Six-year-old handcuffed, arrested for temper tantrum

[CatWoman]

look at this thug. all that's missing is a hoodie



A Georgia mom says she dropped her 6-year-old daughter off for a normal day of kindergarten, then found her in handcuffs when she went to pick her up at a police station.

A local TV station reported that the child, Salecia Johnson, threw an epic temper tantrum, allegedly knocking over a shelf that injured the principal at Creekside Elementary School in Milledgeville, Ga., before police were called.

She also reportedly threw objects and tore things off the walls.

Despite the girl’s behavior, her parents, Earnest Johnson and Candace Ruff, said there had to have been an alternative solution.

“Call the police? Is that the first step?” Ruff asked WMAZ-TV. “Or is there any other kind of intervention that can be taken to help that child?”

In addition to her trip to the police station, Salecia was suspended from school until August.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/six-year-old-handcuffed-arrested-temper-tantrum-article-1.1062904#ixzz1sJaBCrEW

[Enrique]

1. imagine how surprised I wasn't

when I opened this thread and saw that picture

[Ecumenist]

7. Neither ws I Enrique, neither was I.

[CatWoman]

11. what's wrong with her being married to a White man?

I decry racism, I'm black and my boyfriend is Chinese

[butt floss]

14. Because she snickered at me for talking about flash mobs.

I don't have a problem at all with it; I am the product of mixed ethnicity.

[Ecumenist]

24. EVERY COMMENT I am letting it slip that I'm married to a white man? Really?

Comprehension and honesty are both virtues, BUTT floss. Exaggerate much? Jealous? What is it? So the fact that I have, when appropriate in context added that fact makes me a racist? No wonder the right doesn't understand why why we are amazed at your attempts to twist the actual meanings of things.

THE POLICE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CALLED IN THE FIRST PLACE!! Never said anything other that, so to try to obfuscate what I actually said to Enrique shows your actual agenda. I would hate for you to be reported as a mythical, people eating entity that are currently fouling our board. Ever heard of M.I.R.T.? You probably will, just keep it up...LOL!
The parents should have been called. You will never get me to believe that ADULTS couldn't sbdue this girl and call her parents. Where the hell did I say anything about dumping this on cops, genius? 5 posts, huh and already showing your ass. Enjoy your stay, however long that might be...BUTT

[Lizzie Poppet]

26. They may have had no choice.

"You will never get me to believe that ADULTS couldn't subdue this girl and call her parents."

I don't know about that particular district, but there are many school districts throughout the country that have policies in place that prohibit employees from using any form of physical coercion on students. When a student is behaving in a physically dangerous manner and refuses to comply with verbal instructions to stop, the teacher or administrator has no choice but to call the police (or in some cases, private security officers specifically designated - and one hopes, trained - to perform these interventions).

[Ecumenist]

28. That makes sense, Lizzie Poppet. In that case, they should have called medical help NOT the

police. OVERKILL and it make me wonder. It's a 6 year old, for Christ's sake. Do you really think that the police was the only choice? they could have called her parents, telling them what was happening and called medical help. That could have been a brain issue, an atypical allergic reaction, any number of things that didn't call for contacting law enforcement.

[Lizzie Poppet]

31. If allowed by policy, that might have been a better response.

Given the statements made by the parents after the incident, I have a feeling calling them would have been useless - it sounds like the little girl was used to getting what she wanted via throwing tantrums (although I realize I'm speculating here). But calling medical personnel might have been a good idea. The paramedics might have been a bit put out if it was indeed just a severe "brat reaction," but the possibility of it being a medical condition seems real enough. They are also trained to restrain uncooperative or pain-maddened patients and would be presumed to know how to restrain the kid without injuring her.

However, the district might well have had a policy in place to call the police in situations where a student is behaving in a manner dangerous to themselves and others and refuses verbals commands to stop. I don't know what that particular district's policy is.

[Snake Alchemist]

40. Maybe the EMT's could have tranqed her. nt

[Snake Alchemist]

38. Subdue? Like a knee between the shoulder blades? nt

[Ecumenist]

44. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that forgot the sarcasm thingie.

If I was horrified about her being handcuffed, "WHY WOULD I WANT HER TO BE WRESTLED TO THE GROUND WITH A KNEE TO THE SHOULDER BLADES"?!! Really? There are ways to retrain and subdue children without hurting or violating them. You know damn well what I meant and trying to twist what I meant doesn't make you look good or witty.

WOW!!

[Snake Alchemist]

45. "These are not the droids you are looking for" kind of thing? nt

[no_hypocrisy]

2. There should have been *some* school policy in place for violent students.

Going to the police was extreme.

And this is personal experience speaking. I worked in a daycare center where a 4 year old would kick me, punch me, scratch me, and hit me, all with his mother's blessings. When the school had her come in for a conference, she saw nothing wrong with his attacking me. With the school refusing to discipline him, it was either him or me, so I quit.

[lynne]

10. Not sure what other options were available to school -

Had a similar situation years ago where a pre-schooler decided it was okay to bite and kick my 4 yr. old daughter daily. I talked to teachers and administrators and was told they were powerless to physically restrain other child and the child would not listen to them. I ended up threatening to go to social-service authorities and they eventually had to expel the other child.

It's a tough situation. The school can get in big trouble for physically restraining a child yet this child was obviously out of control, damaging property and hurting people and there was the possibility of hurting herself. Not sure what other option the school had but to call in some other type of authority.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Earlier DU thread on this topic...

here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1046&pid=120

Video version of story here:
http://www.13wmaz.com/rss/article/178448/153/Milledgeville-Police-Handcuff-6-Year-Old-Girl?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wmaz/local+%2813WMAZ.com+Local+News%29

[hifiguy]

4. Big surprise.

One of my favorite social critics, Dr. Henry Giroux, has several articles on the "prisonization" of US schools that are well worth reading.

Some links: http://truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=6812:why-teaching-people-to-think-for-themselves-is-repugnant-to-religious-zealots-and-rick-santorum

http://www.henryagiroux.com/online_articles.htm

[zbdent]

5. George Zimmerman said he was fearing for his life and this kid

stalked and assaulted him ...

[CatWoman]

16. I find your username extremely offensive

[uppityperson]

17. It's been banned. Again.

[CatWoman]

19. thanks UP

[freshwest]

23. Unfortunately, some of the posts remain, though.

[NYC_SKP]

49. How the hell did THAT name get past the mods...

Oh, wait....

Never mind!

[surrealAmerican]

22. No, she knocked over a shelf ...

... and threw other "objects". She's a little kid who was having a tantrum: it doesn't necessarily mean she's mentally ill.


It's not good behavior, but it's not so far removed from things other small children do.

[hamsterjill]

6. The Georgia police

The Georgia police may have time for this sort of thing, but in Texas, our police are way too short-staffed to be dealing with something like this. They are too busy trying to catch the murderers.

Sounds to me like a situation where the adult in charge needed just that - to be in CHARGE. I'm sorry, but I find it unimaginable that a 6 year old would need to be handcuffed for any reason.

[butt floss]

12. If the principal could not restrain her

then it was obvious that they needed something to do the trick. This is a problem that is quite complex and multi-faceted: vaccines, violent parental "disicpline," allergic reactions, etc.

[hamsterjill]

18. No, the adult should have been in control long before it got to this.

If it is a medical issue, then there should have been a medical solution.

I know it's rough on teachers and administrators these days, and I do sympathize, but some things simply go beyond ridiculous. It's a 6 year old for crying out loud.

[Snake Alchemist]

25. control via what? telekinesis? nt

[DisgustipatedinCA]

37. OMC! Uh...I mean, OMG! N/t

[SATIRical]

46. And if they physically try to control her

they get sued and possibly charged themselves.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. I do not agree with your take on the priorities of Texas police....

On an annual basis, no state arrests and criminally prosecutes more of its citizens for pot than does Texas. Marijuana arrests comprise over half of all annual arrests in the Lone Star State. It is easy to see why. In 2009, more than 97 percent of all Texas marijuana arrests — over 77,000 people — were for possession only.
http://blog.norml.org/2011/05/16/alternet-the-five-worst-states-to-get-busted-with-pot/

Just saying. Catching the murderers? I guess at least they don't handcuff small kids at school...or do they?
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20110415-helen-giddings-breaking-the-handcuffs-on-texas-children.ece

[Taitertots]

43. If the school did anything the parents would try to sue them

It would be foolish to touch the child without police present.

[Snake Alchemist]

13. Tough call. Knocking down shelves requires restraint, but don't want to open the possibility of a

lawsuit.

[renate]

15. in the article I read, it was more than a tantrum

]According to the police report, kindergartner Salecia Johnson is accused of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture.

She was crying in the principal's office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal. It also says she was seen biting the door knob of the office and jumping on the paper shredder. And, it says, she attempted to break a glass frame above the shredder.

snip

"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 (her mother).

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/article/178448/153/Milledgeville-Police-Handcuff-6-Year-Old-Girl?hpt=hp_t2

Teachers are used to dealing with kids' meltdowns; if this was bad enough that the police had to be called, I assume the restraints would have been for her own safety as well as for the safety of others. There's no accusation of cruelty or of her being roughed up--putting restraints on her may have been safer (legally and physically) than physically restraining her without the help of restraints.

It was a difficult situation--I've seen kids misbehave while I volunteered in my kids' school, but throwing furniture? that sounds scary as hell--and the teachers and police probably did the best they could.

[richmwill]

21. I don't support handcuffing or bringing her to the police station, but this line gets me-

"'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 (her mother)."

I totally read this as "Oh, well- you know, kids will be kids. No big deal". Excusing the child's behavior.

[Quantess]

27. I never once threw a tantrum like that, ever.

I feel sorry for the teacher and the other students. The little girl is probably going to end up in a special classroom for children with behavior problems.

[HockeyMom]

29. She sounds more like a 2 year old than a 6 year old

"Mood swings some days". So similar things have happened in the past? If so, this child needs to be tested. Something is not right here. Why wasn't the mother called earlier before it escalated to this point?

[HappyMe]

30. This is way, way past a plain old tantrum.

I think this girl would be better off in a classroom or school with other kids that have behavioral problems.

[Taitertots]

32. The parents find out their child was so bad that the police were called...

And their problem isn't with the child's egregious behavior, but with the school for calling the police on her.

It is not the first step. The first step was being such a terrible parent that your misbehaving children require having the police called on them.

[HappyMe]

33. This might be the wake-up call the parents need.

[Taitertots]

34. Based on the parents reaction, I don't see that happening

The parents don't seem to have any problem with their daughter's egregious behavior.

[HappyMe]

35. Yeah, you're right.

You would think that the cops coming in reference to your kid would be eye opening (to say the least).

Hopefully, since the cops did come, and someone was injured, some sort of social service/mental health officials may step in.

[Taitertots]

41. That this incident wasn't an eye opener shows that they are unfit parents

We can only hope that someone gets in involved. If not, it is a great disservice to the young girl and everyone who will have to deal with her.

[Odin2005]

36. Why did I know the girl was black?

[Snake Alchemist]

39. What does it matter in this case? This is nuts.

More details.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/article/178448/153/Milledgeville-Police-Handcuff-6-Year-Old-Girl?hpt=hp_t2

[Odin2005]

51. You are right, I was making stupid assumptions.

It sounds like the parents are idiots.

[Snake Alchemist]

52. No worries.

The quote from the mother just floors me.

[riderinthestorm]

42. In our ligitious era, the school may not have had a choice but call police when the kid got violent

Not everything is that straightforward these days when kids get this violent. Teachers have strict protocols on being allowed to touch or restrain children in classrooms.

This girl sounds as though she was wayyyyy over the line of any kind of temper tantrum I've seen. Throwing furniture? Tipping over bookcases?? Injuring the principal?

And her parents clearly aren't dealing with it - they want this to somehow be the school's fault for calling the kids on little Salecia? That behavior in school (public, home, ANYWHERE) should have been shut down YEARS ago for this kid.

[richmwill]

47. I think you're right.

Otherwise this story would probably have been spun as "Sweet, innocent little 6 year old in trouble at school simply for throwing a tiny temper tantrum? Find out why these parents are so irate, tonight on News At 6"...

[lynne]

50. I agree. Child needed to be restrained to prevent her injuring herself -

- but the school sure couldn't do that without getting sued. I'm not sure what option they had but to call another authority and I'm guessing the only authority to come PDQ would be the police.

Throwing furniture, injuring the principal, knocking over bookcases = child totally out of control and needed restraint to prevent further injuries. I hope this little girl gets the help she most obviously needs.

[WillyT]

48. Jesus... Our Country Has LOST ITS FUCKING MIND !!!

& Rec !!!