Handcuffing an out-of-control Georgia kindergartner. Was there a better response?

There is always a better response. This is just another example of what a police state america has become. And people wonder how Nazi Germany managed to get so bad. THIS IS HOW,

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Utterly damn absurd. Does no one have any common sense any more?

My father was a school principal who had a very effective “board of education” with which he meted out swift, sure correction without calling police or involving any expensive, overly intrusive bureaucracy. All the teachers had bolo paddles for immediately dealing with minor infractions. Those who were sent to the principal for less minor behavioral issues got a taste of the larger paddle with holes drilled in it. At my father’s funeral I referred to the “board of education” and several respectable men in their 70s came to me later to tell me how it had helped straighten them out.

We desperately need a return to common sense, which seems totally lacking in this stupid incident.

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None of us were there, so none of us can say. But I CAN say this: I have been in a situation where a child has been out of control and he is a danger to the teacher and, more importantly, other students. When you have been in a situation where you are trying to get terrified children away from a child who is on a rampage, you know that sometimes all the calming techniques in the world are insufficient. Children, teachers, administrators, do not need to tolerate being injured by a child’s actions.

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The grown ups at school can’t touch an out of control without being sued. Yup, she injured an adult, so handcuffs work.

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Once Again- are you off your meds again?

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I whole-heartedly agree with the Middle Grades Math Teacher! I quit teaching in the middle of this year because I feared for my safety after being injured and having to endure students with ankle monitors. One student was handcuffed and taken away during afternoon carpool, but returned to school after a brief absence.

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Based on the facts in the story, the child clearly needed to be restrained.

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Watch the video – http://milledgeville.13wmaz.com/

The parents don’t seem like they are doing much parenting. “She has good days and bad days. This was just a bad day.” Seriously?? If you don’t want your child handcuffed, then I have an alternative suggestion for you – be a parent, teach your child discipline at home, and don’t expect the teachers to parent your child.

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Milledgeville PD? What’s the surprise?

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Hopefully being handcuffed, the fear of God, or a higher authority than herself if you will, was instilled in this child. Maybe she will think twice before acting out in this particular way. I think that this is a sad story but it sounds like normal discipline was not working and more drastic steps were needed to subdue the child. IMO perhaps this was the best way to handle the situation.

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It is so embarrassing to be from Georgia.

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if the child was a danger to itself or others, restrain away.
I get the distinct feeling there is more to the story than reported

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Hey “Once Again” I’m pretty sure you probably weren’t even alive when Nazi Germany was around. Your just another liberal tool that will see a police officer give someone their last dime and you’d be against that too. Maybe the parents of the out of control child should be held accountable for once. Society has all these people trained that its never your fault or responsibility to teach your children right from wrong. At 5 years old I loved police and fire fighters and would have been in awe if they came into my class room to talk to me. People need to learn how to and teach their children respect. Respect the police, your teacher, and any adult. Nazi Germany? You’re a complete moron. You burned up to many brain cells smoking pot.

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What else would you use? Rope? Hands? Both of them could easily do more damage than cuffs. Then again back when they could just a big wooden paddle this crap wasn’t necessary.

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If some of you could see the things that I have seen kindergarten and first grade students do, you’d know that the answer is no! These days, threatening the kids that you will call the police is the only thing to get them to behave.

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There are ways to restrain and calm without handcuffing. Sounds like the policeman just lost his patience. This IS a kindergartner, not a middle or HS student. And we are talking about a policeman, not a 4 ft. 10 90 lb teacher.

@Jessica, I’m sure the parents are embarrassed, but we don’t know what issues this child may have, so judging them is inappropriate. Maybe it was just a temper tantrum, but it sounds pretty extreme for that.

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@aqua girl and others
From the description, this child likely does have serious issues. Talk of whacking the child or the parents sounds like none of you have any clue about special needs children.

The child needs help, not clueless policemen or message board posters.

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As a retired teacher and principal of an elementary school, I have have seen many, many out of control kids. There is no question that this child needed to be restrained, but I have never dealt with a child that I would condone handcuffing. There are more appropriate and accepted ways to restrain young children. I wonder if this child should be in a class or school for emotionally disturbed children. I question if she belongs in a regular public school. Apparently she was a danger to herself and others and probably needs some kind of special education placement.

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This child needs self discipline, NOT help. Out of control children are a danger to everyone. Until you have seen this happen do not judge. This behavior is becoming common in the schools. And parents in denial are the real problem. Discipline your child, or expect others to restrin tghem so they do not hurt others or themselves. Good for the policeman. No one should have to put up with this.

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What, no taser?

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I cannot believe some of the comments compare our repeat our police to nazis. What is an officer suppose to do? It appears the child was out of control and needed to be clamed down. I see nothing wrong with handcuffs as long as they were properly applied. Would it had been better if the police stood back and told the already injured principal, “Looks like you got a problem, buddy. Think I’ll just go and get me a coffee and a jelly donut.”

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I have been in the school system for 26 years and I have seen a great deal of children out of control. Sometimes you wonder what you are to do with these children. They either have anger problems or some emotional problems. When dealing with this type of child you have to protect yourself and others. I believe most of their problems stem from home and we can’t control their home life. I totally agree with restraining them. Way to go Milledgeville !

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Students with these extreme behavior problems do not belong in a regular classroom, but then with her being in kindergarten, the school system would not have had time to go through all the paperwork necessary to put her elsewhere. An investigation of her parent(s) and home life should begin immediately. Do what is necessary to keep these students from hurting anyone and destroying property no matter the age.

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The police did the parents a favor. Someone needs to teach that child boundaries.

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I know this is politically incorrect but kids who act out this violently need to be in a special school for students with emotional-behavioral disorders. It sounds like this student should be on a Behavior Intervention Plan ( BIP) at the very least. If this student is put in special education and gets an IEP, they cannot be expelled unless it is proven that their behavior (even if it is dangerous) is not “a manifestation of their disability.” For a student whose behavior is hazardous to themselves or others, a special school might indeed be the “Least Restrictive Envioronment.”

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I don’t know which is more absurd, handcuffing a 5 year-old, or comparing it to the Third Reich.

On second thought, yes I do.

The person who compared this to the Nazis is an imbecile.

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Just when did our nation lose all common sense? As a child i would have probably lived in hand cuffs had spankings been illegal.

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An out of control child needs to be restrained. Plain and simple. You can’t whip ‘em anymore so you’ve got no choice but to tie ‘em up. Kumbaya isn’t really an option.

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FINALLY all the comments weren’t completely bashing the teachers, administrators, etc. in the school and the police and actually suggesting – a. that the parent should be responsible or b. that there is something wrong with the child and that she may need more help/support…For all of you who have never worked in a school or been a police officer, you have NO right to pass judgement. As a special ed teacher, I can tell you that there are children of ALL ages who have great difficulties and can be/are dangerous no matter what size they are, AND they are not placed properly largely because their parent/s don’t want them to be placed where it would be appropriate. Public schools’ hands are tied – in so many ways…

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Why people should not have kids.

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People blame the police, but as an officer what about the parents. I love it when a parent calls us beacuse their child wont get out of bed and go to school. We talk stern to the child and then get complained on because they say we dont talk to out child like that. And people wonder whats wrong.

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straitjacket I guess but they dont usually carry those around

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If people didn’t have kids (you idiots only), this country would no longer exist! Hello! Look at how many people are in India and China.

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Obviously some of you have never seen an out of control child.

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Perhaps the girl need to be evaluated by a physician. There has got to be a reason for her behavior and it may not be bad parenting. Just something to think about as people pass judgement on a 6 year old girl.

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@Once Again – Are you retarded? Comparing handcuffing a physically violent (and possibly emotionally unstable) child who could hurt herself or others with NAZI GERMANY? Which, for the record, was responsible for over six million deaths of Jews and millions of others?

I think a better metaphor/comparison would be, well, ANYTHING. USSR, China, Myanmar/Burma, India, Thailand, Japan, etc.

Since we’re in Atlanta, let’s just compare it to African slavery, to see if that hits a chord. Doesn’t make sense, but neither did your idiotic comparison.

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1. Today’s kids are more than just a little out of control.
2. Years ago during the 50s, 60s, if kids were unruly, there was a handly paddle referred to the board of education. and, kids learned quickly.
3. The reason we have out of control humans, regardless of age,is that all moral guidelines have been either blurred or eliminated. “Do your own thing.”
4. There is little fear of authority. Back “then” there was a fear of authority and what that legal authority and law could do to someone’s freedoms. There were “consequences”. Today, kids do not exhibit fear of consequences.
5. It’s too bad that the child’s parents were not available during the child’s temper tantrum. Children are separate entities from the parent; just because a child act’s out doesn’t mean the parents are unhealthy.
I think in this instance, restraining a child for safety reasons and for helping the child understand the term “consequences” was the correct way to go. The charging her with criminal activity was a little over the top. Children need to learn, not be sent to jail or charged with criminal labels.

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I am a teacher and I agree with the concerns over out of control kids…I see it everyday….but in this case is it possible there is some other condition the child may be suffering from? Could she have autism or some other condtion?Surely being April and near the end of the year, this is not her first outburst…why hasn’t she referred for testing or a socail worker called? And if this was her first incident, what casued her to react in this way. I find it hard to beleive that she never acted out before.and that nothing has ever been done.

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Did you know in 2010/2011 school year over 21,000 incidents were reported in georgia schools AS REPORTED BY 11ALIVE ATL NEWS….ITS STILL LEGAL and used overused and abused in my opinion. It ainot working

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Hey why not shoot her with a Taser. Stupidddddd!

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Better when she is 6 rather than when she is 16 or 26yo. Right now the only consequences she will have from this is immediate. You act out like this when you are considered an adult or accountable, it can change the rest of your life for the worse. Now she will understand that there are consequences for her actions, and not everyone will put up with her acting out like her “parents” do. Unfortunately the parents will likely take what could be a very teachable moment and ruin it. It sounds like there a lot of others that would ruin it will. Eventually, she will be back in the exact same circumstances, and the only ones to blame will be the parents, not the school or officers that offered early intervention.

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So, where is the help the child needs? She’s kicked out of perhaps the only organized activity she has ever had in her life – what is going to happen to her now? I would not have high hopes for August 13 or 14 at this rate.

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UGA runs this state. First in bankruptcies. Last in education, mental health and physical health – in the South! and now this. UGA runs this state – go dawgs.

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The comment that the child is probably from a single parent home – keep in mind that some of us are not single parents because of choice. Some of us are single parents due to different reasons such as death of a spouse, abuse, etc. Many children who commit crimes, use drugs, abuse alcohol, etc. come from two parent homes and single parent homes. The pendulum swings both ways.

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What could they have done that would have made those upset happy? Talk to her?

If you take a belt or paddle to her, its abuse. And the parents (if they were so inclined) could easily find a lawyer to sue to officer, principal, school system, etc…

The handcuffs, hey that seems a little extreme to me too, but I wasn’t there. (And I’d bet 99.9% of those upset about this weren’t either.) If this kid was going berzerk as described, something had to be done. You can’t just step back and let the kid go.

But I’ll be honest with you, if principals were allowed to correct the children the way they used to, then you wouldn’t have the level of anarchy you find in most public schools. I have teacher friends that tell me things middle and high school students say to them which would get them arrested out in public (and if the principals and school systems didn’t cower in fear from these thugs/bullies and their parents). You know where it all starts? Kids in Elementary not having a good mix of fear and respect for their teachers and principals.

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My2Cents: If her parent(s) are not responsible enough to get their kid back to school in August, then the issue is at home. I’m sure DFACs would be glad to speak to them if that comes up. Unfortunately, whether or not this is her only social interaction does not mean they should turn a blind eye to the way she acted and let her come back like nothings wrong.

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This may have just brought to light another juvenile deliquent in the making and hopefully the parents will seek help for this child before it is too late and they visit her in jail for real. Sounds like she could be bi-polar or maybe just undisiplined at home. As one of you said, a good swift kick to the parents to wake them up and a good belt on this child’s bottom might wake someone up.

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gamom: What, in your opinion, would be a more effective way to address the unruliness of this child? Since it doesn’t state that corporal punishment was used (handcuffing is an exception to anything I’ve ever seen for a kindergartener), not sure how you can deduce that it wouldn’t have been more effective. Maybe that’s why she acted the way she did (she’s not punished at home for acting out that way), we don’t know what’s going on at home.

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here’s the new deal America… If ANY school official had tried to restrain this child ( from the article I assume a “kind hand ” on the child would have not done anything) The official would be facing charges and probably be suspended right now, then lost their job.
Had the officer “fought” this child ,the adult would have won so same scenario ..the officer would be suspended and lost his career most likely sooo he did the right thing . Now unruly child is restrained and not hurting anyone or tearing up anything.
I hate it has come to this but I would not lose my job and put my family in financial difficulty over some ones child anymore.

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Instead of headlines creating a stir like ‘Cops handcuff kindergartner’, how about a more accurate one which reads ‘6 year old goes beserk’ or ‘More parents who fail at parenting!’

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I question what is going on in the child’s life that made her act out in this manner. It is quite obvious that whatever was bothering her, caused her to overload. She simply could not handle the emotional stress any more. The question is what is causing her such emotional turmoil? Beating her is not the answer. Finding out the the stresses in her life, eliminating them or teaching her how to cope with them is a better approach.

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An out of control 6-year old can cause a lot of physical damage to other human beings. The cuffs seem like a reasonable and expedient response. I’m also certain that the officer didn’t have a lot of time to consider his/her options. As to the causes of the behavior, we don’t have nearly enough information to make a judgement on that. The last is called “critical thinking.”

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To struggle with the child, or try to restrain her could have caused her injury. Handcuffing her was the safest thing for all concerned. And to those that think cuffing was too harsh, if YOUR child was in a class with an out of control schoolmate, how would you react if a chair was thrown at YOUR child’s head? Seriously, there are some of you out there who have no idea what goes on in schools, all kinds of bizarre/dangerous behaviors which where learned, permitted, or ignored at home.

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CH,

Try proof reading before you dig yourself into a deeper hole that makes you sound even more dumb than you already do. I am a parent, and I can promise you my child will never act like this. You’re a complete idiot and your posts only reaffirm that notion because you make no sense and want to blame everything else but the kid and their parents. I feel bad if you’re a parent, because if you’re infecting your kid with the mindset you expressed on here, they’ll have a rough go at life. Of course, you’re probably the type of parent that wants trophies for 15th place, and doesn’t like kids playing tag on the playground because it’s too physical as well. Try growing up a little before you post again, or not, and continue to make a fool of yourself.

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An officer isn’t capable of restraining a 6 year old without cuffs?

This six year old was apparently gnawing on a doorknob. So yes, you would need handcuffs for that sort of child.

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the american industrial prison complex continues…

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I have seen kindergarteners totally destroy a room in a matter of minutes, throwing chairs, ripping off posters and work on the walls, and it was dangerous for me to stop the child on many levels. First, the child is throwing things at me. Do I want to get hurt? NO, I want to protect the innocent children. Second, if I touch the child and leave a mark on the child in any way for any reason, I am going to be sued.

For those that are saying to get her help, they have NO IDEA of the mounds of paperwork and countless months of interventions that must be done to even begin the process, and then the parent has to agree to it. It’s not like any teacher, principal or counselor can wave a magic wand and puff she is getting help. It takes about a year for the process to go through. It could be six months if they push her through, and parents ask for testing.

Teachers aren’t taught how to restrain children. If the cop, a trained individual who is used to dealing with people far worse than a kindergarten felt it was necessary to cuff her, than I am willing to believe it was the only way to help the girl get control. I have seen too many kids act like this year after year after year, because mom/dad don’t want to believe something is wrong with their precious “angel.”

Sometimes drastic measures need to happen to wake parents and children up.

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@ Rick Schools do not have Psychologists sitting in offices waiting for students to act out. School Psychologists are used to evaluate students for special services (special ed placement/gifted sometimes). They are not used for counseling. Counselors in schools do not have the training to deal with a totally out of control child who is throwing chairs and destroying a room. We do not know if this is the first time such an out burst happened or even if the parents want the child to have any help for their behavior.

As others have said, there is not enough information to make any judgement, but like the Treyvon case too many are quick to pass judgement on decisions without knowing all of the facts or working with totally distorted facts. We can thank our public schools for not teaching us how to think critically.

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Once again, I venture into the world of ‘getschooled.com’ and find some participants that react and respond to each other like guests on a Jerry Springer show. Civil debate is so much more interesting and useful.

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Your taxes at work.

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It is possible that this child may have special needs such as Autism that has not been diagnosed. Not every child who appears to be misbehaving actually is, at least not on purpose. I have a daughter with Autism, she is almost 14 and unfortunately she still has temper tantrums when frustrated. These can be further exasperated by others becoming upset and before you know it she is in a complete meltdown. I know to outside observers that do not understand, she appears to just be a “spoiled brat” and I am some horrible parent that is just allowing her to behave badly, but it is something that she can not control nor can I. She and I have to deal with the stares and dirty glares from strangers in stores and restaurants. Before she was properly diagnosed (which wasn’t until she was 9), I would be called to the school at least once a week. My daughter had to deal with not having any friends and nobody wanting to sit with her at lunch because of her tantrums and meltdowns. It was very heartbreaking as a mother. Before people judge and automatically jump on the parents as not raising their kids properly, try to be objective because it is possible that this is not what it seems.

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BF,

Folks may think you’re being sarcastic. They may not appreciate that this is the typical official response of the educRATS who “lead” our local schools.

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Hell no! An out of control child is unpredictable. Parents have little or no control over their children, but are waiting to file law suits. I think handcuffing the child minimized his/ability to harm others.

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Just hope the little precious and her mom move to another state before it grows up. I don’t blame the cop but I do blame the mom.

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I have seen the teen mothers, who when asked about their toddlers, laugh that he or she is “SO bad!” because the child is undisciplined and does such “cute” things when s/he doesn’t get his/her way.

I’m guessing that when the child begins to be this out of control, it’s not quite as funny any more.

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I think the Tasmanian Tot fared better with the cop than if a Catholic School Nun had to be involved…or a stern British Nanny.

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This child is either…

1) A total brat with biological units that are unwilling to be parents

OR
2) psychologically disturbed with totally clueless parents

In either case, the child was a THREAT to the other children in the class room. I say that the cop did the right thing.

I hope that poor child gets some help somewhere as it appears her parents won’t get her any.

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For all you commenters who have never taught, teachers cannot touch or put their hands on students, are BARELY allowed to raise their voice at students, and have difficulty getting troubled students out of the general population. So, teachers are handcuffed as well with immediate action.

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Number 1: All of you out there crying out how “ridiculous” this is, have you seen the state that today’s youth is in? They are idolized by the media for doing things like this, getting pregnant, and just making bad decisions all around.
Number 2: Was the child physically harmed by the handcuffs being placed upon her? Is the child going to get any reprimanding outside of suspension from school? Keep in mind, during her suspension her mother will probably tell her that it was the educators who did wrong, and not the child who was acting inappropriately.
Number 3: Parents use educators as personal babysitters. This child needs to learn from someone that she cannot act in the manner that she did. If this were a twelve year old, she would have been sentenced to time in juvenile hall.
All of you complaining about this situation need to seriously wake the hell up, and QUIT TRYING TO BE YOUR CHILD’S FRIEND! Be a damn parent first, and cut the local educators and police officers some slack for doing the job that none of you want to.

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Should have put the cuffs on the parents also.

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Good job by the police and for the school officials for suspending that brat until Aug. 13. If that little demon is like this now, imagine what she’ll be like when she’s 18!

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I think we would have had to have been on the scene to make a call on this.

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When you reach a point where fear of trial lawyers and lawsuits overrides everything else, this is exactly the kind of situation you may expect. When I was in school, a child acting like this would have gotten a swift paddling. Now, if you even touch one of the little darlings, you get sued. Don’t expect any action from our lawmakers as most of them are lawyers.

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What was this child consuming? Did she just have breakfast of sugar frosted flakes, with added sugar with allergy causing milk? Were her parents working three jobs to pay the bills? Clearly, this child was not having a solid home life. Spanking may not be the solution. A healthy diet and loving parental care it what she needs. Maybe its time we figure out how to have Mom at home full time, like before the 1950’s.

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The officer, called in by the school, made a judgement call to resolve a bad situation. It may or may not have been how another would have handled it but the immediate situation was resolved without further injury.

The real debate should be how should our public schools handle these children and their parents ?

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This disturbs me. A quote from the link provided:

She has mood swings some days, which all of us had mood swings some days. I guess that was just one of her bad days that day,” said Constance Ruff, the child’s mother

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this is what educators have to deal with on a day to day basis, and then you have johnny come lately second guessing the response of everybody when THEIR child was the one out of control. You can not “discipline” children anymore because it is deemed abuse. We ALL were disciplined in school, there are always consequences for your actions.

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This was probably the only way to handle this child if she was injuring teachers & destroying school property. They couldn’t give her a good old fashion belt whipping so what could they do.

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The people who are saying the MPD over-reacted probably have children that behave like this. And unless she somehow accidentally ingested meth, this “tantrum” probably wasn’t the first one!

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I am a parent. I can handle ANY six year old without cuffs.
If the officer cannot hold the child by the hand or hug the child or do anything else besides the cuffs…
FIRE the officer.
If the officer is a man, he needs his genitalia removed.
Any real man who cannot physically hold a child into submission needs his n&ts removed and has no right to call himself a man.
He needs to be a eunich somewhere serving the queen.
A complete disgrace.
He needs to be fired.

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It would not make a difference if she had 100 tempertantrums before…. that’s what 6 year olds do! But they are not sent to jail for having them. But it was in this case…… WHY!?!

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This could be the result of bad parenting (alot of that going around) or she could have a disability that hasn’t been diagnosed. A trip to a health care professional is in order for her AND her parents to see where the issue lies.

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Sure, the big, bad policeman was way out of line here. Maybe he should have told the child she was going in “time out” or that she wouldn’t get to play with her favorite toy. This is garbage. If people would bother to raise their kids instead of letting them run free, undisciplined, and free to do whatever they want at all times, this poor cop wouldn’t have been in this position.

Ask yourself, foolish AJC commenters, why was this police officer involved to begin with? Was this officer on routine patrol when he/she decided to jump out of the patrol car and run into the classroom to mess with a poor, innocent little angel who was just giving her teacher a little resistance to her juice box? No, friends. This child was being such a disruption, so unruly, that her teacher and school called in law enforcement. Even if this officer was a school resource officer (which is doubtful, most districts don’t have SROs until the middle school level) the fact remains that a teacher trained in how to deal with the minds of precious little angels threw up his or her hands and called in 5-0. That should tell you right there that this wasn’t any sort of typical situation with a typical child like when your handsome young man steps in a puddle after you tell him not to. No, this was a situation with a child who was flipping the hell out, obviously desperate for some sort of adult attention. Seems clear to me that this precious little angel wasn’t getting much home training. A police officer is not trained in early childhood education. Here are the tools a law enforcement officer has: negotiation, verbal commands, the laying on of hands for physical control, handcuffs, an ASP baton, a Taser, and a handgun. TELL US, oh, wise readers and lovers of children everywhere, WHAT was this officer supposed to do? Talking to the kid and telling her to chill out didn’t work. Ordering her to chill out didn’t work. So now what? Remember: teacher gave up. Peer students aren’t helping. The officer has a situation to deal with. Wait until the child tires herself out? At what cost to the school, gentle readers? The child was destroying property that must be replaced on YOUR dime, taxpayers of Macon. How high are you going to let her run up the tab until you want someone to take action? This officer didn’t abuse the child. He didn’t hit her, beat her, taser her, or shoot her. He placed her in physical restraints until she settled down. At that point, it was the only response, and the only reason any of you are freaking out about is because you’re not *thinking*, you’re just reacting with your own biases against law enforcement officers. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Think before you pass judgment on the officer.

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You have no idea what some of these schools deal with. Sounds like this was a special needs child in a BIP program or something. Our school has this and a child would take of his close and run naked..the final straw was attacking a school bus driver and biting her arm…so many of these kids do not belong in a school setting.

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Contractor, funny! At least I hit a nerve! You idiot! Please know that if I was your neighbor, DFACS will be at your door. You pathetic idiot! Go to work!

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This type of tantruming behavior is becoming the norm in K and 1st grade. These children are not getting their way and they tantrum. It happens all the time. Cograts to the school for calling the police. Maybe now parents will “teach” their children at home what is correct behavior and what is not! Parents are their child’s greatest and most influential teacher. Please teach your child, not enable them.

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What the belt don’t cure the buckle will.

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This is an extreme example of what happens when discipline is missing in the home. This kid needs a permanent attitude adjustment starting at the seat of her pants!

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Police say they tried to contact her mother but weren’t able to reach her.

My thoughts are “she was probably used to this kind of behavior at home so she saw nothing wrong with it”. I mean, if she had a violent nature wouldn’t this have shown up before she was even allowed to attend a public school……..what kind of parent wouldn’t seek help for her and knowing her violent nature, not be able to be contacted. hmmmmmmm……..

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This goes to show you that our tax dollars are not spent on training educators on conflict resolution. We have created this “call the cops” society and rely too much on the government to fix things that, we ourselves, have the ability to control.

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For the people who believe the child shouldn’t be handcuffed, this is probably how your kid acts. You are the parents who have a problem with other people discipling your kids. Your kids probably act this way and you sit them in “time-out” or you say what her mom said, “she’s having a bad day”.

Get the heck out of here. Kids these days need to be taught respect and boundaries. If the police or the principal would have tried to restrain the child, someone would have a problem with that. They did EXACTLY what they should have done. Parents need to take responsibility for the actions of their children instead of trying to blame other people. For every action, there is a reaction and the school and police reacted appropriately.

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I agree with the police, kids that are that enraged are strong as an ox and if they are capable of injuring another student or teacher, they are capable of injuring themselves

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They sentenced her to the place where she learned to act that way, and since it will inconvenience those who are raising her, I am sure that the atmosphere there will be ramped up several notches making it even worse for the child.

Handcuffing? Ridiculous! Paddling? This is the 21st century you sadists! Violence has apparently already been taught to the kid, probably at home, and you want to ratchet that up by justifying it with more.

How much sugar had this child consumed that day?

Think I don’t know what I’m talking about? In kindergarten my son was asking the teacher to do encyclopedia study, like the first graders, and had to complete extra work in order to be able to. That comes from the home life before kindergarten.

The parent(s) should be suspended.

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Wow, The video really explains it all… Everybody making excuses… The kid not remorseful…. What a shame. I can just remember how my dad handled my mood swings….

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Good job officer. Maybe puddin’ can learn a little repect.

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I am glad that the majority of responses are supporting the school. As a current elementary administrator, I understand why it was done. I have had to use school resource officers before to give students a dose of reality when chronic misbehaving occurs. Chronic discipline problems are the parents problems to solve and for the most part they are not doing it…dont want to be the bad guy!

This is part of the problem when everyone wants to reform the schools. If you have not been in a school setting lately, dont critize the actions of others until you have walked in their shoes.You want better schools, get our society under control first.

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I have a 7 year old with Aspergers (within the Autism spectrum)…when she was that age and a little less mature, she would have violent meltdowns. I see this as the classic symptoms, not just based on my experience. Cornering the child will make the meltdown worse, which is more than likely why the meltdown escalated. You have to put them in safe area until it’s over. I would think at least a few teachers would know this.

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Taser.

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For everyone saying that there are better ways to restrain a child – what are they? In this case, ANYTHING the faculty or the officer did would be scrutinized and everyone who disagrees with their actions would have a “better” way for the situation to have been handled. Children get away with so much in school. My daughter told me that she heard a kid tell the teacher, “So what? Call my mother, then!” Teachers can only do so much. Their jobs are to educate your children, not to babysit your bad kids.

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“where’s the father?”

“Maybe something is going on at home that is making her this angry and out of control”

Anyone connect the dots yet?

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Why did they suspend child too…making her fall behind. School to jail pipeline. Mom should contact southern poverty law center

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@gamom

Are you kidding? First of all she shouldn’t fall behind if she is doing her work at home… Somehow I doubt this will happen, but that’s not the school’s issue. It’s the parents issue. The fact that you suggest that she contact for legal advice is ABSURD!

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Yeah well it’s about time! Kids’ behaviors have gotten out of control in schools. I don’t care if you are 6 or 16. That child should be kicked out and never able to return. Make these parents of behavior problems pay for their child’s education and we’ll see how much better they behave. Good for the police and the school principal!!!!!!

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There were a LOT of better responses, but all would have put the school in a lawsuit.

If teachers or school officials had so much as touched the child, they would have been liable for lawsuits. They did the only thing our nanny state allows…. called the police.

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The mom, the cop, the principal, the teacher, and the child need to be locked up. That would be a good sitcom. Redneck uneducated cop, uneducated overweight black single mom, principal who hates his/her job (also a moron and apparently a weakling), and an out of control child who in 6 years will be on a TV show screaming, “Ya’ll don’t know me!!!” The comedy writes itself.

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I guess y’all didn’t read my comment.

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Was the child autistic? This sounds very much like a heavy autism meltdown. I haven’t read all of the comments, but if so, the behavior was 1)not learned from the mother 2)not a result of a spoiled child 3) nothing to do with single parenting…and the list goes on. Sometimes autism diagnosis does not occur until children are older..sometimes into adulthood. Thinking YOU know the reason..and the cure, when you have had no experience, just read an article, is absurd. Everybody wants to say, “Well, if that had been my kid, I would have…” when you don’t know what you would do because it is not your “perfect” kid. We are constantly being tested by news and experiences like this. Do we respond with compassion, which is difficult, or do we fall in with the judges who have already convicted and sentenced when they have half a story?

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This kid is crying out for the attention she is obviously not receiving from those that bred and brought her into this world. I don’t call them parents, because they are obviously not parenting anyone.

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So using handcuffs were too extreme for some? What if the officer was forcefully holding the child how is kicking, screaming, and wiggling like crazy and they accidently broke the childs arm, wrist or something else. It would be a whole different story. Police did the right thing. I agree with those that a “board of education” should be used once again in schools.

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Appropriate response given that it is easier for the parents to sue the school than take responsibility for their child’s actions and seek an appropriate means to get her under control.

I grew up in a single parent home as well and I turned out fine but then again, my mom whooped me when I messed up.

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I am amazed that we think it is OK to handcuff a five year old girl, drag her to a police station, and charge her with a multitude of felonies. WE have lost our minds. That a cop would do this show how completely mad our society has become and how completely inept that officer is. All children throw temper tantrums from time to time and adults (that work with kids) need to understand how to deal with them. If a school system has no other way to deal with poor behavior of a student than this we should fire the group of them and hire real professional teachers. When did it become the responsibility of the school system to give kids a criminal record before they teach them to write their name?

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Unfortunately, I have read comments from some posters about punishing and beating the child in question. Did anyone stop to wonder why this child, who hasn’t been a problem all year suddenly acted out of control? What could have overwhelmed this poor child’s mind and emotions so much as to cause such inexplicable behavior? Perhaps this is a sign of something much more serious and before jumping to torturing the child even further an investigation should be conducted to find out what caused this. There is a reason for everything and without knowing the cause you shouldn’t administer judgement or punishment. Even criminals caught in the act are entitled to a fair trial in which the facts are investigated and presented. I seriously hope that those of you who would rush to injur this child are not parents….perhaps not even adults since you don’t seem to have the wisdom that should accompany such an important station in life.

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I am really over people who think that all children with behavior issues have bad reclusive parents. That is just not the case. Some kids REALLY DO have psychiatric and behavior issues that go way beyond the disciplining ability of any parent. I know. I have been there. I agree with another poster earlier who mentioned the BIP and EIP programs, this child obviously has some issues, especially with anger. Most children that age don’t go through anger outbursts just because they need a whoopin. Get real people.

Nevertheless, with the way some people are and the way lawsuits are filed so quickly, and the fact that the mother could not be reached, the police officer did what he thought would be the least damning. If he were of to restrained the child, that would be on the news too…. This needs to be a wake-up call to the girls parents that she needs help. What she did is NOT normal and it should be addressed immediately.

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Best to leave the child in a safe place, away from harm until it’s over. Have a calm adult sit near them, but do not interact with the child.

Wasn’t there an outcry about “solitary rooms” a while back? Everyone freaked out over locking kids in a room.

If a child needs this much intervention, they need either serious meds or some type of alternative situation. It would be wonderful if every school could take 30% of their time sitting and dealing with severely disturbed/uncontrollable children. But then we would call them “mental institutions” not schools, and we wouldn’t send our regular kids there and expect them to learn anything.

On the other hand, from some of the comments here it sounds like that is EXACTLY what is happening in our schools.

Call it compassion fatigue, but there’s a small number of children who are just plain screwed by either genetics or parenting. Get them out of the schools and let’s move on.

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oneofeach4me, the hard part sometimes is parents are often in denial of their child’s disability. Hopefully this will give the parents a wake up call, and my only hope is they get the proper support and guidance. I am surprised that a special needs teacher did NOT step in and take over. They’re the ones that are trained.

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Haven’t I said on a few occasions that even some kindergartners (did I spell this correctly?) are “out of control”? I have known them to attack and kick and even bite their teachers, but as Beverly Fraud and Dr. Craig have so well pointed out on this thread, it is probably the fault of the teachers! Ha!

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@KC ~ I agree. But sometimes, if the parent doesn’t advocate on behalf of their child then the school may figure if the parent doesn’t care, why should they? Plus, this is a pretty small town so maybe they had only one special needs teacher that was already dealing with those who have been assigned to their care. In other words, the girl’s parents need to realize that this is NOT just a mood swing or a bad day and they need to advocate for their child with the school system to get her on a behavioral/early intervention plan, and be less concerned about how the school had to deal with their child during an outburst.

Now if the girl was already in a special needs class and this same incident occurred with the same response, then we would be going in a totally different direction with this discussion.

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Outrageous!!! Are you kidding me? The police, and citizens that agree with this course of action are insane. An unruly six year old should not be subjected to a police action. This Country has lost it’s way, the law can’t solve all your problems. All you get is a police state, and loose your FREEDOM. Next time, call the parents, not your daddy, aka, the government.

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@LeeH1
Social workers and teachers in special needs schools use physical restraint techniques all the time. And a police officer can’t? Most teachers in regular public schools wouldn’t have been properly trained, but you would expect a police officer to be able to handle a 5 year old without cuffs.

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It is about time that some one stepped forward and protected the innocence.
The teachers who work hard with their students and are constantly interrupted by the less fortunate, those whose parents blame the teacher because of their life mistakes..I didn’t see, but how did that child end up with the principal?? She probably interrupted the class every day. The poor students who wanted to learn. Yes, someone has to be made an example of and it is you. Yep, parents don’t disappear during the day when your child is in school. They are only the educators. Educators can’t replace you or parent for you, be available and parent your child. Don’t let them become a burden on society. Yes, they will pay the piper. Educators are there to e-d-u-c-a-t-e. Your child and the school have the parents for all the other stuff. If you need help visit your local CHURCH. They may be able to help you. Churches most often have parenting classes, etc. what ever your situation is.

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Anyone calling this child a spoiled brat has certainly not read the full article linked to this blog. The child is clearly not a spoiled rich princess. Read the article. I would be willing to bet on the economic level of the family.

As for if this could have been handled differently, sure it could have. But why? This kid is now scarred? News flash…this kid is already f’ed up.

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So why are many attacking the 6 year old? I think the home should be investigated. It’s possible that the child is being subjected to severely inappropriate circumstances at home. All of that anger and fear is coming from somewhere, and the child is articulating that the only way she’s been taught. That child needs help.

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Out of control is out of control…age should not be a factor. I have seen younger children than that need to be restrained for their own safety and that of others. We only know part of the story and I would err on the cuffs side in this one.

Have you seen the strength and devastation a small angry child can display? This may be a case of schizophrenia or another mental disorder…they can be very dangerous. Especially children because we underestimate the damage they can do.

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There are obviously other issues with this child not covered in this story. Looks to me like a behavior disorder not just an angry child. When police are called they have to respond as officers of the law not couselors or babysitters.

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It is obvious this child needs discipline. I am sure this case will escalate as it becomes more ciculated. I would bet by the time her suspension is up there will be another solution available for this child so she will not be attending there. I am sure her beahavior mirrors many students resulting in teachers and principles having to resort to extreme measures. What about the other students in this class? They deserve a peaceful and calm learning environment without major disruptions. This parent needs to be attending parenting classes and I hope that is part of her fine.

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Well, IMHO she needed her little bottom tanned, but if they had done that, there would be an outcry the likes of which you’ve never heard and a lawsuit against the school and person who did it. Actually, she needed her little bottom tanned long before this. I remember when my then 4 yr. old grandson decided he would throw a little temper tamptrum. My daughter-in-law told him she wasn’t going to listen to that and to go up to his room and not come out until he knew how to act. He went upstairs, slammed the door hard, and we could hear him screaming and stomping around the room. Eventually, after 4 or 5 minutes, he calmed down, then opened the door and said, “Mommy, can I come out now?” She said, “Yes, if you think you know how to behave.” And that was the end of temper tamtrums for him! Didn’t even have to spank him. She would have though if it continued.

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Has it occurred to anyone that this child might be mentally ill? I hope the mother will seek out some serious counseling for the child and the family to determine the cause of such behavior – and I wish that schools would not readmit children like this without some proof of such counseling. Children like this often (but not always) turn out to be quite dangerous as they get older.

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The police were necessary because too many parents press assault charges against teachers and principals. They are not allowed to touch a child, even if they are being attacked. So, in this case, yes, the police need to be involved to take care of this out of control child. We too often blame the police and others, but it is the fault of the parents of this child.

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They should have never taken spanking out of the schools.I got my butt paddled by the principal one time in middle school,and he never had a problem out of me again. I have always wander why did they stop that.I wouldn’t mind at all,as the mother of four boys.

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Aquagirl:

My husband is a teacher. In an alternative school. All the students have mental issues of some kind. And he gets no extra pay for it.

I told him I’m going to heaven on his ticket. (this line is pure sarcasm, just fyi)

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sounds like the police responded appropriately to the situation.

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AMEN! If parents will not discipline their child, the law will…at any age.

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Oh, and regarding the comment of this being a “brown-skinned child”. I am a brown-skinned mom and I would light my child up like a Christmas tree if either of them acted in that manner. Respect begins at home and that has nothing to do with race!

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Majority of those who are posting OTHER methods could have been used to restrain this child, Have NOT listed a SINGLE alternative method of restraint. I was asthmatic as a child and it took the nurse, my mother and the doctor to restrain me to administer a shot. If the child is acting out (to the point of destroying property) endangering herself and others, then this was the only logical method of restraint that would not cause futher injury to all involved. We are a nation that has become too sensitive- There are no checks and balances. Parents can’t discipline their children, neither do parents want anyone else to disciple their children. Understand that I do NOT condone abuse beit physical, emotional or pyschological,but we need to draw the line in the sand somewhere. This a generation that has no respect for authority nor elders. We live in a country that is full of greed, we believe we can sue people for anything- so schools and the police depts have set parameters in place to minimize these adverse outcomes. I believe that the officer & prinicpal were justified in their actions. If they would have let her tear up the place and she injured herself, then who would the public/society blame?? You guessed it correctly, the Officer AND the Principal– the child’s parents would retain the best attorneys and sue the police dept and the school. Throwing tandrums are never appropriate and if you vandalize property (that is NOT yours), you should be held accountable–even if you’re 6 years old. If the the child is taught this early on— that this is NOT appropriate behavior, the child is probably less likely to have future meltdowns. We should not place the ENTIRE blame on the parents either. It takes an ENTIRE VILLAGE to raise a child…Lets stop being the problem and become the solution…

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Ok..then what about the others kids in the class who were either “in the child’s path” or witnessed the behaviors. NO ONE ever advocates for the other kids. I don’t care if she’s special ed, has mental issues, or an EIP or an IEP. If that is the behavior, it DOES NOT belong in the classroom. Oh poor student. WhaT about the other students? No one has mentioned how it affects them and it’s is way over due.

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Those of you suggesting this behavior is lack of discpline at home need to spend a day in that parents’ shoes. April is Autism awareness month and although there is no mention of any diagnosed condition of this child, the behavior and that of others described in these comments are typical of when an Autistic child has a meltdown. My experience with the elementary and middle schools (at least in Cobb County) is they are either unable or unwillining to deal with these situations.

There are proper restraint methods for a child in a meltdown state which do not require handcuffs. This training should be mandatory for all teachers and schools administrators. But even if they have it they choose not to use it. We were threatened once with paying for damages done by our Autisitc child and hit back hard with counter claims the school was negligent in standing by doing nothing while our child was in danger of injuring himself. By the end of that meeting those people understood what would happen the next time they failed in their duties.

School administration will hide behind their “rules” as an excuse to do nothing.

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@Danny, given the parents in this situation….I’d be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that this kid is corporally punished.
Beating (as I hear it called) is still alive and well in the AA community.

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Dondee, you’re right! This is the direction that modern society has driven us! This, folks, is what happens when children are not disciplined appropriately! Let the punishment fit the action… if a child can’t share, take away the toys,..if there is a tantrum, spank that rear-end! All you bleeding-heart softees who think spanking is cruel…well, here you go..re-read the story..hope you’re happy, cause that IS and WILL CONTINUE TO BE the result. Have a good day, ya’ll.

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I don’t know the facts that surround this incident so I cannot really comment on what happened with the police officer and the child. But I can say that all these negative commenters need to shut up. How do they know the parents are not parenting; they may be having as difficult a time as anyone. Why call a six-year-old an idiot? There is obviously more to the story. I ask the commenters to walk a mile in the appropriate shoes before making ridiculous comments.

And thank you Maureen for removing the child’s name.

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First of all, the COP(Constable On Patrol) needs to find a new job. When a COP is in fear or has concerns about his/her safety concerning a 6 year old, they are in the wrong profession. Case law shows handcuffs are only to be used when a “prisoner” is a flight risk. Nothing about someone who is scared, in fear, concerned about safety, or just has a yellow streak down thier back. For those that want to discipline( assault) the child; you’re as sick as the COP. An adult( averaging 5′7″ 165 lbs) hits 6 year old child (averaging 4 feet 45 lbs); it is called disclipline. A child hits an adult(speculation); it’s called assault. People wonder why the world looks at North America with disgust.

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I would like to offer a slightly different take on this situation. This year I have had a five year old student who has destroyed classrooms, attacked adults, sent an administrator to the hospital with a bite wound, has scratched and kicked adults. the child does not just have tantrums, the child will fight adults using fists. He kicks them and will throw anything he can get his hands on. He refuses to participate in any school activities. He has engaged in this behavior for up to an hour and a half. Other children were afraid of him. Even older children avoided him.
I know nothing of this situation, but teachers cannot spend their day handling violent behavior when there are children who need to be taught academic subjects. We have to recognize that mental health issues do manifest in children. Many of these children have been exposed to substances (prenatally) that are having a serious effect on their ability to access the curriculum in a way that is safe for everyone around them.

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Clearly the parent was not doing enough in raising this child, and law enforcement didn’t do this to actually charge her. They did it to teach her a lesson that she obviously wasn’t going to recieve at home. Perhaps this experience will discourage future outbreaks from the child.

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Please ! What gives us the right to judge ! We where not there and do not know this child or parent, the mother said she has good days and bad ones, she is only 6 years old,I have seen children like act like that, there might be a medical problem with this child that needs help in a special way, I have worked with children that are like this, one day there wonderful and the next there out of control when you know this you are trained to see the signs before they get out of control and sometimes you can not catch it and you get help from those working with you, we seem to be quick to talk down on the mother, some parents are in denial when they see there child at up and brush it of as just acting up because they don’t know how to deal with it. both need to go in for some consultation. keeping the little girl out till Aug is so extreme, and why charge her with a crime at 6yrs old, i’m sure the police dept could find other criminals out in the streets to deal with, maybe this makes them look great since it’s a little town.
why not take the child to the hospital to be evaluated then that way they might get the help that they both would need. I have 6 grown children, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild, a spanking only had to happen one time with mind and just a look let them know i meant business, with the grands never had to, just knew how to talk in a way that they already knew how to act, i did that by pointing out to them when we saw children being bad, i told them froma very young age, I was so happy that they where good children and i was proud of them, that made them great and respect all in authority along with your parents. Please let us not be quick to judge we all have made mistakes.

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@Aquagirl ~ if I remember correctly, they do not put disabled children in a classroom with 29 other regular kids…..

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As the parent of an autistic child please stop trying to explain away the bad behavior of every out of control child with a mental illness or disorder. Stop. It invalidates those who truly have issues. Not saying she may not but assume she can’t just be undisciplined. Heck, even some special ed kids need more discipline and less coddling.

If you go and watch the video attached to this story, you see the mother is trying to justify her child’s actions. That’s the start of a dangerous path. Because if whatever is causing these meltdowns is not addressed, the girl is going to end up in lockup. Period. Get the child and the parent some psychiatric help. This was not only a disruption to the other students in this girl’s class, but to the entire school. Add to that the fact they couldn’t reach the mother, and I sure wouldn’t be on tv or in the paper discussing the matter in any way.

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Nothing to see here-Good A@@ whooping needed!!! That is all.

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@a parent.. I didn’t know they did that now. And no offense.. but I do count my blessings. I have my own issues, but honestly, there is always someone out there that is dealing with their children and have more serious issues than I.

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@Tonya C. ~ that is what I was just thinking when I read the link from a parent.. seems like that could be a gift and a curse.

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I can kind of excuse, appreciate, deal with – the cuffs. You have to restrain her.

But at what point, is the decision made to TRANSPORT her, in the back of a police car, cuffed, sans a boster seat, and put in her a CELL??

Her parents are terrible, that much is true, but she cannot be expected to act like an adult, you cannot hold her to that standard. Kids are not tiny adults.

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Tonya C.-well said.I was disgusted by the video because it just shows another example of people not taking responsibility for their actions or the actions of their children.(Bad DAY??).If they(her parents) don’t teach this child properly,we will see her again down the road as an addition to our prison system.This is where it starts.

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parent who has been there…..I’m familiar with the whole “appropriate education” thing. Yes, you can hijack the system to revolve around your special needs child. Congrats. You’re acting out of parental instinct where you place your child before anything else. Problem is….there’s a bunch of children getting run over while that happens. If you’re bold enough to publicly say that’s fine, it’s your legal right and there’s really nothing else to say. But do remember that educational system is supposed to turn out people capable of caring for your child when you’re gone.

Honestly if this child is chewing on doorknobs when she’s 6 and mom thinks it’s just a bad day, her chances of being a functioning adult are not good. Mental illness is like any other illness, sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. Also, when someone is severely ill, we send them to a hospital, not a classroom. We don’t expect educators and police to insert chest tubes or do surgery, we shouldn’t expect them to fix mental illnesses either.

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Of course there is a better way, restraining the child in a hug, but then the police officer would probably have been accused of child molestation and sued, especially if there was a bruise left on the arms of the child. With our sue happy world, common sense has left the building.

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And here is a real life reality check:

Some of these kids belong in alternative educational settings. They will never be stable enough to exist in a regular ef environment. It sucks, but it’s true.

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“She might have misbehaved, but I don’t think she misbehaved to the point where she should have been handcuffed and taken downtown to the police department,” said her aunt, (name redacted)

Just curious Aunty, what WOULD be “to the point” that she should be handcuffed?

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Did the handcuffs prevent the child from hurting herself or anyone else? If so, then I have zero problem with it.

Why would anyone?

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There was no perp walk. They took the kid to the police station because that’s where the police work.

The only thing they could have done is held here in the office and wait for her family member to come pick her up. Either way, there is not much to debate. The school couldn’t restrain an out of control person, they called the police, the police restrained that person. No one was harmed….. move along.

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Restrained yes – handcufs no. There are proper ways to restrain a child that do not invlove handcuffs. Which easily cut into the skin. Even an elderly adult could restrain a 5 year without the use off handcuffs. I could see it with older and bigger children (roughly middle school aged) but not a 5 year old.

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I have never agreed with the “child abuse” thing. This case is just another way for the child to get away with bad behavior. She also got a vacation from school. That was an encouragement to do it again. Now she can sit in front of the TV at home and play video games all day.(which I also disapprove of). A parent should have ‘the right’ to heat up a childs botton when appropriate. Instead the child screams”I will call the cops on YOU”. Not a good training environment. All you commenters respond with” the parent failed in training” BUT the parents hands are tied by the LAW. SO I think the police person did the best thing for the kid.

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It sounds like the child needs to see a mental health professional. Parents are not always to blame for such erratic behaviors. The officer did what needed to be done to prevent further injury. An empty room would have probably worked just as well, but who knows if that was even an option. We are all quick to judge, but we weren’t there and we don’t know the child or her background.

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In the Milledgeville newspaper, the mother attributed little Selecia’s meltdown to “having a bad day.” Seriously?! That statement says a lot about her mother’s parenting skills. In my school days, Little Miss Lady would have had a REALLY bad day once she got that visit to her backside from the “board of education.” Yep, that good ole BOE worked on misbehaved chilluns ever time! This is what we have come to. Outrageous.

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for the rest of you discussing ADHD, show me the virus, bacteria, or defective DNA that causes this “disease,” and I’ll believe it exists.

We can’t show a virus, bacteria, or “defective” DNA that causes schizophrenia either. Yet there’s little doubt it exists or can be helped with some therapies. I’m just sayin’.

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Could this child be autistic having a melt down? A quiet room is needed for children that have high anxiety and teachers that are taught how to catch this behavior before it goes that far. Be fair to all and handle it without the police. If it get out of hand, they need to be put in a quiet room until they can calm down and you can talk to them. the issue definately got out of hand and the more you holler or push it, it gets worse. No reflection on teacher but help for each.

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No one wants padded rooms anymore. The are considered ‘inhumane’. Not my personal opinion, but the general public has spoken on the issue.

To get a ‘quiet room’ in a school usually requires students be removed from it, thus disrupting their school day. To add to that you then increase the chance the destruction the child has called will also be done to another classroom.

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I’m surprised they did not shoot her in the back and call it self defense.

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Reading the latest where the parents want to get Al Sharpton involved has me thinking that they refuse to have their daughter take responsibility for her actions and that they are not willing to take responsibility for their own actions. NO police officer automatically puts a 6 year old in handcuffs.

I am so tired of people not being responsible for themselves and wanting to automatically get lawyered up and sue the school and police department. I sure hope that there is some kind of evidence that this child was out of control. Or else it will be a he said/she said situation.

This is why we can’t get intelligent people to become teachers or stay in the education profession.

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No matter what the police did it would be wrong and subject to trial by media. So handcuffing and removing the child was probably the least of all evils. But why was a child of that age throwing such a violent temper tantrum? Uncontrolled behavior and possible injury to others? This is a learned behavior and will only get worse as she gets older. Obviously no discipline at home or this would not have happened.

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I missed the part where the school suspended the kid from now through Aug..bascially she’s done for the rest of the year..wow.

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I also think it’s b.s. Just pointing out that the mother nor the child seems to acknowledge any responsibility in this situation at all.

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Yes

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It sounds like this child was TOTALLY out of control! Sometimes extreme measures such as the one taken in this instance is appropriate. This child has probably learned a good lesson that misconduct will NOT be tolerated. This child obviously has no strong parental guidance or positive role models and will most likely end up in the prison system that we tax payers fund. So maybe getting a big dose of consequences for bad behavior at a young age (especially when they don’t get it at home) may scare some of these kids straight before they rot in jail on my tab.

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Bette _available_ option? Most likely not. Safe & effective in dealing with the matter at hand.

Better option period? Certainly, but those have been taken away by both permissive & cowardly halfwits and by those with enough sense but to little will to resist said stupidity.

Another few years, I suspect we’ll see kids like this one get extra credit in P.E. for behavior such as this.

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@What about the child
I think what this demonstrates is really a lack of listening and/or reading comprehension skills which seem to be in even shorter supply than discipline. Its understandable that most people wouldn’t be familar with autism, aspberger’s, the impacts of abuse or the other issues that could cause this type of behavior. They are familiar with spoiled brats. They use the technique they would use on the issue they are familiar with.

But like our public political discourse with politicians talking past each other instead of to each other, these “discipline” posters either don’t understand what they read or refuse to even listen to others who have experience with these other issues. It is extremely unlikely that this type of behavior is simply being a spoiled brat. It does fit with several other issues as people have mentioned.

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I don’t approve of hand-cuffing a six-year-old. That said, her behavior was completely out of control. Where did she learn that it was okay to throw temper tantrums and destroy other people’s property? There is no mention that this child has a documented behavior disorder…and if she does, she needs to be in a separate classroom with special education teachers who are trained to respond to children with these conditions. I find it telling that her family didn’t have anything to say about the child’s extremely inappropriate behavior.

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Dear Mr. Wow… What would “you” do to restrain the child? Why don’t you ride along with an officer where you live and see what it is like in the real world.

Would also like to know what is the proper age to handcuff someone? 8, 12, 16??

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Tonya C, Yes I watched the video. Not one family member took responsibility. They acted that she was just crying. Cops don’t just cuff a kid for crying. The little girl didn’t seem to be autistic or have any other problems, other than having parents being in denial. Schools don’t call the police unless they can’t deal with it themselves or unless it’s not the first time something like this happened.

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What she really needed was for her behind to be spanked and taught manners. This is what our kids think is right. If not my way then I will pitch a fit. NEVER HAPPENED AT MY HOUSE BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND I DID NOT STAND FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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If the teacher, principal, and police officer were white, this is a WORSE CASE SCENARIO. That being said, if they had the parents permission, I guess its okay. But I would go nuts if someone handcuffed my 5 yr old without my permission. Of course, he has respect for authority, makes good marks, and knows how to control his Irish temper.

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Have a colleague who was told at annual review by the admin that he didn’t need to allow his class to be so disrespectful to him. He explained that he had counselled, called home, written referrals and placed these dirt bags in detention and he had no other recourse. We are out of bullets here.

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what’s the problem…act like a fool get treated like one!

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First of all, has anyone tried to find out why the child “went off”? Everyone’s so intent on blaming the child, that no one is asking what would make a child do that (and don’t say it’s the parents) because I have 7 grandchildren and ALL children throw tantrums at some point. Maybe not to the extreme this child did, but I agree if police and teachers can’t handle a 6 year old girl, they are in the wrong profession. And to handcuff a 6 year old, how would the police like it if it was his/her child? Of course she would be afraid, crying, screaming if she was put in a room and I might add “Without her parents or anyone familiar” and handcuffed!! People get real..What if it were your child? Even if you have trained them, all kids throw “fits” and if you say yours “never” do, I would be willing to bet you are lying!!

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I posted a comment and then noticed that it was awaiting moderation. What? My comment was not crude or vulgar and most definitely not racist. In my opinion it was well written and grammatically correct. It made a clear point and incorporated an element of satire. I do not understand. As a result I am not going to read this article any longer and (after this one) not going to post. Get a life, please.

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Unless you’ve been there…I had a student who not only fought every adult who tried to calm her with words, etc. continued to hit, bite, spit, kick,destroy the office, and whatever else she could do. She was also in foster care so she knew that no adult could touch her anywhere on her body except her wrists.
Now maybe this foster care policy has changed since I retired, but in extreme cases desperate measures must be taken. At least this resource officer had witnesses around that he didn’t break any laws. Now let’s ask the real question? Has this child been SST for behavioral issues? This couldn’t have been her first time.
Unless you have worked in situations like this, please reserve judgements.
Yes, I have been hit by a student. And I couldn’t do anything about it. My own children have NEVER hit me.

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stop giving your children sugar, sodas and all that crap that’s causing them to act up. they may already have ADD or something like that and then the parents fill ‘em up with sugar and “there you go.” however, i don’t agree AT ALL with handcuffing children. there are better ways, people just don’t care. and it’s always a certain type that experiences this kind of madness….i won’t call it, but ya’ll know what i’m talking about.

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The only better response would have been to cuff the individuals responsible for raising the child. We aren’t talking about a little temper tantrum – every child (and some adults…sigh) have meltdowns in public once in a while – this involved tearing up the office, throwing furniture and injuring at least one person AFTER being sent to the office for inappropriate behavior in the halls and classroom. That is not a simply temper tantrum, that is a major problem – especially when the mother chalks it up to her 6 year old having a bad day. HUH??? What kind of parent raises a child to behave like that? It is one thing for your tired/frustrated child to cry in the store and maybe even sit down in the aisle, but what parent would allow that to turn into tearing up displays, pushing jars off the shelf and hitting the clerk….apparently, this little girl’s mom would call it a bad day, call the news to complain about the store and continue to let her child do whatever the heck she wants.

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look at it as a training exercise for future events.

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Speaking from an educator’s point of view, NONE of you know what it feels like to deal with an irate child. You can use every method possible, but once it gets to the point where you are injuring others, then you have to take extreme measures. These kids today have issues, that these parents arent trying to understand, nor trying to seek help. And because of that, you have incidents like this young girl- violent and causing a ruckus in class. So to all of you speaking out against the police officer and saying that too much force was used- YOU try to restrain a child that is on a violent rage, and tell me how you would handle it. Im sure you will be calling 911 quicker than anything or anyone else.

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I saw the headline in the Toronto Star and then said to myself – “only in America” – sadly, and not to my surprise found out it was “only in Georgia”. Having lived in Atlanta for a few years now, I am still very shocked by how many Southerners firmly believe the best way to have a well behaved child, is to beat the crap out of them. If you beat an adult, you’d be charged with assault but if you beat a child, it’s discipline??? Violence creates bullies. If you treat a child with kindness, respect and love, you will have a child who is kind, respectful and loving. This poor child needs love. She may well have a behavioral problem, but since Americans love their tax dollars being spent on other countries and not on their own health, this child will be unable to get the help she needs.

BTW – It never fails to amaze me that the only thing some black people learned from slavery, was how to use a whip. (I’m black – so don’t start).

COME ON PEOPLE, HANDS ARE FOR HUGGING, NOT HITTING!!!

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this kid is probably MUCH worse than the left biased media reports. The parents are prob no better. Jail them all, save a murder down the line

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Look here. The city of Milledgeville elected Rusty Kidd as their state rep. Need I say more? Anything goes if that’s their mental capacity.

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Ironically, I was in Milledgeville last Friday at Georgia College. I visit a couple of times a year because it’s where I were born. The two local papers, Union Recorder and Baldwin Bulletin are just reporting the story today. That’s the way things are done there; keep you in the dark.

My sister-in-law, who still lives there and have grand kids in school there, has mentioned many times how this particular school calls the police and have students taken off to jail. So I guess that why the local media did mentioned the story because its not that unusual.

The Union Recorder is reporting there will be press conference today at 3:00.

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Instead of being upset with the police, the parent should be upset with the child. That’s what the problem is. If the parent(s) had been disciplining the child at an early age, they would not have this problem today. Some parents are always making excuses for their child’s behavior, when they should be dealing with reality. If they don’t discipline this child now, this problem will continue to esculate and getting this child out of police custody will become the norm. Pay now or pay later!

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To: Only in Jaw-jah — THANK YOU for your post. The idiots on this blog who think beating the crap out of kids is appropriate need to be investigated themselves. Sad thing is, that in Georgia corporal punishmnet is still legal!! If parents did that, we’d be under the jail. 11 Alive reported over 21,000 incidents! ISN’t that disgusting..Check this link…where it even gives school by school and county by county data – http://www.11alive.com/news/article/226264/3/Pain-as-punishment-Legal-in-Ga-schools — I can only imagine these numbers ‘might’ be on the low side….!

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Hell yes the police did the correct thing. For those that have not seen an out of control child, go in the schools and see what teachers and administrators have to deal with. The idea of the aunt saying they want to bring attention to this so this won’t happen to anyone else’s child. BULL……….. teach the child to respect authority and this would not have happened. If you touch them, you get sued, if you don’t touch them and they hurt someone else, you get sued. It is sorry parenting…………………if my child did that, I would say “take them to jail.” VISIT THE SCHOOLS…………and see what teachers and administrators have to deal with…………A SIX YEAR OLD………………….REALLY???????????????? My mom would have made me think I was dead……..not complain to the police officer. She would have told the police officer to restrain her…………..START PARENTING AND STOP COMPLAINING WHEN YOUR CHILD IS BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Nichole – I know how to deal with irate children..! I am a parent..have seen it all, please do not insult parents’ intelligence.

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Respect School and Education…….some parents just don’t get it. Typically those parents and hence their children are the uneducated.

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@gamom and Only in Jaw ja….

Please, just get some help! Some of the most IGNORANT posts I think I have ever read….

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I strongly agree with using the handcuffs…if nothing more than presenting a “scared straight” moment. I doubt very seriously doubt that she’ll ever want to be in handcuffs again…better now than 20 years from now when the charge might be assault or worse (murder)!! If she had not been restrained she might have seriously injured herself then her parents would have been upset that all those adults could not control a little girl…also sound like a behavioral problem…probably throws tantrems at home…and gets away with it!!!

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gamom:

But you are against corporal punishment. This school district doesn’t allow it or seem to use it. But you don’t want a kid restrained when they become a danger to themself or others. What exactly should they have done? The parents could not be reached and the student was disrupting the school day of others.

And being a parent makes you no expert on being a teacher. Handling children who are yours is very different from handling a classroom of 25-30 kids all from different homes and backgrounds.

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tonya and mom3….good posts.

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I find it interesting that many are making nasty and inappropriate comments, not only about the parents, but about the child. Has it dawned on anyone that this child might have issues that require professional help? This, obviously, was not a ‘normal’ tantrum. Calling the parents stupid or unfit doesn’t help anyone if the child needs help. Why are we all so instantly judgmental?

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“Hell yes the police did the correct thing. For those that have not seen an out of control child, go in the schools and see what teachers and administrators have to deal with. The idea of the aunt saying they want to bring attention to this so this won’t happen to anyone else’s child. BULL……….. teach the child to respect authority and this would not have happened. If you touch them, you get sued, if you don’t touch them and they hurt someone else, you get sued. It is sorry parenting…………………if my child did that, I would say “take them to jail.” VISIT THE SCHOOLS…………and see what teachers and administrators have to deal with…………A SIX YEAR OLD………………….REALLY???????????????? My mom would have made me think I was dead……..not complain to the police officer. She would have told the police officer to restrain her…………..START PARENTING AND STOP COMPLAINING WHEN YOUR CHILD IS BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have been teaching for 30 years, I know understand why our children cannot read or write. Very artistic use of the CAPS and ……just for that nice, creamy effect. Yavo, 30 year teacher…..THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!

DERRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

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If the parents aren’t going to teach the children how to behave and leave teaching the children integrity and discipline to others, they should back off and let them do it. That kind of behavior warrants that kind of treatment. If you are worthy of the title “parent” you will teach your children how to behave so others don’t have to.

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@Jarvis… Spoiled brat does not necessarily mean money…. It can mean a child that is used to getting their way by pitching fits and having tantrums and meltdowns. The parent just caves because it is easier than fixing the behavior.

Case in point, my cousins were dirt poor and spoiled brats. Their parents didn’t do any parenting, just let them do whatever because it was easier that way. The only one of my cousins that survived to be a rational, responsible adult joined the Navy at 18 to get some structure and boundaries in his life. His words, not mine Now he is the parent and has NOT followed his parents’ philosophy.

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” Give her valium lased candy”, he said tongue in cheek.

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Police continue to give Georgia a bad name in almost every instance. This is a continued example of the crazy police state we live in down here. What an embarrassing place to live. Too bad I’m stuck here. I would never ever have kids in this state.

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If this child is capable of this much out of control behavior in Kindergarten, this child has issues well beyond a “temper tantrum”.

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The parents of the girl should be embarrassed and are completely at fault here. Unfortunately I’m sure instead of shouldering the blame and disciplining the child, her parents are probably contacting scumbag lawyers instead… I’m sure the Today show will be in touch as well.

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dave… We have a saying here in the south, Delta is ready when you are. How about coming up with your perfect solution to the issue.

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gamom:

You still didn’t answer the question. What are the alternatives? And how are they provide help if the parents don’t see a problem with the behavior? Without parental consent no testing, evaluations, or interventions can take place. The school made no mention of prior incidents, but a suspension until next school year makes me think this was not the 1st time the behavior was demonstrated.

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I think the child should be beaten as well as the cop

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Without any doubt, this was 100000000% the right thing to do. “It really shook the child up” Well duh! The little brat wouldn’t stop trashing the room. There shouldn’t be any consequences for that? My god, they already took the power for paddeling away from the school. What else can they do with out of control kids. The lil girl wasn’t hurt in anyway (but she probably should of been). Anyone trying to defend this girl is EXACTLY what’s wrong with our country and why it’s going down the toilet.

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As usual, it was overreaction by the achool system and law enforcement. The chief of police should be fired because he defended the actions of his officers, the officers should be fired because of their overreaction, and the principle should be fired because if you can’t handle six year old better than that, you should not be a teacher, and if law enforcement can’t handle a six-year-old child better than that, they should be police officers. I hate to say I live only 20 miles from Milledgeville and that’s they typical reaction from Georgia cities and counties.

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Not Surprised…Not this one! I’d call the police if the child get slapped in the face or or on the head but the rear end (as a matter of fact…I’d probably stand there and applaud!)

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I have a bigger problem with charging a 6 year old with assault than with cuffing her. Get that kid in the special needs class where she belongs.

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Ya gotta love it….A kid goes crazy in a classroom and tears it up and we have people on here telling us that it’s all the teacher’s fault. If all else fails blame the school system but whatever happens DON”T EVER BLAME THE PARENT!

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It’s probably the first form of discipline the child has ever received. Finally she’s learning about consequences for her choices….no thanks to Mom by the way.

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We’ll put the thistym on trial!!!

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There are better ways to restrain a small child who is a danger to herself and others, as this one was. I would suggest a decent sized adult (120 pounds or more) putting her in a bearhug from behind and holding her until she calms down. There are several other techniques that special educators know. Consult your special education coordinator. Second point, if a child gets that out of control there is something wrong. It could be a bad teacher who has pushed her too far with excessive structure or rules she does not understand or it could be that there is something neurologically wrong with her such as ADHD. Diabetes, precocious puberty, urinary infections, and being hungry can make a young child get out of control. Eating breakfast is very important. She needs to be full of food when she gets to school. She may also have had a bad night or something is going on at home that she cannot handle and no one has gotten it out or her taught her to use words to express her frustration. Suspending this child is not going to solve the problem. It might harm her. She needs to meet with the school social worker, be evaluated for emotional disabilities, have a full physical exam by a physician, and have her home life evaluated including the possibility of molestation which can also cause acting out. The court system should not be involved. Schools are much too quick nowadays to throw children out instead of recognizing what they do as a cry for help and DOING SOMETHING TO HELP. If she is a low achiever she made need another year in kindergarten to gain some maturity and her teacher made aware of what can make her blow up. Then a good behavior disorders teacher can work with her and teach her how to cope when she feels bad. I could see the police getting involved with a 12 year old, but not a six year old.

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Well…I am officially confused by now…I can’t keep up with developments in our TMZ-driven world…somebody on here help me…

…WHICH COMES NEXT?….the hoodie on the floor of the House of Reps?

…the Candle-light vigil?

…the March?..

…the press conference and demand for justice for (insert name of poor little girl)?….

…has the parent (who could not be located at the time) already filed for trademark/patent protection for the hoodies and posters with their poor little girl’s name?

Well, see y’all at the march/protest/occupy school property/hoodie church service/press conference/candle light vigil

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@ CH, April 16th, 2012, 8:46 pm. Only one word needed to describe you: Idiot!

For those who might have skipped this moron’s post, here it is:

“EVERYBODY INVOLVED NEEDS TO BE FIRED!!!!!!! The principal, the police officers and whoever else that allowed this child to be handcuffed and taken to the police station!!!!!! If I were the parents, I would seek advice from an attorney to determine if this child was violated in anyway…civilly and criminally. This child is 6 years old and this child is still learning how to deal with life and life’s situations. They are still learning what’s right and what’s wrong!!!!! I have seen out of control children before and I KNOW THEY CAN BE TAUGHT!!!!! Let’s stop placing ALL the blame on a child that’s only been in this world for 6 years…start placing the blame (as far as mitigating the situation by positive reinforcement or seeking help for this child in another program offered by the school system) on lazy, impatient, inexperienced and terrible teachers, principals, etc. You should not be in the school system. This situation just ticks me off!!! How did this action teach the kid? Milledgeville get real!!!!! EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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I have talked to several Doctor friends of mine. Theire are certain classes of parents that have figured out for certain diagnosis their children can get them an SSI disability check with a cash payment of about $667 per month. These diag. include ADD, ADHD, Autism, all sorts or things.

Now both of my daughters have ADHD and ADD respectively. They are both very bright and test above the 90% on IOWA test levels. I have had them in Catholic Schools when we could afford the tuition. At my daughter’s 8th grade overnight trip with Catholic School the kids figured out that over 50% of the kids in that school where the average IOWA test score was 92% had either ADD or ADHD. The kids sat around and discussed who was on which ADD medication and how which one had worked, what the side affects worked. What doctors they went to. The big secrets were out, how many kids were medicated. The only thing was none of these kids parents applied their kids for Social Security Disability.

Now go to the minority communities, it is another story. The parents reguarly sign their children up for SSDI, but they never give their Children the medication. They don’t want them to get better, they don’t want them to perform better. Then they would not qualify for the check anymore. I even overheard one Nanny telling another of the scheme how she gets the benefits and doesn’t give her kid the pills, she doesn’t believe in the medication. Plus if they get better you can’t get the check no more. I had a Chiropracter tell me that one mother with 4 children whith ADHD, stopped bringing them after she told them that they were getting better. She told them that she didn’t want them to get better, she needed the check.

That is the big difference, one culture medicates their kids so they can pay attention and function in class. Other cultures, gets diagnoses, to get their kids in SPED, get SSDI, get a big check, don’t give their kids the proper medication to behave and sit still.

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Murrow,
I was waiting for someone to finally post something decent. I think the correct order is a march through L5P with George Bush signs comparing him to a nazi, then a Nancy Grace 14 day report on the entire case, followed by a mass production of I am Selicia t shirts in youth S-adult M, another march in downtown ATL where everyone wheres handcuffs, then the hoodies, then the Obama speech saying that if he had a sister he would want her to be Contance Ruff.
Good Night and Good Luck…too bad most people don’t know who our boy Murrow is.

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@Nichole
The majority of the people commenting negatively on the handcuffing obviously HAVE dealt with irate children and either have experience restraining or have seen others restrain those children without handcuffs. We’ve got some Show me people who refuse to believe it is possible unless they see it themselves. But a blog is no place to try to explain what to do. Some things can hurt the children. Some things can get you hurt.

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Enter your comments here

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I feel the officer had to what he or she was called to do to take care of a OUT of Control Kid. The mother said the child had a bad day. No the mother should have went o the school and used a belt. People were hurt and the mother thinks her child did nothing wrong. Well I look at the parents and its shows what the kid has been shown at home.

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@ Another Comment…. Are you serious????? I am a “minority” and I know other “minorities” that have children that have been diagnosed with the same issues that you speak about and they do not get a check for their kids and they do medicate them….. There is nothing in “minority” culture that would prohibit them from seeking medical attention and doing what is prescribed for their child…. If you know of someone that does that then that is ignorance which has no color /culture barrier… It comes in all shapes, forms and fashions….

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I am a policeman…6′4 285 pounds….. I am called to the school and my presence does nothing to calm this child. I will then use what I call mirrored neurons to attempt to calm her…. In other words, I will speak very quietly and calmly. If this doesn’t work I will speak louder and give verbal commands… when this doesn’t work and the child is raging out of control and the only restraint equipment that I have is a set of handcuffs…. What should I do?

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Some of the kindergarteners at my school are only a head shorter than I am and probably weigh 70 or 80 lbs–maybe more. If enraged, I doubt I could restrain them. If I did try, I would be in trouble because I don’t have restraint training. There would be nothing I could do besides call for reinforcements and hope nobody was hurt in the interim. I’m not sure what we are supposed to do in such a situation; I just hope I’m never in one.

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I think the police did the only thing they could do to insure the safety of everyone involved. As a mother of two, you know if your child have a behavoir problem.

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This seems like a lot of hoopla over nothng.

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As an educator, this is disturbing. When are parents finally going to be held accountable? There is a reason our countries education system is plummeting. We have no national pride. We as a country have taken the pledge of allegiance out of some schools. When are we as a country going to finally back educators and give them all the tools so they can help these students become successful. You cannot teach the way you used to out of fear of being sued. Shame on that girl being disrespectful and shame on that parent for not teaching that young girl the meaning of respect. What ever happened to doing the right thing? Unfortunately, good for those police officers and it is unfortunate that teachers and administrators have to take this kind of physical treatment.

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Aquagirl at 12:45,

Sorry, I just got back online and saw your post. According to my psychiatric textbooks (as opposed to psychology textbooks), there is a recognized neurological condition that shows up on MRIs for schizophrenia – ADHD does not. Schizophrenia is diagnosed medically by an MD; ADHD is diagnosed by observation by a physiologist (MA/Ph D). Once the symptoms of ADHD are observed, the diagnosis is made and drugs are given. Once the symptoms of schizophrenia are observed more tests are made before mind-altering drugs are given. Schizophrenia does not go away on its own. Supposedly ADHD students can’t concentrate in my classroom, but they can sit in front of a TV with a PS3 playing games for hours on end. ADHD is epidemic in the Southern USA, but rarely diagnosed anywhere else in the world (unless there is a brand new psychologist trained in the southern USA present – then the epidemic starts in that local)

Now I trust doctors about as far as I can throw them, but I trust MDs more than I do Ph D. All I need is a 100 page project approved, and I’ll have a Ph D. I assure you, I’m not qualified to diagnose a medical condition and neither is a psychologist!

ADHD just doesn’t pass the smell test. You can have a kid who is doing poorly in a classroom setting (a boy) – where they have block scheduling and the boy has to sit a long time in a seat without moving, and the boy gets distracted easily diagnosed with ADHD. And the more diagnoses you have, the more you make!

Rather than addressing the problem of having boys sitting quietly in a classroom setting without recess, we diagnose a medical problem rather than telling the school , ‘LET MY KID HAVE RECESS AND RUN AROUND LIKE A LITTLE BOY!!!!!!” They also don’t tell the 23 year-old teacher fresh out of early childhood education classes, LEARN HOW TO DISCIPLINE BOYS!! and “DON’T DRUG MY KIDS!!” My daughter refused to buy her school’s diagnosis of ADHD in my grandsons (Why shouldn’t teachers diagnose diseases? Psychologists do, and many of them only have MA degrees.) When they got older (and got to go outside for recess), and the teachers more experienced, the ADHD disappeared and their grades went through the roof. Little boys are getting over medicated for just being little boys. Boys need firm discipline and plenty of exercise. Little boys will choose up sides and smell armpits. Little boys are argumentative; little boys are stubborn. Old teachers (and old parents) know that. Educators need to learn that.

Sorry for preaching. I’ve had two grandsons diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school. My daughter refused the diagnosis and refused the medication. Both of them are in advanced courses
in high school – with straight A’s, and will go to big name colleges — and can focus quite well, thank you very much. They just had to learn how, and WHY it was important!

Now the problem child here is a girl. The chance there really *is* ADHD approaches zero. The chance that a female has ADHD drops to near impossibility. She may have a medical condition; she may have been abused. As I mention initially, the cause is irrelevant. The action is inexcusable. As Douglas Adams said, “This is a SEP!” Schools are not designed to handle this problem.

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Aquagirl,

This is the first time I have disagreed with your position. A red-letter day indeed!

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This is the first time I have disagreed with your position. A red-letter day indeed!

Physics Teacher, we usually agree because we’re both right, but only *I* can be right all the time.

Anyway, the part I disagreed with was when you said “the rest of you discussing ADHD, show me the virus, bacteria, or defective DNA that causes this “disease,” and I’ll believe it exists.” Even though you can “see” schizophrenia on an MRI, we still don’t know the cause. Nobody can point to a virus or gene and diagnose someone. And just because we don’t know the cause doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent or solely environmental. BTW, there’s some indication we can “see” ADHD on MRI’s, just like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=107091

I do agree ADHD is overdiagnosed. The current school system where we make 7 year olds (of either gender) sit at a desk is nuts. That’s about the most abnormal thing you can do with a child. And we wonder why they aren’t doing so well and need drugs to do this? Duh. I’m glad your grandsons avoided that label.

Having said that, I do think there is something known as ADHD, it’s probably a continuum of behavior and aside from the freakish school environment most people with it would not have any problem…..Unlike whatever is happening in the brains of this girl and her mother. Outbursts of anger and aggression like that don’t fit anywhere in society.

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Old Physic’s teacher you have no idea what you are talking about. My oldest child a girl has ADHD and my youngest a girl has ADD. It is very clear and is apparent. They take meds. The meds make a difference. When they don’t take them as my youngest tries not to, it is very apparent despite what she thinks. With my oldest it was first diagnosed at 4. We went unmedicated until age 6, when we got a boring Math teacher along with the block schedule. We had no choice but to go on Meds. I also got left a screaming voice mail by the math teacher “you must do something with your child, she does not pay attention and talks to much, even after I moved her to the first row.” Now every year at open house, I go in and tell each teacher about her ADHD, so they can let her get up and walk around the room. She takes the highest level ADHD medication around.

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@OPT
No doubt ADHD is over-diagnosed. And no doubt excessive TV can contribute to symptoms. But if you’ve seen it with someone who really has it, you would know its real. And girls do have ADHD.

And if it wasn’t real, why would stimulants (Ritalin-one of the most common drugs) cause them to calm down and focus?

It does it because it makes the brain chemistry work better by increasing dopamine.

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My Mom would have tore my behind up in the police station. I would have been afraid to go home wiht her. The Mom should be blaming her child not the school or the cops. Parents need to keep their kids in line, so that when they go to school they know how to act.

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Had that been me back in the 60’s. I would have been begging the cops to keep me in jail because a far worse fate would be waiting for me when I got home. My parents grew up during the depression and while once in a while I might have to be “reminded” a second time, I promise there was never a third. My folks were not abusive and myself and my siblings turned out to be good people. I used the same type of “rearing” of my daughter and she turned out good as well. I completely agree with all here that have said the problem started with the parents not holding their child to a standard that included honesty, politeness and owning their wrong doings. It worked for me, it worked for my child. But your mileage may vary.

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This girl might as well get used to the handcuffs. I have a feeling he will experience them many times in her lifetime.

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I wonder if this child has had an evaluation yet?

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Parents should be help responsible. Accountability begins at home.

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Handcuffs? Only if the tazers aren’t working.

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My question is what happen to the parenting skills and the schools from the 70’s till now. Oh wait, The DOE took over and started spending money on administrators and a man came of out the woodwork called Dr Spock and said, Don’t spank your children, don’t yell at your children, don’t correct your children it will hurt their little feelings and they might need counseling. Well now look at these kids. Its everyone’s fault, but the government needs to butt out and the old fashioned paddle needs to be returned to the principles office and promptly.

These kids fear nothing because they know that someone will call the police and parents will get in big trouble for punishing their kids. And some of you are the ones who call the police when the parents try to maintain their kids. But out everyone. Things wont get better till parents can once again PROPERLY maintain their kids.

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http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2012/04/i_dont_understand_michelle_rhe.html

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If the parent had from the beginning, had been applying chastisement to this out of control child, which she said was having a bad day, it seems that this child has been doing this for a while. Instead of taking up for this child, which is telling the child that it is alright to tear up school property or any property, please parent, grow up and become a real parent and discipline this out of control child. Its only going to get worse, and the next thing you know, this child will be throwing things at the parent and breaking the parents things. THEN WHAT!!! Spare the rod, and raise a demon.

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I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE with the actions taken by the school and the police officers. ANY child that cannot comply with the requests of school administration and police officers coupled with endangering themselves and others, deserves to be arrested. If the parents have a problem with it, homeschool is always an agreeable option. Instead of complaining about how the police handled the situation, they should have went down to the police station with a belt to follow up on her punishment!

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There are lots of people behind bars who got there because they had “bad days.” Just saying.

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To Old Physics Teacher and others:
There actually IS a bacteria that can cause this kind of behavior. STREP. I lived through it with my then 6 year old. Overnight she “flipped”. Her behavior was erratic, and frequently violent. Before we knew the cause, we had to sedate her to keep her from hurting her siblings or herself. The pediatrician actually told us to put any dangerous objects out of her reach. My parents told me we were not being “firm enough” with her. That is, until we went on a family vacation and they witnessed a meltdown. At which point they said there’s nothing normal about that, and she needs medical attention.
I did spank her during this, and all I got was a vacant stare. There was something seriously wrong.
Thank heavens this happened at the end of the school year, or else we would have had to pull her out of school.
PANDAS is essentially rheumatic fever of the brain — it’s an autoimmune response to an infection, most often strep (though research continues to implicate other infectious agents). The immune system mistakes the protein of a certain part of the brain (in this case the basal ganglia) for strep and attacks it. It can look an awful lot like ADHD, but the hallmarks are OCD components and motor tics. At its height, she was barely functional: she could only speak in baby talk, couldn’t write or draw, was afraid of swallowing her own spit, couldn’t walk past full trash cans, counted animals, etc. etc.
I had never heard of it when my daughter was diagnosed. The cure? — Antibiotics. She is fine now, and that is all behind us. I am extremely fortunate to have a very sharp pediatrician who referred us to the appropriate people. Any skeptics may Google PANDAS – it has been extensively studied recently by NIMH as well as other research institutions.
While there may be a rush to judgement about parenting in this case, I caution that accusation because it may not be in the best interest of the child absent a thorough evaluation. This child’s behaviors are outside the norm of “misbehavior” or “bad parenting”, and while I outline my own experience above, I have no basis or authority to evaluate this particular child’s issues.
I am, however, thoroughly disgusted that this has turned into a legal and media matter rather than an effort to rehabilitate this child. No, she should not be allowed to inflict harm on the teachers or the other students. She should be pulled from those classrooms until whatever issue faces her is addressed. The police did nothing wrong, and neither did the school given the rules under which they work.
We, the People, need to help craft a policy that allows schools to isolate such students who pose a threat until parents, medical or social work personnel can be called in.
No teacher should be burdened with these situations. And no child should be subjected to lawsuits when what they really need is help.

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Back in the dark ages, Sister Mary Meanface simply utilized a wooden ruler applied to the six of any-and-all who dared decide that the rules of classroom behavior did not apply to them.

I realize that many tire of the “this is the way we did it in the ole days” routine. However, look, if you will, at the overall differences; the long-term effects:

Current-day methodology: kid misbehaves…entire class momentum comes to a schreeching halt. All meaningful instructional value stops while teacher must, somehow “reason” with a kid who, by virtue of kid’s behavior, is nowhere ready to benefit from any efforts of reason. Resources, of indefinite extent, are mobilized: principals, psychologists, law enforcement personnel…ultimately, the legal community gets involved. In the end, the kid has realized absolutely no concept of accountability for ones actions; no sense of consequence. In the kid’s mind, he/she wins.

Now, lets take a look at the old ways: kid misbehaves…teacher/Nun calls kid to front of classroom…teacher/Nun paddles hell out of kid…teacher/Nun directs kid to sit down…class resumes.

Problem has been dealt with at the lowest level of the educational food chain…. No cops, no psychologists, no crapin’ around…ANY QUESTIONS?

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I find the discussion on this situation both amusing and disturbing. For those of you who say “the child learned the behavior at home”, what do you think suspending the kid will do? Guess what, the kid just learned that acting out to this level will get them sent home. The next time she is in school, the odds are higher that this student will throw a tantrum as big or bigger to get sent home.

I believe the root of the problem is that many people rely on the school to teach appropriate school behavior because they either don’t know how to do it themselves, or are too busy trying to put food on the table. The catch is that we are not training school staff to deal with behaviors either. How many of the comments above were from school staff that ask “what else can we do?”

I have found that people go into teaching because they like and/or did well in school. Rarely to you find a teacher that suffered from behavior problems when they were students. The students that “do what they are supposed to do because you tell them to” become teachers that can’t fathom why some students do not respond to this intervention. This is due, in large part, to our teacher education programs training them how to help students with reading problems, students with math problems, but not students with behavior problems.

If we are going to ask parents and not schools to teach appropriate behaviors, then we need to show them how to do it. If we are going to ask schools to take care of behaviors, then we need to train teachers how to do that. Right now, we are not doing either of these. If we keep going down this path then when this kindergartener grows up and has her own kids, she will have no idea how to teach her own children appropriate behavior. And the cycle will continue.

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