Would you press charges against a 7th grader.....

[Anonymous]

if it were proven that he stole a 32 gig ipod, itouch out of my son's locked locker?

DS mentioned to me last evening that he had a strange conversation with another student who was hanging around his locker...this kid was asking DS about his itouch and wanting to see it. DS also was opening his locker at the time and this other kid may have been looking over his shoulder to view his combination. DS had his itouch last night and this morning when he went to school. He generally leaves it zipped in the top pouch of his backpack, locked in his locker all day. He only takes it out when he is waiting for me to pick him up....can be up to 30 minutes for my arrival to actually get him. I have to give him credit...he's always been very careful about his iPod. He does not take it to class. He has always kept it locked in his locker where he knew it would be safe.

Before school was out, another kid asked DS if he had given the itouch to this other kid. DS said "no", but didn't think anything of it because at the time he didn't know his itouch was missing. After last class, he goes back to his locker to find his top pouch is unzipped and his itouch is gone.

I've contacted the principal. He will investigate the issue tomorrow. My question to all of you is....would you press criminal charges on a 7th grader? I know my own DS can be a bonehead and make stupid decisions, but he'd never steal. If this kid did steal it, I wanted him labeled for what he is....a thief!! Mind you....I do not know this kid, nor do I know his parents, so I can't contact them myself to ask any questions. What would YOU do in this situation?

[Anonymous]

Are you serious? You are asking whether a reasonable adult would, as a first or second step, contact the police and press charges against a 7th grader who may have stolen an iTouch? No. Seventh grade - 12 or 13 years old - is young. Let this be a teaching moment for the kids.

Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

This is tough. 7th grade is so young! But if it's true that the kid opened your son's locker after learning his combination and then stole your son's itouch, I think you should press charges. This was a cool, calculated theft.

That said, I don't know if I, personally, could go through with pressing charges. I might agree to having the school handle this.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what people mean when they talk about "pressing charges." Do you mean call the police, tell them your son's IPOD is missing, and relate that of the people who you suspect could have taken it, this child is one? And allow them to investigate? With whatever conclusions they may draw? I don't see how you can pre-determine that would lead to "charges" being "pressed" because it sounds like pretty vague and unconvincing evidence that this child had any involvement.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm emotionally charged right now. I'm sure that by the time this is settled in school, I may think differently. I just wanted to get a sense of what others might do here.

[Anonymous]

I would push to get it settled at school and get the parents involved. I would suspect that if you pressed charges your child would never recover socially.

And I think your kid needs to learn a lesson about keeping a lower profile with his expensive stuff.

[Anonymous]

Could you prove the device is his? Serial number perhaps?

Tell your son if to catch the kid alone with the device and smack him hard upside the head and take it back. Then teach him to perfect the innocent look.

[Anonymous]

OP here. New information has emerged....Gawwwd, I love FB!!!

DS logged onto FB and started chatting with some friends. We already suspected a certain boy and it was confirmed by a FB friend. This kid was spotted with 3 ipods on the bus yesterday because it was apparently "bring your ipod to art" day. Seriously, why would a school promote bringing an ipod to school?...that is a recipe for theft.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. New information has emerged....Gawwwd, I love FB!!!

DS logged onto FB and started chatting with some friends. We already suspected a certain boy and it was confirmed by a FB friend. This kid was spotted with 3 ipods on the bus yesterday because it was apparently "bring your ipod to art" day. Seriously, why would a school promote bringing an ipod to school?...that is a recipe for theft.

I would seriously hate you as my mother. You seem like the type to attack a child over any and everything and then as your child, get teased and picked on at school for having the crazy mother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. New information has emerged....Gawwwd, I love FB!!!

DS logged onto FB and started chatting with some friends. We already suspected a certain boy and it was confirmed by a FB friend. This kid was spotted with 3 ipods on the bus yesterday because it was apparently "bring your ipod to art" day. Seriously, why would a school promote bringing an ipod to school?...that is a recipe for theft.

I would seriously hate you as my mother. You seem like the type to attack a child over any and everything and then as your child, get teased and picked on at school for having the crazy mother.

OK...if your kid's $300 itouch was stolen and was crushed, wouldn't you do everything you could to find out what happened and who did it? Or are you the type to take it in the ass silently?

[Anonymous]

Suspect the police may have more pressing issues to investigate. The school may be more likely to take it seriously.

[Anonymous]

How do you know your kid didn't lose the ipod or, better try, sell it to another kid and is making this all up?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We're suspecting it's up to 4 stolen ipods now by this one particular kid in just 2 days. I wont have to do a thing. This kid will most likely be expelled. I think that'll be punishment enough....I wont go to the police.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know your kid didn't lose the ipod or, better try, sell it to another kid and is making this all up?

Because we now have witnesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. New information has emerged....Gawwwd, I love FB!!!

DS logged onto FB and started chatting with some friends. We already suspected a certain boy and it was confirmed by a FB friend. This kid was spotted with 3 ipods on the bus yesterday because it was apparently "bring your ipod to art" day. Seriously, why would a school promote bringing an ipod to school?...that is a recipe for theft.

I would seriously hate you as my mother. You seem like the type to attack a child over any and everything and then as your child, get teased and picked on at school for having the crazy mother.

OK...if your kid's $300 itouch was stolen and was crushed, wouldn't you do everything you could to find out what happened and who did it? Or are you the type to take it in the ass silently?

What idiot would give their child a 300 plus electronic to take to middle school?