalation in life. 0-handcuffs in nothing flat? I don't wonder why some kids know nothing between calm talk and brutal violence. Where did they see the adults above them try anything in between extremes?

reply to post by Oaktree


Try that in Australia or NZ to first graders and you'll see a first class riot

All the teachers involved including the school principal should be sacked immediately!

Originally posted by Hillbilly123069
There is no call for the way some kids act. I don't blame this much on the parents due to the 1 800 he's-whippin-my-ass intervention of the govt. I have noticed an obvious climb in the prison population since the enactment of the child abuse laws.

First I'll mention that I agree with your post. I believe there is something more being said here also. Despite our efforts to "protect" children with these anti-abuse laws we ARE sending more people to prison, though I don't think that is the correct correlation, entirely. We have become a prison-nation because it is a money-maker. You were meant to be IN the system.

This hand-cuffing is indoctrination to a life event that is a way-of-life for some and at least a one-time event to a grand percentage of Americans. I would hate to guess at what that percentage may be now and I believe it is growing.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

If we delve into the psychology of the intercity, we'll find a lot of problems with some of these people. Somebody could get a Nobel Prize for analysing their psyches.......if I was only a psychologist, too bad I can only write about psychology. I'd be pure rubbish talking about it. I still don't know why they couldn't give a timeout to these kids.

Another thing. Sorry this topic really boils my onions. Why is it illegal to provide boundaries for kids via corporal punishment but it quite alright(not really, I hope this pans out properly) that a school administration allows psychological punishment?

Sweetheart, I'm not playing the race card. I'm telling the truth. These kids will be scarred for life over some stupid # that didn't have to happen. There are other ways to punish children and this isn't one of them. I was raised in suburbia, the Susie Salmon-esqe lifestyle. I was never punished like this, I rarely got in trouble. I was seperated from talking too much, never handcuffed. This is unreal and what did these kids do to deserve this ?

reply to post by Heartisblack


I was under the impression that you implied it was because of their race that they were targeted and treated that way. If that is not what you meant.. then my apologies.

No child should be treated like this, it is horrendous... if we agree on that..than we are on the same page.
If you think they were targeted for this discipline because of their race... i wouldn't be so quick to agree with you.

reply to post by gabby2011


It is not about race, it's about people being abused and treated like crap; and nobody giving a #. That is our entire problem if this was done in Europe, Asia or anybody else. This would be all over the papers, but these are the intercity kids. It'll barely be given notoriety.

Being a parent, I, like Hillbilly123069, have mixed emotions on this. What is the difference between this and a "Scared Straight" program? There is no discipline in the school system today as all rights to punish the children disrupting others ability to receive an education(such as it is today in the US). As for a teachers inability to maintain order in a classroom, How many of you parents have had a child throw a fit in public? What do you do? Spank them in front of everyone? Remove them until they calm down? Let them throw their fit without giving them attention disrupting all those around?

I feel the parents could have sat their children down and helped them learn that this is what happens when you cause a public disturbance or break the law. Why is it that this action is assumed to teach the children to hate authority? Why is it not equally assumed that it may help teach the children to respect as well? It's the parents responsibility to teach the child the difference.

However,

If this was authorized by the school system, the parents should have been notified by the school system that this policy was in place. The parents should have been given the choice to allow their child to be held under this policy, other arrangements made in the event of a situation, or moved to another school. I want my children to have a fair and equal chance to learn without the disruption of another child as well as the other children having this right if my children act out, but I expect to be notified of disciplinary actions used by the school. As it appears this was not done, which would anger me and actions would be taken against the school system.

I believe crime is on the rise because of the lack of responsibility taken by the parent during the years of mental and critical thinking development as well as how to respect others. Too much has been shifted from the parent to the school system. It is the responsibility of the school to educate(again such as it is) and the parents responsibility to teach how to treat and respect others. It is the lack of respect for others rights that have caused most of the problems today, but that is just my opinion I guess.

reply to post by Agarta

What is the difference between this and a "Scared Straight" program?

Scared Straight programs are targeted at groups of juvenile delinquents, to show them possible outcomes if their behavior doesn't change.

In this case, the children were talking out of turn, hardly delinquent behavior.
Individual six year-olds (not a group) were handcuffed, isolated, and told they would never see their parents again.

Had they been told that their disruptive behavior could someday lead to more dire consequences, then we might have a comparison to Scared Straight.

How many of you parents have had a child throw a fit in public? What do you do? Spank them in front of everyone? Remove them until they calm down? Let them throw their fit without giving them attention disrupting all those around?

The answer would be "Remove them until they calm down".
In my child's school, it is called a time out.
They are not, however, cuffed and isolated, while being told they will never see their parents again.

I feel the parents could have sat their children down and helped them learn that this is what happens when you cause a public disturbance or break the law.

There was no law broken, and even causing a public disturbance (as an adult, not a six year-old) does not carry this type of penalty.

Just venting here, but perhaps this security guard needs a bit of his own medicine?

While walking down the street one night, little Jonny's dad and big brothers grab the guy, handcuff him and toss him in the trunk.
Take him to a warehouse and torment him, telling him he'll never see his family again.

(Sarcasm on)
I'm sure the courts would see things their way. They were just trying to scare the guy, right? No harm done.
(Sarcasm off)

Originally posted by Oaktree
Just venting here, but perhaps this security guard needs a bit of his own medicine?

While walking down the street one night, little Jonny's dad and big brothers grab the guy, handcuff him and toss him in the trunk.
Take him to a warehouse and torment him, telling him he'll never see his family again.

(Sarcasm on)
I'm sure the courts would see things their way. They were just trying to scare the guy, right? No harm done.
(Sarcasm off)

Sweetheart, I live 41 miles from Chicago. All I have to say is "Don't play." In Chicago, we still have Ed Vrdolyak running around. It wouldn't surprise me if Little Jonny's dad or mom did that. Everytime the news comes on, it puts me in a depression

Edward Vrdolyak
en.wikipedia.org...