Posted on 03/19/2005 7:40:47 AM PST by ShadowDancer
5-Year-Old Arrested For Candy Outburst At School
POSTED: 12:52 pm EST March 18, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Florida school officials are apologizing for the arrest of a 5-year-old, whose tantrum landed her in the back of a police cruiser.
Officials said the girl threw books and boxes, kicked a teacher in the shins, smashed a candy dish, hit an assistant principal in the stomach and drew on the walls. She was upset when a teacher took away jelly beans she was counting in a math exercise at Fairmount Park Elementary School.
Minutes later, she was under arrest for battery. The 40-pound girl's hands were bound with plasic ties and her ankles in handcuffs.
A school superintendent said campus police should have been called. He said school officials "never want to have 5-year-old children arrested."
No charges were filed and the girl went home with her mother, who said her daughter will not return. In her words, "They set my baby up."
"Neither can social workers or foster parents."
This is the most difficult/frustrating issue in fostering. And thus, children as young as two learn to manipulate.
It's not a good idea to use Jelly Beans, or any other sugary candy, as a manipulative in math class. Dumb. My wife's students (who are future teachers) know better than to do something that dumb.
A brief meeting with the bumble bee paddle...
Re: #121: Where did you get my baby picture?
Why did the nitwits give her jelly beans in the first place?
Classic! Is that kid wearing an Auburn shirt?
They did call the parent and she couldn't or wouldn't come at the time. Either way the school was screwed on this one no matter what they did. Actually its a pretty good scam if you want to make some money, almost a sure thing. Get a kid to act out, then dare the school to do absolutely anything to stop them.
Here are excerpts from another article in the St. Pete times.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/22/Southpinellas/Video_shows_police_ha.shtml
She tore papers off Dibenedetto's bulletin board and desk. She climbed on a table four times. About an hour had passed since she refused to participate in a kindergarten math lesson, which escalated into a series of defiant and destructive acts.....
The tape, which lasts about 30 minutes, begins with Dibenedetto alone in the classroom with the girl, saying the child's name frequently as part of her commands.
"You need to stop," she tells her, using her hands to make the sign language signal for stop. "You don't get to wreck the room."
Using her radio, she calls for help from teacher Patti Tsaousis. She also asks the school office to call the girl's mother and tell her the school will have to call Pinellas Schools police if the behavior continues.
Word comes back that the mother would not be able to make it until 3:15 p.m. It is shortly after 2 p.m.
A short time later, the girl is heard off camera breaking a ceramic or plastic apple on Ottersbach's desk.
"Oh, you broke her apple," Dibenedetto says. "That is so sad."
Throughout the 23-minute segment in the classroom, the assistant principal tells the girl many times to stop, that her actions are "not acceptable." She tells her she needs to take her to her office to prepare for her mother's arrival.
The girl responds to each request with a curt, "No." When the girl reaches out to strike them at times, Dibenedetto and Tsaousis tell her to stop and hold their hands up in defense.
Dibenedetto and Tsaousis have two breakthroughs - once when they persuade the girl to clean up a small mess she made near Ottersbach's office and another when they finally get her to leave the classroom with them.
In the second instance, Dibenedetto brings herself to eye level with the girl and tries to get her to talk about why she's upset. She gives the girl the option of walking with her or Tsaousis to the office. When the girl relents, the educators praise her for making an "excellent choice."
The Times interviewed several top educators, including two district officials who had seen the video and two professors at the University of South Florida's College of Education.
Corporal punishment, YES. Arrest, No
Tell me what they should have done. They can't touch her, leave her alone...tell me, I'm curious, what would make you happy. I think they did exactly the right thing.
why didn't the police just beat the child?
How about as the " school superintendent said campus police should have been called."
Arresting her is just ridiculous.
Why? It might teach her a good lesson. Like I said earlier, maybe the feel of handcuffs at this age will stop her from getting used to them later on.
Why? they already execute them in the womb.
you sound like a lawyer I know in Clearwater...
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