Tragic loss

[taxman]

I just saw on the news a boy was killed by a schoolmate at the same school I went to: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/15/2820350.htm

My son is the same age and I insisted he not go there. My wife thought it would be nice to have him go to the same school as I did. But I put my foot down as I did not have a good time at that school at all.

Make sure you hug your sons tonight...

[jjjnettie]

I saw the headline on Yahoo, but didn't realise it happened at St Pats.
Shocking news.

[Jen]

:( yes it is very sad :( Makes you not want to send your children to school where you expect them to be safe :confused2:

[norm]

Its very sad for both sides of the families involved. Sad for the loss of a young child, but just as sad for the offender's parents. I would hate to think what is going through their minds trying to work out what went wrong.

Its too early to make judgement and presumptions without knowing the details or facts, but regardless noone wins in this one.:(

Norm

[iceman]

Definitely terrible news.. to be that young and to be taking a knife to school!

Something that will affect their lives forever.

[stephenb]

It does make you think, doesn't it Jen. Shocking event. :(

[Baddad]

Hi All, :)

Damn awful incident for that to happen.

Some American schools have metal detecters to check for students carrying weapons.

Very sad situation to be in.

Here's hoping it never becomes necessary here.

Cheers Marty

[Darth Wader]

First thing I did as soon as I got home last night. Every day I become more and more worried about my kids' futures. What is this country coming to?:shrug::mad2:

[jjjnettie]

I can just imagine the shock waves that are going through the Shorncliffe/Sandgate/Brighton community.
Everyone knows someone who went to St Pats.
The implications for other schools are tremendous.

[Lumen Miner]

On a side note did anyone see the biggest loser, a night ago where Phil (?) was on a tiraid against bullies in schools? I thought that was fantastic! The passion in his voice really hit home. I would like to see that clip, shortened and played as an ad campaign to stem violence in schools.
For some reason he just came across really potently, I guess it was the combination of anger and conviction in his voice.

[taxman]

This story is particularly personal for me. I normally give my wife anything she wants, but this time I said no. I know it is selfish for it to be my first thought, but I am so glad I did not send my boy there.

I can empathise both with the alleged perpetrator and victim. 12 and 13 year olds are not adults and will make stupid decisions like pushing the "nerd" beyond reasonable limits or taking a knife to school for protection. Yes there is some blame but a child cannot be held 100% responsible for actions that are allowed through outright permission or through inaction.

What is so intolerable for me is that this occured 15 minutes before school starts on school grounds, it is not a few hours outside school time, it is not in a park or a place where the school has no control, it is a place where the school should have had total control. This control can onlty be manifested through a school culture of fairness upheld by students and staff.

It is not 1972 anymore and people shiould be more aware of the serious effect bullying can have on someone's entire life. Those that copped it would never subject their children to it. I am hearing from work colleagues "I was bullied at school but it did not bother me". I hate this comment - anyone who says that was NOT bullied. It is NOT "just a part of growing up" it is serious abuse on par with any other form of abuse.

There are utter feelings of helplessness, isolation and bowel loosening fear combined with the knowlege that saying something would only make it worse.

In my case it spilled into rage where I threw the ringleader down two flights of stairs. I was counselled and suspended with the "victim" being consoled about the horrible psycho who attacked him for no reason.

Luckily my boy got my wife's charisma, looks and sportiness and is a cool kid, so he is spared the potential meatgrinder school can become for the different.

Sorry for the rant, just needed to vent a little after overhearing a lot of thoughtlessness today...

[Octane]

That is so horrible.

Reminds me of what happened around 1995-1996 at the base of the ramp to Rooty Hill Railway Station. My parents owned a take away shop (in the 90s) about 50 metres from the ramp to the railway station. The kids would hang around there in the mornings and play video games and just mingle. Most of the time it was all harmless and everyone hung out like friends.

One morning, one of the kids (in year 8 or year 9), in complete derro outfit -- you know the ones -- faux metalheads with tight black jeans, black shirt, long black hair, in a stoned daze -- went up to a kid at the telephone booth and king hit him from behind straight to the temple. The perpetrator was wearing a ring on his middle finger. The poor guy went down like a sack of the proverbial. Fractured skull and brain damage. Never to play football again. Why did he hit him? Because he was a bit fat.

The perpetrator just walked away like as if nothing happened. I believe criminal charges were laid but am unsure of what happened afterwards, although he was suspended or expelled from school.

:shakes head:

H

[DiamondDust]

Matt, you've obviously had a really bad experience and I don't think the counselling worked for you. This sad incident has opened your wounds again, I hope you settle soon. In the mean time, what in your opinion should be happening NOW to halt this type of violence (bullying is a separate issue) in schools because according to American and UK statistics it's going to get increasingly worse here. How can we avoid a possible future school massacre? I seriously think we have to face the facts. Yep, gloom and doom, but sweeping it under the carpet will have a devastating effect in the long term. I thank God I don't have young children or grandchildren in school. I also thank God I'm not a kid growing up in this society. Growing up in the UK in the 50's was bad enough. No wonder our community escapes to the universe via our telescopes. Sorry everyone.:sadeyes:

[taxman]

"Counselling" was code for corporal punishment - I went to school at the advent of weasel words...

[Jen]

:( Yes i watched that he made me cry like a baby :sadeyes: I felt so sorry for the poor guy :(

[marki]

This is really sad. As an educator I can tell you that we do all we can to try and stamp out bullying but it is becoming a greater problem with the escalation of violence at some schools. Bullying is a very complex issue and there is no single solution. Sure we have bullying policies, we try to be vigilant, staff are always on duty before, during and after school but still it persists. At my school any child caught bullying undergoes 6 months of councilling as well as special programs we have in place where they are pulled out of several classes a week to complete the program (over a period of 1 year). If I catch a kid bullying in any of my classes they get to spend a week (recess and lunch) following me around picking up crap in the playground as well as a bit of practice at scrapping old chewing gum from under the tables, then I pass them on to the psyc's (we have 3) for the official programs. The biggest problem folks is that much bullying takes place undetected (especially the cyber variety) and unless the victim has the courage to tell someone we may never know. We also have a website setup where the kids can report bullying anonynomously and we catch quite a few via this means. When kids have had the courage to stand up and tell someone the bully has been shut down so completely that it ends there (I have not seen a fight at my school for more than 6 years). If you have a child that is a victim of bullying encourage them to stand up and tell someone in authority, the school must act, it is bound by law to do so.

Mark

[jjjnettie]

It just hit home.
There was a knifing incident at my son's school yesterday.
A year 11 boy cut another student. The knife was hidden in my son's friends bag. When the bag was searched, they found a swiss army knife in there as well.
Dammit. It's up to us as parents to police our children as well.
We need to know exactly what they are carrying around with them.
And I thought that we were doing the right thing by bringing our kids up in a small country town.

[JimmyH155]

Until we hear the official verdict, we will not know the real facts. I read that in USA recently, a kid who was suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, was being bullied, so he took a knife into school for self defence. Things went terribly wrong and he ended pulling his knife on a policeman who shot him dead.
I will be very interested if any of those kids had Asperger's.
Having Aspergers makes you a little different from the crowd, and a natural target for bullies.