To Police Report or Not to Police Report?

[Anonymous]

Book’em Danno. Need to put a cell in these schools. They can send the paddy wagon around and collect the offenders for processing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at a school and I absolutely recognize that behaviors are out of control, but calling the police here is crazy to me. You wouldn’t believe the amount of he said/she said and tattling that occurs every day. He pushed me, she cut in line, he kicked me, she grabbed my hair. The tattling never stops. Often the kid will waltz back to their classmate and sing-song “I told the teacher on you!!” Bringing police into situations with no witnesses and only 7-year-olds to tell the tale is insane.

+1, and the counselors and social workers are stretched thin.

I do think an actual choking incident needs to be addressed more so than it probably is by many administrators. One reason I recently left teaching was I was trying to handle too many behavior issues on my own. There were the constant disagreements between ES students and relatively minor behavior issues (not listening, blurting out, wandering, backtalk) that wore me down. Counselors were helpful, but their workload was crazy and there was only so much time in a day. We were told we shouldn’t refer students to the office because in doing so we undermined our own authority as the teacher in the classroom. So, I usually held off and tried to deal with things the best I could. When I did actually have an incident of assault in the classroom and had to call for assistance, it ended up in a situation where I was under the spotlight. “Why didn’t you know about this sooner? You need to work on building better relationships so this doesn’t happen”, etc. I probably handled hundreds of disciplinary issues to the one time I asked for help and that one time resulted in a reprimand.

that was a lousy principal with no courage to stand up to the kids and parents

[Anonymous]

What does this specifically have to do with FCPS? Why isn’t this in the general Schools forum?

[Anonymous]

Teachers here have suggested that by reporting it, the problem is escalated in the school's view which ultimately can help keep other students safe.

[Anonymous]

Another thing to think about is that you need to demonstrate to your kid that we don’t let others assault us. I’m talking about true assaults and choking, fun threats, not general kid stuff. I would stand up for my kid and model how to handle physical and emotional serious threats or acts.

[Anonymous]

I recall another poster at one point saying "the first time, you tell the hitter to stop. The second time, you go to an adult. The third time, you have my blessing to hit back harder and I will defend you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recall another poster at one point saying "the first time, you tell the hitter to stop. The second time, you go to an adult. The third time, you have my blessing to hit back harder and I will defend you."

No one is advocating calling the police on run of the mill bullies. Teachers are allowing kids to throw chairs at others, attack others from behind while they are listening to a lesson, or dangerous assaults like choking. FYI, most kids aren't going to be able to hit their way out of being choked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall another poster at one point saying "the first time, you tell the hitter to stop. The second time, you go to an adult. The third time, you have my blessing to hit back harder and I will defend you."

No one is advocating calling the police on run of the mill bullies. Teachers are allowing kids to throw chairs at others, attack others from behind while they are listening to a lesson, or dangerous assaults like choking. FYI, most kids aren't going to be able to hit their way out of being choked.

Teachers allow it? I guess we could also say that parents haven’t taught their kids how to behave in school or regulate their emotions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall another poster at one point saying "the first time, you tell the hitter to stop. The second time, you go to an adult. The third time, you have my blessing to hit back harder and I will defend you."

No one is advocating calling the police on run of the mill bullies. Teachers are allowing kids to throw chairs at others, attack others from behind while they are listening to a lesson, or dangerous assaults like choking. FYI, most kids aren't going to be able to hit their way out of being choked.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall another poster at one point saying "the first time, you tell the hitter to stop. The second time, you go to an adult. The third time, you have my blessing to hit back harder and I will defend you."

No one is advocating calling the police on run of the mill bullies. Teachers are allowing kids to throw chairs at others, attack others from behind while they are listening to a lesson, or dangerous assaults like choking. FYI, most kids aren't going to be able to hit their way out of being choked.

Ha! How about we have no choice about these kids being in our class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers here have suggested that by reporting it, the problem is escalated in the school's view which ultimately can help keep other students safe.

It certainly will get the parent’s attention .

[Anonymous]

Submit police report. It’s not to have police do something right now. It’s so that the incident is recorded at police level. If it happens again and new incident is reported, police will be more likely to look into/take action with previous report on file. Only way to handle repeated serious offenses in school.

[Anonymous]

I don't think folks are following the original thread that prompted this one when they claim it's over reacting.

The OP of the original thread has a 2nd grader who was choked by a classmate; the same classmate also told the kid he had a knife and would "cut him open."

These are not run of the mill behavior problems in 2nd grade. Considering a 6 year old bought a gun to school and shot their teacher in VA last year, I'd say I'd take that degree of physicality (choking, threatening with a weapon) super seriously and consider a police report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think folks are following the original thread that prompted this one when they claim it's over reacting.

The OP of the original thread has a 2nd grader who was choked by a classmate; the same classmate also told the kid he had a knife and would "cut him open."

These are not run of the mill behavior problems in 2nd grade. Considering a 6 year old bought a gun to school and shot their teacher in VA last year, I'd say I'd take that degree of physicality (choking, threatening with a weapon) super seriously and consider a police report.

That's because you are a nutter, equating the one 6 year old in the history of the country who shot a teacher with every other 2nd grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think folks are following the original thread that prompted this one when they claim it's over reacting.

The OP of the original thread has a 2nd grader who was choked by a classmate; the same classmate also told the kid he had a knife and would "cut him open."

These are not run of the mill behavior problems in 2nd grade. Considering a 6 year old bought a gun to school and shot their teacher in VA last year, I'd say I'd take that degree of physicality (choking, threatening with a weapon) super seriously and consider a police report.

That's because you are a nutter, equating the one 6 year old in the history of the country who shot a teacher with every other 2nd grader.

You think that what was described is normal 2nd grade behavior issues? Choking a kid and threatening to "cut them open" with a knife? Sorry, I'm not the nutter here.