Are You Fucking Kidding Me?

[Jimmy Higgins]

According to the article, he was no longer going to that school. So those teachers were still in physical danger six months later?

So, they moved the kid? Well, that makes his assault all better right? You ok with moving rapists and child molesters to different schools, too?

Alright! Daily Double!!!

 

[RavenSky]

According to the article, he was no longer going to that school. So those teachers were still in physical danger six months later?

So, they moved the kid? Well, that makes his assault all better right? You ok with moving rapists and child molesters to different schools, too?

You are equating a 10-year-old autistic child having a melt-down with rapists and child molesters? Seriously?

Frankly, anything I could say to your rather insane red herring would not do the sheer absurdity of your hyperbole any justice, so I will just leave it there for everyone else to for themselves

 

[blastula]

.

 

[Toni]

What strikes me in such cases is that in many states, corporal punishment is still legal and in use. An adult can strike a child and receive zero punishment, much less arrest 6 months after the incident.

FWIW, I grew up in the days when corporal punishment was accepted without question. I remember being in fifth grade when a classmate made a very offensive gesture: straight arm salute, saying Heil Hitler! He was joking and quite ignorant about what he was actually saying. Our music teacher walked across the room and smacked him across the face, after which she proceeded to give a very stern lecture about exactly why thst was such a horrible thing to say and do. We were all stunned at the entire spectacle.

The teacher was not punished or reprimanded in any way.

As still happens every day where corporal punishment is allowed.

Many of those who support the arrest of a 10 year old autistic child who struck a teacher , who likely had no or at best, very inadequate training in techniques to deal with autistic children-- an incident which had happened months prior. The school had deliberately lured a disabled child back to school premises in order to have the child arrested.

Does no one else see the disconnect?

 

[ZiprHead]

So, they moved the kid? Well, that makes his assault all better right? You ok with moving rapists and child molesters to different schools, too?

 

[credoconsolans]

So, they moved the kid? Well, that makes his assault all better right? You ok with moving rapists and child molesters to different schools, too?

You are equating a 10-year-old autistic child having a melt-down with rapists and child molesters? Seriously?

Frankly, anything I could say to your rather insane red herring would not do the sheer absurdity of your hyperbole any justice, so I will just leave it there for everyone else to for themselves

No, I'm comparing people who assault other people.

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone? I once listened to a grown woman who was upset because she'd been mugged outside a strip mall by a bunch of grade school kids with pocket knives. but they're just kids, right? Can't hurt anyone...right?

Earth to Raven!

Good job trying to trivialize what the kid did to the teacher.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.


The first approach, when one is confronted with SIB/A, is to try to determine why the child is engaging in those activities. Is it pain or frustration that is causing the child to strike out at himself or at others? One nonverbal child was severely self-injurious from age 2 to 18, when it was discovered that he had been suffering from a very painful mastoid infection. Many medical examinations had failed to disclose this source of severe pain. Try to find a physician who is the parent of an autistic or other handicapped child to do an extremely careful medical exam to determine if there is a cause of pain underlying the intolerable behavior. Tim Buie, M.D., has found that undetected stomach pain has caused SIB in his autistic patients.

A good deal of time and attention have been devoted to methods of dealing with these problems, including:

Behavior modification using positive enforcement only. This approach is certainly to be recommended if and when it works, but there are many instances when it does not work. A review of the literature by the Association for Persons With Severe Handicaps (TASH) found that positive reinforcement is effective approximately 60% of the time. We are concerned with the other 40%.

https://www.autism.com/treating_self-injurious

 

[credoconsolans]

So, they moved the kid? Well, that makes his assault all better right? You ok with moving rapists and child molesters to different schools, too?

View attachment 10813

Yes it does, Zipr. Educate yourself.

 

[RavenSky]

You are equating a 10-year-old autistic child having a melt-down with rapists and child molesters? Seriously?

Frankly, anything I could say to your rather insane red herring would not do the sheer absurdity of your hyperbole any justice, so I will just leave it there for everyone else to for themselves

No, I'm comparing people who assault other people.

According to the child, it was the teacher who was doing the physical assaulting, and it this point you have not produced a shred of evidence to show that the ten-year-old child "assaulted" anyone.

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone?

Surely you are smart enough to realize that a supposed special education teacher should have the training and tools needed to handle the very special needs children they have been hired to teach. It sounds like the teacher was the one possibly resorting to violence. Moreover, the mother requested a different special ed teacher for her son, and the school refused. This sounds like the school retaliating because the mom was demanding a better special ed teacher.

Earth to Raven!

You are the one in bizarro world on this one

 

[credoconsolans]

No, I'm comparing people who assault other people.

According to the child, it was the teacher who was doing the physical assaulting, and it this point you have not produced a shred of evidence to show that the ten-year-old child "assaulted" anyone.

Because of course, children never lie or exaggerate or imagine things or lash out, right? Especially kids who have mental issues?

And of course, teachers file charges with the police all the time knowing they can't prove anything. Just for fun. Doesn't affect their reputations or standing with their schools at all. Right?

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone?

Surely you are smart enough to realize that a supposed special education teacher should have the training and tools needed to handle the very special needs children they have been hired to teach. It sounds like the teacher was the one possibly resorting to violence. Moreover, the mother requested a different special ed teacher for her son, and the school refused. This sounds like the school retaliating because the mom was demanding a better special ed teacher.

You didn't answer the question, Raven. Here it is again.

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone?

No amount of teaching skill works all the time on autistic kids who are violent. Sorry, it doesn't. That's why they're put on meds.

Earth to Raven!

You are the one in bizarro world on this one

Educate yourself, Raven. Read the link, check out autism spectrum disorders. You don't seem to know much about it.

 

[Toni]

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone?

So, out of curiosity, do you think that preschoolers should be arrested and sent to jail if they have a melt down at school?

Does it matter if they smack the teacher or aide or if it's another student? What about when the child has a melt down at home and strikes a parent? Same thing? Arrest/jail, right? Because clearly it's exactly the same as if a 40 year old strikes a 45 year old.


And lastly, what should happen to a teacher who strikes a student? Arrest and jail, right?

Because that doesn't happen. Even when corporal punishment is outlawed.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

Not at all. What should happen is actions that are developmentally appropriate and within scale (temporal as well as in keeping with the actual damage and potential for damage) to the event.

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

No, it's not at all obvious. I'm not a teacher but I spent years in all kinds of classrooms. There is a tremendous variety in tolerance, attitude, aptitude, and skill set among teachers for dealing with all kinds of classroom situations. Some teachers are on the low end of the spectrum in terms of being able to diffuse situations that might escalate from barely on the register to something major; some teachers actively--and I mean ACTIVELY--seek to escalate conflict, to provoke conflict, to provoke violence.

Teachers are fully human. Students are fully human. All are flawed. Teachers are supposedly adults who are well educated and who are well trained. And who should know how to control their own behaviors and how to elicit good behavior from their students. Who are children and learning self control.

Working with children with developmental or behavioral issues? Multiply that times 10. At least. On a good day.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.

There is no such thing as a 'violent level of autism.' Good for your boss. How many kids did she have arrested in the past academic year? How old is the youngest kid she sent off in handcuffs?

 

[credoconsolans]

So, out of curiosity, do you think that preschoolers should be arrested and sent to jail if they have a melt down at school?

"Melt down"? Is that your euphemism for assault?

Does it matter if they smack the teacher or aide or if it's another student?

They shouldn't be striking anyone. Neither the teacher/teacher's aid nor the student signed on to be physically assaulted at school.

What about when the child has a melt down at home and strikes a parent? Same thing? Arrest/jail, right? Because clearly it's exactly the same as if a 40 year old strikes a 45 year old.

You must live in a very nice world, Toni. I worked with a woman who had her 12 year old step daughter institutionalized because she was violent to them and was starting to beat her infant sister. The child's instability was a result of fetal alcohol syndrome.

And lastly, what should happen to a teacher who strikes a student? Arrest and jail, right?

Punches a kid for no reason? Absolutely. They're mentally unstable and need to be locked up.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

Not at all. What should happen is actions that are developmentally appropriate and within scale (temporal as well as in keeping with the actual damage and potential for damage) to the event.

"Scale"? OK, that's called trivializing someone else's problems. They're on a sliding scale with you. Sorry, they don't agree with your standards.

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

No, it's not at all obvious. I'm not a teacher but I spent years in all kinds of classrooms. There is a tremendous variety in tolerance, attitude, aptitude, and skill set among teachers for dealing with all kinds of classroom situations. Some teachers are on the low end of the spectrum in terms of being able to diffuse situations that might escalate from barely on the register to something major; some teachers actively--and I mean ACTIVELY--seek to escalate conflict, to provoke conflict, to provoke violence.

Teachers are fully human. Students are fully human. All are flawed. Teachers are supposedly adults who are well educated and who are well trained. And who should know how to control their own behaviors and how to elicit good behavior from their students. Who are children and learning self control.

Working with children with developmental or behavioral issues? Multiply that times 10. At least. On a good day.

So, you must have seen children attack teachers right? You've seen so much? My mother did. She worked in a grade school. She saw kids going after teachers and male principals with kicks to the groin and bites.

But I'm sure you've seen that too with all your experience.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them the kids are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.

There is no such thing as a 'violent level of autism.' Good for your boss. How many kids did she have arrested in the past academic year? How old is the youngest kid she sent off in handcuffs?

My mistake. I put the wrong word there. There, fixed it.. I said 'treats'. She's a doctor.

 

[Toni]

"Melt down"? Is that your euphemism for assault?

Does it matter if they smack the teacher or aide or if it's another student?

They shouldn't be striking anyone. Neither the teacher/teacher's aid nor the student signed on to be physically assaulted at school.

What about when the child has a melt down at home and strikes a parent? Same thing? Arrest/jail, right? Because clearly it's exactly the same as if a 40 year old strikes a 45 year old.

You must live in a very nice world, Toni. I worked with a woman who had her 12 year old step daughter institutionalized because she was violent to them and was starting to beat her infant sister. The child's instability was a result of fetal alcohol syndrome.

And lastly, what should happen to a teacher who strikes a student? Arrest and jail, right?

Punches a kid for no reason? Absolutely. They're mentally unstable and need to be locked up.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

Not at all. What should happen is actions that are developmentally appropriate and within scale (temporal as well as in keeping with the actual damage and potential for damage) to the event.

"Scale"? OK, that's called trivializing someone else's problems. They're on a sliding scale with you. Sorry, they don't agree with your standards.

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

No, it's not at all obvious. I'm not a teacher but I spent years in all kinds of classrooms. There is a tremendous variety in tolerance, attitude, aptitude, and skill set among teachers for dealing with all kinds of classroom situations. Some teachers are on the low end of the spectrum in terms of being able to diffuse situations that might escalate from barely on the register to something major; some teachers actively--and I mean ACTIVELY--seek to escalate conflict, to provoke conflict, to provoke violence.

Teachers are fully human. Students are fully human. All are flawed. Teachers are supposedly adults who are well educated and who are well trained. And who should know how to control their own behaviors and how to elicit good behavior from their students. Who are children and learning self control.

Working with children with developmental or behavioral issues? Multiply that times 10. At least. On a good day.

So, you must have seen children attack teachers right? You've seen so much? My mother did. She worked in a grade school. She saw kids going after teachers and male principals with kicks to the groin and bites.

But I'm sure you've seen that too with all your experience.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them the kids are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.

There is no such thing as a 'violent level of autism.' Good for your boss. How many kids did she have arrested in the past academic year? How old is the youngest kid she sent off in handcuffs?

My mistake. I put the wrong word there. There, fixed it.. I said 'treats'. She's a doctor.

Yeah, you managed to not answer a single question.

Should a pre-schooler who slaps or kicks a teacher be arrested and taken to jail in hand cuffs?


What if it's her parents?


I live in the same world you do. Finally had to be much more explicit than I liked about why my kid would never, ever, ever be allowed to go home to play with the kid who kept asking, although they would be welcome at our house any time (with millions of qualms about that frankly. The 'father' was that bad.)

I live in a world where my kids and kids I worked with have parents who have been convicted murderers, thieves, drug users, drug dealers, rapists, domestic abusers, child abusers and more. When I lived in fear that the 'father' who had been recently released from prison where he served a too short sentence for raping his wife/mother of my kid's classmate would show up at school and open fire, as he threatened to do. Oh, after a few days, he was arrested and jailed again, but in the meantime. My kid was in first grade. Oh, and my other kid: one of his classmates was orphaned when her father murdered her mother in front of the police officers who had escorted her to their home so that she could remove some belongings because she had taken the kids and fled for safety. The father killed himself in jail.

I live in a world where my friend saw the 18 month old in the house across the street bounced off of walls--literally, bounced off of walls---and the police refused to take action. No surprise that this kid had major anger issues in kindergarten. And was in a program for mentally disturbed GRADESCHOOLERS by 4th grade. Which made me really shudder to think what happened in the home of a different kid whose stepfather was arrested for malicious endangerment of a child. A couple of years later, this same kid made credible--and I mean very credible--threats to murder my kid. Who was 12 and under 5 ft tall, maybe 80 lbs. Went to court for that. FF a few years and he did some serious time for attempted murder. The really sad thing? He was smart--very! and handsome and an extremely talented athlete. Who could not overcome the abuse at home. I think eventually, he has done better. He's out of prison, now, I think. More than one of my kids' classmates ended up in prison for violent crimes, themselves. A few of them had hung out at my house on multiple occasions.

My kid was threatened with being killed, set on fire, someone tried to drown him at school and I lost track of the times someone tried to push him into oncoming traffic. I had a kid (not mine) crying at my table because a teacher had dumped a waste can over the head of another kid in class--school claimed it didn't happen, but enough kids who were in that class, with enough other stories made it very credible. Didn't tell his own parents because, well, they were likely not sober enough or were in bed with someone or another. But he told me and the school refused to acknowledge that anything happened. Same teacher had a bad enough reputation for long enough that the MOTHERS of kids my kids' age warned us new to town mothers to never allow our daughters to be alone with the teacher. Oh, he was allowed to teach until he decided to retire. Teacher who refused to allow my kid to pass down the hallway to his next class so he could hear her tell me that he was disorganized. She knocked his books and papers out of his arms and then said: See! Happens all the time. Who knew nothing--and I mean nothing--about the science curriculum she was supposedly teaching in 6th grade. The teachers who taught classes or 'taught classes' drunk. Who insulted and ridiculed students for an assortment of reasons. Or 'reasons.' Meaning no reason is good enough to treat a student that way. None of which the schools would acknowledge happened, much less address.

My kids had the advantage of having parents who are well educated and who were willing and able to spend time at schools, advocating for schools, for ALL kids, for being present. So, relatively speaking, they got the best from teachers. Not many of the kids they went to school with had that.

Don't get me wrong: I have a lot of teachers in my family. And some of the very best people I know in the world have been my kids' teachers. Almost entirely, the issues any of my kids came from other kids, usually with parents with some pretty questionable life skills, parenting skills and compromised sobriety and massive anger issues. But never, not once, not even the kid who threatened (credibly) to set my kid on fire or the other kid who threatened (credibly) to kill my kid--or the kid who tried to drown--and I mean: drown! my kid--never did I advocate for them to be arrested and taken to jail. Not once. And none of these were autistic kids, who really need specially trained teachers and staff.

 

[RavenSky]

According to the child, it was the teacher who was doing the physical assaulting, and it this point you have not produced a shred of evidence to show that the ten-year-old child "assaulted" anyone.

Because of course, children never lie or exaggerate or imagine things or lash out, right? Especially kids who have mental issues?

Are you claiming that adults never lie? Especially adults who may be abusing a child in their charge?

The bottom line is that you have decided that this 10-year-old child is guilty of assault, but you have ZERO evidence to support your opinion. Furthermore, your original stupid justification was the protection of the teacher (actually an aide) even though said aide is clearly not in any danger whatsoever from an alleged incident that happened 6 months prior. The fact that this aide waited SIX MONTHS to insist the 10-year-old child be arrested is highly suspicious, in my opinion.

Educate yourself, Raven. Read the link, check out autism spectrum disorders. You don't seem to know much about it.

I clearly know one hell of a lot more than you do about it.

 

[RavenSky]

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count? The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

The person pressing charges against this 10-year-old child was a male aide.

Credoconsolans clearly knows less than zero about the actual details of this case.

 

[ZiprHead]

You are equating a 10-year-old autistic child having a melt-down with rapists and child molesters? Seriously?

Frankly, anything I could say to your rather insane red herring would not do the sheer absurdity of your hyperbole any justice, so I will just leave it there for everyone else to for themselves

No, I'm comparing people who assault other people.

Surely you don't think just because he's 10 years old he can't hurt someone? I once listened to a grown woman who was upset because she'd been mugged outside a strip mall by a bunch of grade school kids with pocket knives. but they're just kids, right? Can't hurt anyone...right?

Earth to Raven!

Good job trying to trivialize what the kid did to the teacher.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.


The first approach, when one is confronted with SIB/A, is to try to determine why the child is engaging in those activities. Is it pain or frustration that is causing the child to strike out at himself or at others? One nonverbal child was severely self-injurious from age 2 to 18, when it was discovered that he had been suffering from a very painful mastoid infection. Many medical examinations had failed to disclose this source of severe pain. Try to find a physician who is the parent of an autistic or other handicapped child to do an extremely careful medical exam to determine if there is a cause of pain underlying the intolerable behavior. Tim Buie, M.D., has found that undetected stomach pain has caused SIB in his autistic patients.

A good deal of time and attention have been devoted to methods of dealing with these problems, including:

Behavior modification using positive enforcement only. This approach is certainly to be recommended if and when it works, but there are many instances when it does not work. A review of the literature by the Association for Persons With Severe Handicaps (TASH) found that positive reinforcement is effective approximately 60% of the time. We are concerned with the other 40%.

https://www.autism.com/treating_self-injurious

Educate my self? I don't see anything in your link that says call the cops and send the kid to jail.

 

[laughing dog]

"Melt down"? Is that your euphemism for assault?

Do you know what constitutes legally constitutes "assault" in Florida? According to this link (http://statelaws.findlaw.com/florida-law/florida-assault-and-battery-laws.html

Florida Criminal Assault Law

Assault refers to a threat of harm that leads to the victim's fear of imminent harm. The offense does not include physical contact between the perpetrator and the victim.

.

That means this 10 year old might not even have touched anyone. It is possible he had a meltdown that scared someone.

The fact it took the police over 4 months to arrest this child might indicate to a rational adult that they did not consider him an imminent or dangerous threat to anyone.

 

[gmbteach]

Hey all,

I have been absent for a while dealing with pain etc, and have just come back to this thread.

So here is my 2 cents

I have taught in some rough schools in my time, and am currently teaching in one now. In all my years, teaching primary and secondary school, I have only seen the police called out on two occasions. Once when a parent went ballistic at a teacher and has to be restrained (no charges laid) and secondly, when a child went missing from a school.

In my 22 years of teaching, I have seen meltdowns, I have been punched, bitten, scratched, kicked etc. sometimes by students with special needs (not always autistic), sometimes by kids from violent backgrounds themselves, and sometimes because the child doesn't want to do that particular activity and through learned behaviour, has learned that chucking a tantrum will get him out of said task.

I have seen two children excluded from a school. Both here in Brisbane, and both after extensive, and I mean very extensive, efforts to cater for the child.

I currently teach students from drug addicted parents, domestic violence backgrounds, and even muderous ones. When you meet the parents, sometimes it clicks and you know exactly where the behaviour is coming from, because it is all they know.

We currently have one male student who will not respond to any female staff member, because his dad has taught him that women are scum to be abused etc.

So what do we do? We have these kids in mainstream classes. But, we have specialist teachers and aides on call to assist when necessary. As a staff, we have all been schooled in dealing with kids from traumatic backgrounds. We have a supportive admin who will support the child, the teacher and the family, who understands where these kids come from.

Some teachers can't hack it and don't last long at our school, and it can be draining. Others embrace the kids and give them the love and stability they need to make a difference.

So what does this have to do with the original post? Well, none of the kids mentioned above deserve to be arrested.

WTF was that school thinking? Who cares if the mum was recording? Who cares what happened in the first place? It is an overreaction by staff who may not have been trained to deal with such kids.

What I think should happen, is that the child be given specific behaviour lessons on what is right and wrong, and be given methods to calm himself when possible. Honestly, I have seen a blob of blue tac to wonders with a kid who has trouble settling.

/2c

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

"Melt down"? Is that your euphemism for assault?

Does it matter if they smack the teacher or aide or if it's another student?

They shouldn't be striking anyone. Neither the teacher/teacher's aid nor the student signed on to be physically assaulted at school.

What about when the child has a melt down at home and strikes a parent? Same thing? Arrest/jail, right? Because clearly it's exactly the same as if a 40 year old strikes a 45 year old.

You must live in a very nice world, Toni. I worked with a woman who had her 12 year old step daughter institutionalized because she was violent to them and was starting to beat her infant sister. The child's instability was a result of fetal alcohol syndrome.

And lastly, what should happen to a teacher who strikes a student? Arrest and jail, right?

Punches a kid for no reason? Absolutely. They're mentally unstable and need to be locked up.

That is what you were trying to do, right? Pretend the teacher's suffering wasn't important? That what she felt and experienced doesn't count?

Not at all. What should happen is actions that are developmentally appropriate and within scale (temporal as well as in keeping with the actual damage and potential for damage) to the event.

"Scale"? OK, that's called trivializing someone else's problems. They're on a sliding scale with you. Sorry, they don't agree with your standards.

The teacher pressed charges. Obviously he didn't just slap her hand.

No, it's not at all obvious. I'm not a teacher but I spent years in all kinds of classrooms. There is a tremendous variety in tolerance, attitude, aptitude, and skill set among teachers for dealing with all kinds of classroom situations. Some teachers are on the low end of the spectrum in terms of being able to diffuse situations that might escalate from barely on the register to something major; some teachers actively--and I mean ACTIVELY--seek to escalate conflict, to provoke conflict, to provoke violence.

Teachers are fully human. Students are fully human. All are flawed. Teachers are supposedly adults who are well educated and who are well trained. And who should know how to control their own behaviors and how to elicit good behavior from their students. Who are children and learning self control.

Working with children with developmental or behavioral issues? Multiply that times 10. At least. On a good day.

So, you must have seen children attack teachers right? You've seen so much? My mother did. She worked in a grade school. She saw kids going after teachers and male principals with kicks to the groin and bites.

But I'm sure you've seen that too with all your experience.

And there are all levels of autism and yes, some of them the kids are violent. One of my bosses treats autistic spectrum children.

There is no such thing as a 'violent level of autism.' Good for your boss. How many kids did she have arrested in the past academic year? How old is the youngest kid she sent off in handcuffs?

My mistake. I put the wrong word there. There, fixed it.. I said 'treats'. She's a doctor.

All I can say is you have no clue what you are talking about. You are taking people out of context, exaggerating the alleged crime by the student, and filling in a lot of unknowns with preconceived biases.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Do you know what constitutes legally constitutes "assault" in Florida? According to this link (http://statelaws.findlaw.com/florida-law/florida-assault-and-battery-laws.html

Florida Criminal Assault Law

Assault refers to a threat of harm that leads to the victim's fear of imminent harm. The offense does not include physical contact between the perpetrator and the victim.

.

That means this 10 year old might not even have touched anyone. It is possible he had a meltdown that scared someone.

The fact it took the police over 4 months to arrest this child might indicate to a rational adult that they did not consider him an imminent or dangerous threat to anyone.

Having a meltdown is not assault, period.

The point of there being no need of physical contact is that assault is the attempt, battery is success.

Thus, the guy at college who spat at a woman but missed was arrested for assault. (I saw the cops haul him off. He didn't understand why--he had missed.)

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Do you know what constitutes legally constitutes "assault" in Florida? According to this link (http://statelaws.findlaw.com/florida-law/florida-assault-and-battery-laws.html.

That means this 10 year old might not even have touched anyone. It is possible he had a meltdown that scared someone.

The fact it took the police over 4 months to arrest this child might indicate to a rational adult that they did not consider him an imminent or dangerous threat to anyone.

Having a meltdown is not assault, period.

The point of there being no need of physical contact is that assault is the attempt, battery is success.

Thus, the guy at college who spat at a woman but missed was arrested for assault. (I saw the cops haul him off. He didn't understand why--he had missed.)

An autistic 10 year old, with a past behavioral history we are completely in the dark about, having a meltdown isn't necessarily assault or battery, but more importantly it shouldn't be treated as assault or battery. THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T BE TREATED OR TAKEN SERIOUSLY!