What should you do if your daughter is threatened???

Question

by a potential school shooter? he told her she was moving up on his list and that he'd would like to shoot her in the face. I wrote the principal about it and told her what he had said and i think that they are going to take him out of class and question him. My husband told me that it was a stupid thing to do that she now has a target on her back and that he probably would now do something , that the chances of him doing something before i got him into trouble were slim.my husband works as a correctional officer and says he knows how crimminal minds work...

what are your opinions, did i do the right thing?

Answer 1

Your husband should be more proactive with the safety of his children!! Sticking your head in the sand is not the way to deal with this behavior. Don't count on the schools for any competent or responsible actions. Bullying goes on in every school yard in this country and everyone is aware of it so don't find solace in seeking definitive help from the enabeler's. The police or sheriff's department needs to be notified as well as speaking out to other parents about this activity. If this was happening to another child at that school you would want to know as a parent as well because your child is in that environment. Have a good talk with your husband. Are you willing to do nothing and settle for a slim chance of your child being killed!! Good Grief!!

Answer 2

Very scary! I would call the police as soon as I was able. Your hubby is not a cop, and unless he has a degree in psychology, he doesn't know how the mind works. The chances were slim?! I don't believe that for an instant. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy and that should be in effect; this kid should get some serious mental help. I don't want another Columbine or Virginia Tech shootout. If the school doesn't appear to take the threat seriously(most won't), then it's time to put your daughter in another school.

You did the right thing, but I do think you should call the police and file a complaint, you can put this on that kid's permaneant record at least.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yours husbands attitude is disappointing. Yeah - do nothing because that always works out so well. You absolutely did the right thing. In addition to talking to the school you should also contact the local authorities and this boys parents. Often, the parents have NO idea whats going on in their child's life. In today's world, these kinds of threats cannot be taken lightly. There have been too many school shootings where people knew something and stood back and did NOTHING. If it ends up there was ANY validity to this, you can also look into an order of protection. Lastly - again, shame on your husband. I bet he guards many people who might not have been there if someone had stepped up and done someting before the actual crime occured. Good luck and prayers are with you and the other families at your school that this was nothing more than a foul joke.

Answer 4

If he's over 12, CHARGE THE "child born out of wedlock"!

He just committed a felony/indictable offence. If the Prosecution really wanted to push the envelope just a tad, they could justifiably charge him with making Terroristic Threats. Even without that charge, if he were remanded to adult court (again, if over 12), and convicted on all counts (there'd likely be about half a dozen charges, ranging from Assault to Uttering [Death] Threats.), and sentenced to serve concurrent sentences, he'd be away for atleast 10 years. More likely, if convicted, he'd serve a minimum of 2 years.

Did you do the right thing?
Yes.

If no one stands-up to them, they'll just keep pushing. If he IS a potential school shooter, he needs to be treated/looked at NOW, before he does something, and when he can be treated.

Too many people think that you should wait until something happens to step-in. No, you should step-in BEFORE things happen! Almost every school shooting that I've heard of, there were signs present before the incident occurred!

We are citizens of our countries, and that means we have to step-up to protect ourselves, not just step back and assume that everything will be taken care of by "someone else"! That means, report it to the appropriate authorities, find out how to legally use your powers of Citizen's Arrest (and do so when appropriate), and when it comes time, testify if needed!

Answer 5

I don't know your personal circumstances, but i think that if you possibly can, you should take your daughter out of school and home educate her, at least for a while. If you are in Britain, the main groups for support are:
Education Otherwise,
PO Box 325,
Kings Lynn,
PE34 3XW
email: [e-mail]
Web: www.education-otherwise.org

and

Home Education Advisory Service
PO Box 98,
Welwyn Garden City,
Herts.
AL8 6AN
01701 371854
email: [e-mail]
Website: www.heas.org.uk

In the States there are other groups but the law varies according to state. In New Zealand, try a group called Explorers Unlimited, and in Australia and Canada there are other arrangements but it can be done. I hope i've covered your territory. If not, rest assured that there is almost always a way round the law if you try hard enough.

, and there are also local groups of families who meet for social and educational activities and support. We aren't all just dippy hippy people, and you don't even have to have contact with the groups if you prefer not. That way, you will be able to remove her from a dangerous situation and have more control if you do this.

Any questions you might have about qualifications, socialising and methods of learning have well-established answers and home educated children generally do better than schooled ones in SAT targets, qualifications and socially.

Many home educators deal with this sort of issue all the time and it's one reason they take their children out of schools.

Answer 6

I know that you feel you may have made her more of a target and who knows you may have. but at least you've alerted the school authorities. to be honest it may be a good idea to take her out of school for a little while maybe even transfer schools. i know it will be hard on her but hating a new school is better than dying in her current one. i would then go to the local police station and tell them. it's against the law for him to make threats like that against her. she DOES NOT have the right to make her fearful of her life. TELL SOMEONE! i knew people that went to columbine and i knew students that attended virginia tech and my mother almost died at 9/11. Why do i bring these three things up? because in each case SOMEONE KNEW BEFORE HAND and chose not to speak up and not to make the information know. Lives could've been saved and as a nation we couldve been less wounded. hat i'm saying is your husband was wrong you did the rightthing. now get your girl away from that kid and make sure that the police and his parents are aware that him needs help, and is a danger to others.

Answer 7

Make sure you protect your daughter, whatever you do. Writing to the principal was a good idea, but immediate action may have to be taken if you feel that it is too big of a threat. If she feels uncomfortable going to school/class with this student, listen to her. If she needs to stay home for a few days to work it out, let her. But, keep in mind that staying home can only pose to the threat-giver that she is afraid of him/her and thus more vulnerable. You made the right choice but you may have to keep furthering your efforts.

Answer 8

Absolutely. I would have gone a step further and reported it to the police.

Doesn't your husband watch the news? School shootings (or threat of shooting) are not to be taken lightly.

The thing is, if you didn't report it and the kid ended up actually becoming a shooter and harming other kids but not your daughter, you would still be ethically responsible for not reporting him in the first place.

Answer 9

This is extremely troubling, of course, and i sympathize with your dilemma. At least, the boy is obviously quite troubled, and needs "help".

Btw, i'm no expert in criminal matters, but aren't "threats", especially of this magnitude, "actionable"? In other words, aren't his making such threats a criminal act, punishable in some manner.

The only situation i'm personally familiar with that is in this area of unpleasantness, but worse, actually, involved a young man who physically assaulted a young woman, for no apparent reason, on two ocassions. And mentioned that "he'd be back". One day, prior to his having that opportunity, he suddenly disappeared and was never heard from again.

Answer 10

omg... so scary...
i agree with your husband to a certain degree... this kid may retaliate by carrying out his threat, but i think you did the responsible and right thing by alerting the principal. theprincipal should do more than just talk to the kid. this kid should be expelled. this is a serious problem in schools nowadays. as far as the next step - i would go to the police and make them aware of the situation and then take her out of school.