School kid with BB gun

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:29 am

On the local radio station news report this morning, there was a comment about my sons school. Apparently one boy, a known trouble-maker, took a BB gun into school and fired it at another boy, hitting him in the eye!

The trouble-maker, Adam, was suspended from school for 6 days.

In the news report the father was angry that that was all the punishment the boy was given, especially as his own son was still away from school a week later and his vision is extremely blurry! But the school said this was a one-off incident which wouldn't happen again and so the punishment stood.

Now first of all, I don't know exactly what a BB gun is or what power it has, but I do have some comments on this.

My son said that Adam, the trouble-maker is ALWAYS in trouble for something, it is never a 'one-off' event for him. Apparently he is currently in trouble over something else also.

My son also said that when Adam stayed home for 6 days he had a perfectly wonderful time playing computer games for hours on end!

What kind of punishment is that and what exactly is that teaching him about his crime? That he gets rewarded for it??

Apparently the boy who was hit in the eye is not a popular kid. He's pretty silly, annoying and immature (thats how my friends son described him anyway). So the general consensus amongst the kids seems to be "Well, he's whiney and annoying so he deserved what he got!"

There seemed to be no feelings of shock, horror or distress for this boy at all!

What kind of children are we raising that they can feel no sympathy for this child?

And what does that mean to other unpopular kids? Are their lives in danger because they are even more annoying than this boy?

This school are VERY good at hiding their heads in the sand and not dealing with their issues!

My next door neighbours grandchild was attacked and nearly raped by older boys from the school, as she made her way to school one morning. Luckily a passerby stopped the incident and it's going to court later on. However the girl, whose 12, is scared rigid, can't sleep without having nightmares and is having ongoing counselling. My neighbours have since moved away from this area.

The school has other incidents i know of which have been hidden away from sight!

Going back to the BB gun, the police have apparently destroyed the gun and Adam (16) now has a record. But is this enough?

I would love to be able to say to this father - take this to court and prosecute the school too! They have been getting away with terrible teaching practices for years and no one speaks out against them. I don't know the father but I wish something could be done about this schools bullying and lack of help for children in distress. I hate the way they just bury their problems and pretend they don't exist!

I'd love to hear any opinions on this matter, particularly from LC's point of view.

Thanks guys.

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:14 am

Exactly! There is a monitored room within the school where troublemakers go when they've done something wrong. They can spend a day or two there or even a week, including breaks. But its not enough! A separate place for schooling would be ideal!

Staying home teaches them nothing and its their GCSE year, their mocks are at Christmas, so they should be getting all the help they can!

Another school has bullying monitors, bully boxes to drop notes into about being bullied if you're too scared to talk to one of the bullying monitors, and internal CCTV cameras to watch for bullying or trouble!

This school has absolutely nothing! It has a list of rules saying things like 'smoking is not allowed' - but EVERYONE knows that the kids all go to the playing fields at lunchtime to smoke!

The school prides itself on its non-bullying policy and even won a Diana, Princess of Wales award for it's non-bullying. What actually happened is that my daughter was so badly bullied I took her out of the school. That was after they ignored it and denied it, of course! They then made a bunch of those plastic wristbands which read 'No bullying' and sold them for £1 each, giving the money to charity. THAT was the extent of their non-bullying policy - selling wristbands! :-5 :-5

They are pathetic! :-5

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:24 am

Pinky;458685 wrote: Just out of interest, the cluster of schools within our area has set up a unit away from school where excluded kids attend and carry on with work as normal, but in a controlled environment. Therefore they don't get a nice little break or get to hang out with their friends...it seems to be working well for the most part.

Seems to be a miniature version of the "special schools" we used to have, which

tended to remove the issue from schools.

Going back to the OP, if the boy's been prosecuted (this isn't exactly clear), and

the school are prepared to keep him on, there's not much you can do, directly.

You could possibly become a governer, complain formally to the LEA and

governers, or move to a better area. I wonder whether this incident, or others,

were reported in any newspaper, even local. The prospect of this will usually

galvanise even the most reluctant Head. into action - "self preservation".

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:40 am

Bill Sikes;458696 wrote: Going back to the OP, if the boy's been prosecuted (this isn't exactly clear), and the school are prepared to keep him on, there's not much you can do, directly.

You could possibly become a governer, complain formally to the LEA and

governers, or move to a better area. I wonder whether this incident, or others,

were reported in any newspaper, even local. The prospect of this will usually

galvanise even the most reluctant Head. into action - "self preservation".

Hi Bill. I don't think he's been prosecuted as such. He was suspended, the gun was destroyed and he now has a police record, is all I know. The school have hushed it up.

I have a LOT of complaints about the school, but my son is still there and is happy. He has a lot of friends and is working towards his GCSE's. I'm not going to do anything right now which might backfire onto him! He leaves next June and goes onto a sixth form college. Then I'm going to complain like mad!

I don't know if it will be in the local paper - it wasn't in there last week, when the attack happened, but this morning the attacked boy's father was quoted on local radio, so his complaint might put it in the local rag this week. I'll have to keep my eyes open!

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:46 am

Rapunzel;458705 wrote: I have a LOT of complaints about the school, but my son is still there and is happy. He has a lot of friends and is working towards his GCSE's. I'm not going to do anything right now which might backfire onto him! He leaves next June and goes onto a sixth form college. Then I'm going to complain like mad!

'K, I see. Looks like a good sound plan. It sounds as though you're doing a good

job keeping him on the straight & narrow!

Post by **spot** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:49 am

Times have changed. I spent years at school wearing a sheath knife on my belt quite openly, and none of the staff ever felt the need to object. Now that I remember, I bought it on a school trip when I was eleven and wore it coming in through Customs Control at Folkestone.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:55 am

spot;458712 wrote: Times have changed. I spent years at school wearing a sheath knife on my belt quite openly, and none of the staff ever felt the need to object. Now that I remember, I bought it on a school trip when I was eleven and wore it coming in through Customs Control at Folkestone.

Gosh! Now that you're an *adult* you'd better not do that in public now!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:57 am

Thanks Bill. Thanks Pinky. I hope the boys parents DO make a formal complaint. This school needs a good kick in the rear!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:17 am

This is when parents file criminal and civil suits-a 6 day suspension is not enough conseqeunce, the student should be expelled. And more.

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:29 am

chonsigirl;458742 wrote: This is when parents file criminal and civil suits-a 6 day suspension is not enough conseqeunce, the student should be expelled. And more.

Schools don't like to expel - it looks bad on their stats!

And we're not really a suing nation as yet - although becoming more so.

But I don't think the parents would even think to sue, tbh.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:32 am

Wow, I know I would. And I would haunt the school board meetings until the child was expelled-a gun, shot someone in the eye, 6 day suspension.

And then, return to the same school again? What about the victim and their rights!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:36 am

chonsigirl;458760 wrote: Wow, I know I would. And I would haunt the school board meetings until the child was expelled-a gun, shot someone in the eye, 6 day suspension.

And then, return to the same school again? What about the victim and their rights!

As Arnie says in his thread - the victims seem to have way less rights than the perps (is that the right word?)

Shweet tatersalad · Post by **Shweet tatersalad** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:50 am

This should be followed through with on every level.This kind of behaver does not get better and may be a prelude too things too come.Should never be allowed back into a school he terrorized.............ever.

Let him get schooled in prison,or better yet send him over here and when he pulls out a gun,one of our kids will pull a 9mm and blow his head clean off.No more problem.