Third Graders Plot to Kill Teacher Uncovered: What Next?
Posted By: James Lehman, MSW
Category: Aggression, News, Problem-solving Skills, School, Teaching Accountability, Violence, Younger Children
Comments: 8
A group of third-graders—kids ages 8-10—were caught plotting to attack and kill their elementary school teacher. They even had assigned roles—one child was going to blacken the windows of the classroom, and another was going to clean up afterward. The nine boys and girls in the learning disabilities class (kids in the class have ADHD, ADD and developmental delays) were organized enough to bring knives, a paperweight, handcuffs and duct tape. The plan was to knock her unconscious with the paperweight and then stab her. The reason why they were going to attack her? She’d scolded a girl for standing on a chair in the classroom. The teacher of the class, Miss Belle Carter, said that they were “good kids” and couldn’t believe they were planning to attack her.
It’s really sad, isn’t it? Here we have kids in the third grade who have already developed a gang mentality. There are many, many comments that could be made on this. But I want to be clear about one thing: this type of anti-social behavior and aggression doesn’t disappear on its own. These kids will have to be dealt with very sternly. To be sure, 3rd graders don’t have the same level of brain development as pre-adolescents and teenagers. So all learning experiences and consequences have to be addressed to their learning capacity.
People should be very careful about allowing these kids to escape responsibility for their behavior because of some mental health diagnosis. I want to note a few things here: the first is that studies show that there are many many people in prison with learning disabilities and mental health issues. There are also many many people not in prison with learning disabilities and mental health issues. What’s the difference? I believe it’s because the people in prison had excuses made for them, were blaming others and were not held accountable for their actions. In my experience, in many cases, kids diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, or conduct disorder seem predisposed to antisocial and even criminal activities. What these kids did was criminal and could have been very harmful. These kids responded to limits with aggression.
Many kids learn to comply with authority. Others don’t learn that for whatever reason and develop a pattern of defying authority which escalates throughout the course of their childhood. They have to be held sternly accountable for their behavior, as well as being held responsibly to learn alternative ways of dealing with authority and their own emotions. Any talk of family background in mental health diagnoses is less relevant than many people imagine it to be.
No matter what the background or the diagnosis, these kids had a plan to knife a teacher. Their parents didn’t come up with that plan. The diagnosis doesn’t come up with the plan. They came up with the plan. And they better be held accountable. If there are family problems or other issues, of course they need to be addressed, but that is secondary issue to the primary focus that these kids tried to knife a teacher.
8 Responses
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April 4th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I just want to Thank you for the reminder that it is so much more important to hold them (ADHD, ADD) or conduct disorder, ACCOUNTABLE. I have learned the hard way from experience and I am here to say that its tough, and they do not need to be humiliated, but they also do need to be held accountable. Thank you for reminding us!
April 9th, 2008 at 7:57 am
here’s a link to a story of 2 girls, 10 and 11, who brutally attacked and beat another 11 yr old girl. The attack was so intense it broke her hip.
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/NEWS02/804090377/-1/ETN
April 9th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Thank you so much for the article. My son is 8 and in the 3rd grade, and when I read this story for the first time, I felt physically sick. My son is not physically violent YET, but he is very frustrated with school and his teacher, and we are just about to start counseling for anger issues, as well as oppositional defiance disorder. It was really hard knowing that he could have been the mastermind behind something like this if he was truly angry. The children do need to be held accountable, and if they are not already doing it, the parents need to be VERY involved in help and counseling for not only the children themselves, but in learning to deal with those children as responsible parents. Thanks again for your newsletter. I have gained quite a lot of valuable information from it!
April 9th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I agree that the youth need to be held accountable, but as a teacher, I also believe in problem solving together. The climate of a classroom is the responsibility of the teacher, and too few teachers get adequate training to perform well in classroom management–and too few get fired when they cannot. Teachers are not in control of children, only of themselves, so that is who they need to look at when things go wrong. I also agree that the child is not in control of the teacher, and is equally accountable to figure out how to manage their temper when they get a “bad” teacher (or later, boss), which they inevitably will. I do not feel that the children alone are responsible, however, and have not seen any article about this examine that possibility. What evoked that many children to participate?
April 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Yes, it’s true that the classroom and home environments- how we talk and interact with each other is crucial in setting an example of respect, caring and acceptance of each other. If children are mistreated, abused and neglected they will let us know by their behaviors. Were the children in this classroom treated disrespectfully? We don’t know for sure. Was the teacher carrying out her responsibility of disciplining her students? It seems so. Some children don’t like to be disciplined, and by that I mean guided to act in a respectful manner. If this was the case, those children have learned that teachers and others in authority are not worthy of respect. I wonder where they learn that? We need to take a hard look at how we guide children through life and how we don’t do them justice by making excuses for their poor choices.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:43 am
What I sy will no doubt be dismissed by most, from what I see in this society. That is, people love to have a diagnosis (an excuse for their behaviour and attitudes). I have suffered many consequences for my own choices, and just like me, it seems that anyone can straighten out their conduct when they believe it will benefit them. As for young people - even little children learning to agree together to plot vicious activities - what do you talk about at home!? Do you tell your kids to show everybody who’s “boss”? Do you insist on your “right” to watch violent and irresponsible TV and movies (because it’s nobodys’ business but your own?). Is your music about breaking societal rules and morals? That’s what I see. But when the cops show up, it’s never your fault, or your kids’ fault - it’s the bad group they got in with. The 60s’ and beyond taught us to decide our own morals, and we have taught our kids to “question authority”. And how is a teacher supposed to get respectful cooperation from kids who have been taught that their will be no pain involved in discipline. (and you know I’m not talking about maiming your kids’ little psyche) When somebody elses’ kid does some malicious thing to US we sure are vocal about the kid being responsible for their actions! - just not when it’s our OWN kid! But for many, it’s just easier to take them to a psychologist who will excuse their behaviour as being something they have no fault in or control over! My teachers in the 60s cured ADHD by the Hack-paddle - it had miraculous healing powers!
April 10th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I feel that the children involved in this incident are completely responsible for their choices regardless of what the teacher may have done. If we say that it is okay for students to retaliate when a teacher is not fair or mean, then we are condoning their actions. A teacher is responsible for her students safety and what goes on in the classroom. However, she is NOT responsible for the CHOICES that each student makes. They must take responsibility for that! And anyone who says different is just helping the students kill the teacher. I also am a teacher and know first hand how rough some of these kids can be….and to say that you must look at the teacher when things aren’t going right in a classroom is bunk! Why should I be fired because a student has made a choice that I am not in control of? The real issue is the lack of consequences for these kids when they make choices that are unacceptable! We MUST hold these kids accountable for their behavior. Just because someone does it to you does not mean you can do it to them….wrong is wrong no matter what the “excuse”.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
James Lehman MSW, I had seen you on TV this morning. I called the 800 number. I Just wanted to say thank you for writing the book and helping. My sister had real emotional problems which disrupted the whole family. My mother thought if anything was said or done she would commit suicide. It was a real nightmare in our house. Thank you for saying what I always thought. A parent can make a real difference in a childs life. A parent can run their home. Thank you for your work and your efferts to get the word out their. God bless you!