A troublesome 16 year-old schoolboy promises to "shit on" his teacher's lawn and waits outside his home to ostensibly do just that. He waits on hour. The teacher arrives home and first checks his own children are OK. Then an argument develops between the two and the teacher punches the kid eight times. The teacher is prosecuted, given diversion and sent on an anger management course. He was demoted and ultimately fined by the Teacher's Council.
When I try to think about such a case, acknowledging all I know is what the media discloses (How badly hurt was the boy? What were his previous misdemeanours?), I find it useful to put my own players in the picture. My 14 year-old and a teacher for instance. Notwithstanding I am finding it almost impossible to imagine him in this scenario (but teenagers can go off the rails very quickly and kind, patient teachers can be pushed beyond their limits) I feel some sympathy with both parties.
The teacher's reaction is over the top but it is a rare man or woman who hasn't "snapped" at some point in their personal or professional lives. The problem lies in how the explosion manifests. In my younger days, I clearly remember hitting a bathroom wall so hard once I bruised by fist. I have never hit a person. And there seems to be something "missing" when a person hits someone repeatedly rather than taking their enormous anger and frustration out on something inanimate or simply turning their back and walking away. The teacher may have tried the second and been further provoked. We don't know.
As for the youth, if my son was carrying on like this I would think he was off his trolley. That he was in need of help possibly beyond that I could provide. I don't accept threats of that nature and waiting outside someone's home are just "infantile" pranks.
What I really, really, really want to know is, did the teacher's actions make an impression on this boy? Did they make his behaviour better or worse? I suspect that the father may have nullified any positive effect. I would have been very "agitated" if my son had been punched eight times but I wouldn't be making excuses for him. I would be telling him that he just learned a valuable lesson about human nature. Based on the degree of provocation I probably wouldn't have pressed assault charges. But no account seems to be taken of provocation these days. Especially if it is female provocation of a male.
Based on what we do know I am happy that the teacher was allowed to continue in his job. Violence is never desirable but if it had been 'horrendous' I doubt the man would still be teaching. We need all the male teachers we can get.
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9 comments:
I'd get pissed off if some kid wanted to take a dump on my lawn as well (if I had a lawn), and I know the feeling having come home last weekt o my garage being tagged.
Still that doesn't justify assaulting the kid EIGHT times.
Violence is only justifiable in self defense, now unless the Teen was threatening violence upon the teacher, I cannot see justification in such actions.
The simple rule here is whether the response was proportionate to the threat. Said kid was being an arse -- no doubt. But that is not worthy of assault or half of parliament would be walking around in permanent traction.
The boy clearly did not carry out said threat as of that time. They had words -- fine. Words respond to words. But from the indication the teacher took the words and replaced them with fists several times over.
Even if this somehow was of benefit to the boy it doesn't matter. This man is not emotionally prepared to deal with teens as his response proved. And I don't think he should be in the teaching profession.
Had the teacher punched in self defense and stopped when the threat stopped I'd support him. He escalated a verbal situation to assault and battery and ought to be prosecuted and relieved of his job.
I would have put the hose on him!
I suppose the weenies in power would consider that assault!
number (1)
Linday wrote:
"But no account seems to be taken of provocation these days. Especially if it is female provocation of a male."
Woah! Where did that come from? Did you want to write about a kid provoking a teacher or did you want to make a sweeping statement about how women deserve to be hit because they are stupid enough to have words with somebody who is able to physically overpower them?
(2)
Hitting the kid 8 times is just not the right reaction here. Especially when you are a teacher and provocative kids are just an occupational hazard. I'd never become a teacher for exactly that reason. If you become one, you'd better try to control yourself
Luggage, I should (it crossed my mind to) have put the addendum in parenthesis. I wasn't making "a sweeping statement about how women deserve to be hit because they are stupid enough to have words with somebody". By provocation I had in mind women who mercilessly goad a man or attempt to 'bottle' him, for instance. Try walking away from an enraged, possibly drunk woman.
I stated that the teacher's reaction was "over the top". Without having witnessed the event I cannot know how over the top it was. Many people routinely describe smacking as hitting so I couldn't even be sure what a 'punch' is. Was there any reported witness to the altercation?
The kid is lucky if he can still walk - but I'd give the teacher are medal!
We don't need to restore section 59 - we need to make this mandatory to deal with out-of-control kids. He sure won't be crapping on anyone else's lawn anytime soon.
The little shit probably got what he asked for.
ah, ok.
I guess I just don't have experience with drunken raging women :-)
I just read the original post and I have to comment again...from what the paper writes it seems as if the kid did not even shit on that guy's lawn. He just sat across from his house - now certainly that can be dealt with differently from getting into an argument with the boy. Let him sit there until he gets tired of sitting around. If you feel uncomfortable with him hanging around call the police.
I could have had a tad of understanding for the teacher if his lawn had actually been shat on, but like that - he is definitely to blame for that escalation.
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