Kindergartner handcuffed, taken to police station after allegedly throwing tantrum

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
I fully expect people to defend this action by the police. Thats how it is these days.

Its a very sad state of affairs when it has become acceptable to cuff, and place a 6-year old in a cell. This is not how you treat children.
Its a crime by the people that allow this behaviour to continue.

Its like something you would expect to see in some sc-fi film set in the future where children are arrested and prosecuted just like adults.

Its probably safe to assume this will eventually become the norm in the US. The general population seem too stupid to see what is happening in the country.

While I'm sure its easy to get outraged by the idea of child cuffed and held, ask yourself, how is that any different than being locked in your room?

There's a lot more to this story than is reported, and we have NO idea what the child was actually doing.

The idea the school felt the need to call the cops either shows they over-reacted, or that the child really was acting dangerously, for itself and the kids around it.

I suspect the school called police because they didnt want to be sued by the parents for forcefully detaining an apparently violent child. I mean, they could have easily smacked her and taped her to a chair, but then they'd be sued. So they called the cops. I can sympathize.

What would YOU do, armchair quarterback, if you had to deal with an unruly child in your classroom, while trying to manage another 30 or so kids? Just talk soft and ask the child to sit??

My question is, what the hell is going on going the kids home to make it act out in such a way?

Some of you youngin's have such issues with authority that you just lash out at cops, teachers, anyone, cuz your parents never taught you respect or discipline.

Isn't teacher and principal responsible for controlling their classroom?

Or school security?

Goes to show even kindergarten (and maybe pre-K) needed a designated security person trained in lawful restraint of children at all times, on call from the front desk or whatever to intervene and secure the rowdy violent child in a moments notice.

Absent such plans of actions, what kind of school is it really? Not a safe one for the other kids, of the principal in this "case".

The police officer called to the scene later wrote that he "noticed damage to school property and possible assault of other students and staff. I made six attempts to contact her mother via telephone."

"I attempted to calm Johnson down," he wrote in his incident report. "Johnson then pulled away and began actively resisting and fighting with me."

The principal, Dianne Popp, said "a small shelf struck her in the leg while Johnson was throwing items at her," according to the police report, and that the girl "tried several times to get out of the office. Johnson was observed biting the door knob of the office and jumping on the paper shredder and attempted to break a glass frame above the shredder."

Sounds like a straight jacket would have been more useful. This child obviously needs help. But the police handled the situation correctly. No other actions would have been appropriate to keep the child from doing further damage and/or harming herself.

reply to post by AshleyD


Great point.

1. Teacher likely attempted to calm the child down
2. Principal likely attempted to calm the child down
3. The mother was called multiple times
4. The police were called
5. The police attempted to calm her down.
6. She was handcuffed when she continued the "tantrum"
(Not sure on the exact order/details)


Its not as if the police were called the second after she started the tantrum and just showed up, handcuffed her and threw her into a police cruiser. Although from reading some peoples posts in this thread, it may seem that way.

Cheers

Eventually problem children need to be dealt with firmly. Seems these problem children have screwed up parents who suck at parenting. On top of that the absolute DENIAL by some of these parents is sad and disgusting in some cases.

A month ago, a boy in my daughter's class PUNCHED 2 GIRLS in the stomach! Seems he also has a problem with violence and behavior issues SINCE kindergarten (probably before), but since we must handle kids (esp problem children) with white gloves, his issues were never dealt with....and everything kept hush hush. If the kid even looks at my daughter, I will raise hell, and you will learn about it on the news

Kids or not, some of them are AMAZINGLY dangerous and what is a teacher to do when other kids and school property are in danger??

If that kid was in my daughter's class, I would DEMAND some serious restraint and for the kid to not be returned to the class. Seems this girl has some serious issues that need to be dealt with. Bad behavior and dangerous behavior knows no age.

See, where was school security/guard all this time while kids were being hurt and the child was allowed to rampage?

Dont they have a plan of action for restraining rowdy kids??

What if the child slammed into that glass and got all cut up, whose fault would it be while they witness all this??

Originally posted by BiggerPicture
See, where was school security/guard all this time while kids were being hurt and the child was allowed to rampage?

Dont they have a plan of action for restraining rowdy kids??

What if the child slammed into that glass and got all cut up, whose fault would it be while they witness all this??

So you are blaming the school? Not the parents or the child? Just the school, who, apparently, according to the report, DID try and restrain the child, resulting in an apparent injury to the Principal. Teachers have a class of about 30 kids to deal with. If this kid was acting in a violent way, how else do you expect them to respond?

People like you are the problem. You blame everyone else, with 20-20 hindsight even though you would act no differently in the heat of the moment. If this kid hurt YOUR child, what would you wan to happen?

reply to post by FoxMulder91


I am not trying to shift the blame of the temper tantrum from the girl to the teacher. All I am saying is that this 6yo should never have been hand cuffed, taken to a police station and placed in a holding cell. This should have been stopped before it got out of hand and handled between the school, the parents, and the girl.

People like me.

So noted.

Let me get this straight. There is an out of control 6 year old throwing a temper tantrum, whos parents have done nothing (obviously) to correct the behavior and the kid has already injured one person and destroyed property. And you people are complaining that the little monster got hand cuffed? If that were my child, hand cuffs and a ride to the station would be the least of their concern. They would loose every single privilege they had, grounded for the rest of the school year, they would apologize to the class, police officer and the principle, and they would have a chore list a mile long every single day. That would be on top of encouraging the principal and the school to press charges and having the judge hand down some form of punishment. Why? Because actions have consequences. Age doesnt matter. Kids these days are out of control and all people want to do is coddle them. Its ridiculous.

I dont see anyone complaining the kid was handcuffed,

I'm questioning why it came to other students being hurt, bookcase being pushed over onto principal,

and where was the school security figure during all this. Does this school not have security because its Kindergarten or something?

Originally posted by BiggerPicture
I dont see anyone complaining the kid was handcuffed,

Then you are blind.

Because it's been stated several times, in those exact terms.

'omg they cuffed the kid!!'

reply to post by AshleyD

In taser incidents, it's always asked why didn't the police just restrain them? And that is what happened here- she was restrained. Handcuffs seem OK because the alternative would have been to hold her down or clasped which could have escalated things.

I am a little surprised that they didn't taze the kid.

The Tazer is a 'tool' nowadays.

ETA: Obviously the child's parents and the school system have failed thus far in raising the child to respect authority. Most of the blame rests on the parents, IMO. I would rather see the child restrained with handcuffs than tazed, anyway.

reply to post by LevelHeaded


How do you expect that to happen when they can not get in contact with the girls mother?

From reading the article, it doesnt seem like the girl was slowing down and she was still resisting the police officer.

Im sure the school wishes this could of been delt with in a different matter, but in this case it appears like it wasnt an option.

Cheers

The one thing nobody here is doing.....Blaming the parents. The parents are responsible for this type of behavior. Behavior is learned at home and poor behavior is the parents responsibility to correct. Not the schools, the teachers,principles or police. We as parents are responsible for our children and their behavior. It starts at home, not at school. Stop blaming everyone else for your kids rotten behavior and take a look in the mirror.

To those saying the teacher or principal should have restrained the child: Then what? Open themselves up to molestation or false imprisonment charge?

No thanks. Let the people who are trained to handle violent (yes VIOLENT) situations take care of that situation.

Originally posted by MattNC
To those saying the teacher or principal should have restrained the child: Then what? Open themselves up to molestation or false imprisonment charge?

No thanks. Let the people who are trained to handle violent (yes VIOLENT) situations take care of that situation.

Yep.

The very same people blaming the school are the ones who would be the first to sue the school if the teachers DID restrain the kids.

reply to post by JayFlores



Is a child no longer allowed a 'CHILDHOOD' .

Children who misbehave now should be prepared to be taken 'downtown'.

Each day I read another story like this I am one step closer to getting off this planet.

The phrase 'heavan on earth' has always been a myth. We have created a hell on earth. Simple as that.

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
reply to post by JayFlores

 

Is a child no longer allowed a 'CHILDHOOD' .

Children who misbehave now should be prepared to be taken 'downtown'.

Each day I read another story like this I am one step closer to getting off this planet.

The phrase 'heavan on earth' has always been a myth. We have created a hell on earth. Simple as that.

I feel sorry for your childhood if violent outbursts that injur those around you was 'normal' for you.

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
reply to post by JayFlores

 

Is a child no longer allowed a 'CHILDHOOD' .

Children who misbehave now should be prepared to be taken 'downtown'.

Each day I read another story like this I am one step closer to getting off this planet.

The phrase 'heavan on earth' has always been a myth. We have created a hell on earth. Simple as that.

What is your solution when a child is violent and has behavioral issues and the parent is in DENIAL such as the one in this article and across the country?

People think all kids are 100% innocent! Bullcrap! Ive witnessed a number of kids who are serious threats to those around them...while parents sit around saying "not mine!!"

So what is to be done with these kids?