http://www.krem.com/news/Students-caught-playing-rape-tag-138636884.html If this is an example of the socialization my kids are missing out on by being in school, I'm really, really OK with that.
When I was a kid in school, we played "German Ball" - it consisted of lining students up against the wall, just like an execution, and throwing balls at them. Children's games often reflect the darkest elements of society. In "Persepolis", an Iranian woman talks about playing games of torture when she was young. Given our society's obsession with sex, and sexual assault, I'm not surprised the children came up with something like this. The good: The adults in charge put a stop to it, and made it clear to the children that it was unacceptable. The bad: The adults in charge didn't inform parents in a timely manner, meaning that parents weren't able to address the issue with their own children at home. That's a MAJOR failing on the school's part, and I'd want someone to answer for it. Honestly, though, after reading an awful Rolling Stone article about the way some Minnesota schools refused to protect gay and vulnerable students from vicious bullying, leading to many suicides, I'd be very wary about sending my children to any public school in that state. It sounds like poisonous atmosphere all around.
Meg, I agree the games of children reflect the times. Which parents would you inform? ONLY the ones that were playing? ONLY the ones that were in the classes that were talked to? The next grade down? The whole school? I'm not sure the parents really needed to be notified (Gosh, I don't believe I'm saying this!!!). I'm thankful they didn't label the whole group of them as sexual predators!
The next time someone tells me I'm overprotective for keeping them at home, I'm showing them this article.
I'm not surprised. I've been teaching/subbing in public schools for nearly 20 years. You can't imagine the things I've seen and heard. It reaffirms my decision to homeschool. Pray for all of the kids in public schools. They really need it.
Not surprising sadly enough. The main story on our local news tonight was about girls forcing others to fight or they get jumped by an entire group. So sad
This was/is going on at my daughters previous school. Girls were telling her to fight or they would jump her. (SMH) This generation of kids are out of control.
This was happening at our schools when I was in Jr. High and High School. It goes to show that there are too few adults for the number of students. Students need supervision these days. They are not like they were in the 1800s. I believe the behavior begins in the home, yet if the government is going to house all the students for a set number of hours per day, they need to be prepared to provide the supervision necessary.
Last year my youngest (7th grade) was in PS. I received a call from the assistant principal at the school saying my son was "bullying" a girl, along with a group of boys they sang the "kissing song" to her while she was at her locker and she felt "threatened". I was horrified- my son had always been the boy who stood up the kid being bullied, why would he do this? When he came home I spoke to him about the incident. He said he told the girl he was sorry about making her feel bad. Now, we had just gotten him a cell phone, he participates in many after school activities (mostly so called "extra help") and we wanted him to have a way to communicate with us. I also check his phone weekly for texts ect to see what he is up to. When I saw the texts this girl had sent him, all timed during the school day, I was horrified. She was telling him she wanted to "touch his (I'll call it his private area- she was more graphic) and that she wanted him to kiss her ( again I'll say down there - not her term) until she " had an orgasm". I almost threw up. When I questioned him he said he ignored it because he really didn't understand what she was talking about! I took this to the school- showed the texts to them. They were going to "speak to her" and her social worker about her no longer bringing her phone to school. Really? That was all they got out of it- that she was using her phone in school. This is the state of our public schools these days. God help us.
Oh wow.... I feel so bad for the kids now-a-days. The pressure they feel to be adults already.... So very, very sad.
Granted the game itself is horrible, but I think there is even a bigger issue: That being the school did not inform the parents that children had been playing this game and feel they did nothing wrong. As I see it, this is another situation where the erosion of parental rights is obvious. In law, technically, schools have rights of loco parentis (in place of the parent) so they do not have to inform parents of anything involving their children that occurs on school property and this idealism seems to have expanding boundaries. Parents have been way too ignorant of the rights they surrender the moment their children step onto school property, then when something like this comes up they are surprised that they are treated has if they have no rights.
