[Chip R]

Originally Posted by GAC

I'm not saying I wouldn't be upset Chip. I'm just saying I'm getting tired of people, in instances like this, screaming about rights being violated. What rights were violated? Was it wrong for the school to call the police? We all agree it was. Give the school hell for a rash act. But don't scream about rights being violated.

I don't know if any rights were violated. If the parents believe they were, that's their business, not ours. Back when I was in high school, my older sister went to a party in a private house with other kids in her class where alcohol was served with the knowledge and presence of the parents who owned that house. The cops found out and broke the party up and the school punished my sister and her classmates for it. My parents - and other parents - raised holy hell with the school. Contacted lawyers, even a reporter from the Des Moines Register was in our house once - and we lived a good hour away from Des Moines in a town of about 1,000. My point is that it doesn't matter if the parents think that their kids' rights were violated. They are defending their kids just like you or any other parent would.

But I'd also be dealing with my child AT HOME too for such a dreadful, and embarassing, peformance at school. Believe me. I wonder if these parents did?

I'm not sure if my parents punished my sister but they would have been within their rights to do so as would any parent for what happened. The kid threw a fit. She was wrong to do so and the school handled it poorly. Even if one were to concede that the cops should have been called, the kid didn't need to have been booked for 2 felonies. Perhaps keeping her at the station till her folks arrived would have been sufficient to throw a scare into her so she wouldn't do it again. I wonder if they put her in a cell with other prisoners? That certainly would have been a good influence on her.

My asking the question was not in reference to, or justification for, calling police. Simply - why was the little girl throwing the temper tantrum in the first place? Yes, I think it is a relevant question that the school has a right to ask. It happened AT SCHOOL. Their domain.

Why does it matter why the kid threw a fit? Maybe she didn't get a toy she wanted at recess. Maybe she's a spoiled brat. Maybe someone called her a name. It doesn't matter why she threw the fit. That is something for her parents to handle. Good kids - as well as bad kids - throw fits. I have 2 nephews and a niece and I have seen them all throw fits before. Doesn't mean their parents are bad parents or they are bad kids. They threw fits because they were kids and were mad at something or someone. To my knowledge, no one has had them arrested for doing so.

Again - you're addressing my question from the standpoint that I agreed with the school calling the police and being arrested. I have already stated previously that it was a dumb move by the school.

You also said, "What else could they do?" You may not have agreed with it but you certainly condoned it.

I am simply trying to move past that, go somewhat deeper, and say the school should have called the parents in, had a serious private talk with them as to why this child had the violent tantrum, offered any assistance they could to help (without stepping over boundaries obviously); but still let the parents know that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Hopefully they will do this but the behavior of the child is not the issue here. It is what the school did when the child misbehaved. As a parent, I'm sure you have different levels of discipline for your kids when they misbehave just like society has. If I get nailed for speeding, I know I'm not going to be put to death. If I rob a bank, I'm probably going to do some time but I'm not going to be put to death. If I kill someone, there's a good chance I'll be put to death. I'd like to know what this school considers a more heinous crime than throwing a fit and what their punishment is for it.

If they don't make efforts to address it, even make offers to help, then what is to stop this little girl from continuing such behavior in the future?

I agree, but since this school doesn't seem to care if a little girl is arrested for just throwing a fit, I wouldn't think they care about the kid's behavior a whole lot. But to answer your question, I would hope her parents would address the kid's behavior and act accordingly. Maybe they will ground her or give her a spanking. I just hope they don't send her to jail.