9 & 10 year old kids arrested for violent drawings

[alexican]

Taken from MSN.com:Story Here

Violent stick-figure drawings put kids in cuffs
Florida boys, 9 and 10, arrested for threatening artworks The Associated Press

Updated: 9:28 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2005OCALA, Fla. - Two boys were arrested for making pencil-and-crayon stick figure drawings depicting a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said. The children, charged with a felony, were taken from school in handcuffs.


The 9- and 10-year-old boys were arrested Monday and charged with making a written threat to kill or harm another person. They were also suspended from school.

One drawing showed the two boys standing on either side of the other boy and “holding knives pointed through” his body, according to a police report. The figures were identified by written names or initials.

Another drawing showed a stick figure hanging, tears falling from his eyes, with two other stick figures standing below him. Other pieces of scrap paper listed misspelled profanities and the initials of the boy who was allegedly threatened.

The boys’ parents said they thought the children should be punished by the school and families, not the legal system.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Vosh]

It's getting harder and harder to see the work of positive forces in this world.

Sounds like a pretty stupid overreaction on its face...but...

Do the kids who did the drawings have a history of violence? Do they have a history of fighting with the boy depicted? Is there anything that could lead one to believe that the kids who drew the pics could go Columbine on the boy in the drawing? Do we have reason to believe the parents would have handled the problem appropriately?

even if all of that is true.... I'm still not inclined to think the situation was handled correctly

[Ash]

I draw pictures of me feeding my boss into a woodchipper and give them to him. I got a 17% raise last year.

[Ygrene]

I drew a picture of a sword falling onto Gargamel's head when I was in 2nd grade.

Maybe I should post this in "The Most Illegal Thing You've Ever Done" thread.

[psyon]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

Sounds like a pretty stupid overreaction on its face...but...

Do the kids who did the drawings have a history of violence? Do they have a history of fighting with the boy depicted? Is there anything that could lead one to believe that the kids who drew the pics could go Columbine on the boy in the drawing? Do we have reason to believe the parents would have handled the problem appropriately?

see what I mean...lol

[Element4040]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

Sounds like a pretty stupid overreaction on its face...but...

Do the kids who did the drawings have a history of violence? Do they have a history of fighting with the boy depicted? Is there anything that could lead one to believe that the kids who drew the pics could go Columbine on the boy in the drawing? Do we have reason to believe the parents would have handled the problem appropriately?

even if all of that is true.... I'm still not inclined to think the situation was handled correctly

I'm with Xian on this one, there is probably more to this story than it appears.

[Johnny Funk]

This will never fly in court. There is no way a judge would uphold the charge. Although some psycological work maybe needed.

[Import]

*wonders if the boys were exposes to similar images* There are quite a few parents that allow kids to watch tv after watershed or simply don't monitor kids viewing habits. *thinks parents are at fault, not the kids.*

[alexican]

eh, i don't think there's much more to the story. i mean, yeah its violent but why don't they send the kids to a shrink to find out what the intent behind the drawings is first before they start handcuffing children? the reaction seems very impulsive and fueled by pure paranoia

Originally Posted by RainbowBriteB29

eh, i don't think there's much more to the story. i mean, yeah its violent but why don't they send the kids to a shrink to find out what the intent behind the drawings is first before they start handcuffing children? the reaction seems very impulsive and fueled by pure paranoia

Seems reasonable but, do you know that they didn't?

[alexican]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

Seems reasonable but, do you know that they didn't?

no all i know is what is in that article
i'll look up the story in other news sources and report back

Originally Posted by RainbowBriteB29

no all i know is what is in that article
i'll look up the story in other news sources and report back

lol - I was just suggesting that the article gives us something to react to but not a lot of good background information upon which to form a good opinion.

[-Tay-]

I'm glad it happened. Kids with violent thoughts and/or tendencies need to be stopped and helped as soon as the signs are showing. Shit like that is a sign of a future cerial killer. I don't believe these kids are actually going to get thrown in jail, but I hope to high hell that their home lives are looked into and checked on, and these kids get some psychological help. As for being hauled off in cuffs, I hope it scared the hell out of them, and conveyed the message that violence and threats to kill another person isn't cool, isn't taken lightly, and isn't just 'boys being boys'.

[johnny861]

When I was a kid, I used to draw little pictures of jet fighters blowing up tanks N stuff... I wonder why the government didn't jail me for treason...

I guess maybe they thought my "battle plans" must have been against the Russians or something


Given, anything regarding death threats should be scrutinized just in case.

but, you would think they would have some sort of professional called a school councilor that could work with these children instead of making it a police matter.