http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/10/gra....ap/index.html

So where did these kids learn this type of behavior? SO the teacher gets fired. What about the parents? I mean, I've heard the argument that teaching sex ed in the schools will make our poor children want to have sex even more than their little hormone crazed bodies already do, but what's the excuse that the accountability phobes will use to argue about what these little boys have done? Surely they haven't had "the talk" yet.

I feel so sorry for this little girl. This is just unbelievable.

__________________

Oh my god my tummy is turning into knots! What is happening to this world!!

__________________

I know I have not formally introduced myself, but I just have to throw my 2cents in here! First let me give you a little background: 1) I have been a teacher for 14 years, 2) I've taught 5th, a 1st-2nd grade loop for 8 years, and 3rd grade this year. and 3) This is my 9th (and I hope last!) year teaching in a large inner city district (Detroit)
Ok, here goes:
1) As a teacher any group of kids huddled together usually means bad news - even if you're talking to another teacher - you should have checked it out as soon as you noticed. But we're all human and far from perfect - so from what I understand the teachers went over as soon as they were informed by another student - so I'm not sure I can understand why they/she was fired.
2) Kids in an inner city environment are WAY WAY (did I say WAY?) more sexually aware than their suburban counterparts. It comes from home experience and being allowed to watch movies that are totally inappropriate - the Scary Movie series is extremely popular!
3) Now don't yell at me - but the assumption is that the boys attacked her. Is it possible she was showing things? Inviting them? And when they got in trouble she changed the story?? I'm only bringing these things up because it's highly possible. The inner city is a totally different world - and things work differently. Somebody gets in trouble and it's "poor me" when that person started it!!!! Oh the stories I could tell! Heck, I just heard from our custodian that a middle school girl (my school is hell, I mean K-8) got caught TWICE giving BJ's in the boys locker room. She started crying the 2nd time she got caught.
4) The boys are 6-8 years old. Was it really sexual assault? Boys and girls being curious? We don't know because we don't know exactly what happened.
5) I don't trust the media. They put whatever spin they want on news anymore.
That's it - don't yell at me!!!! I just wanted to put out some food for thought.

__________________
Karen
Me, 36
DH, 39
TTC #1
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7

I didn't read anywhere that it was an inner city school. As someone who did grow up in the inner city, and who (unfortunately) still has family in the inner city, sexual precociousness was not usually evident in 6 and 7 year olds, and most of us were not exposed (even by the worst parents) to truly sexually suggestive material. Did it happen? I'm sure it did. It happened to one of my nieces who was visiting a friend (in the suburbs) and came home quite distraught because her friend showed her a videotape from her father's private collection. No, we were more apt to express ourselves violently and with less than stellar language. Sexuality didn't start to become a large part of our lives until we hit about the 5th grade. Of course, that is in the northeast and who knows if there may be regional differences.

I wouldn't dismiss the girl so quickly except that when girls are willing to "play doctor" we usually seek to play someplace private. And even at 6 or 7, there is that innate "shame" that goes with exposing ourselves, so we normally wouldn't have made it a free for all. Lastly, the fact that she was on the ground smells more of someone being forced down than someone who is willingly exposing themselves to the curious. I'm thinking it was the boys.

And Cinnamon, those were my immediate thoughts as well: What is this world coming to??? Last week, Cathie over at FM/OPKs posted about a man who was arrested for "intent to sexually assault" a three month old. A THREE MONTH OLD!!! That one was in Myrtle Beach. This is all so sad!

__________________

This just makes me shudder.....The parents/caregivers of the children all need to be investigated. Something has made the child/ren think this is acceptable behavior. Maybe one or more of the children involved have been/are being sexually abused.

And where the heck were 'the good touch bad touch' presentations at school???

__________________

Susan
jwdcreations

Susan, 41 & Kevin, 35
Getting on with our life and our furbabies.
Nikki & Schnitzel

How did I know it was an inner city school? I watched the CNN video and saw St. Louis, and based on my experience, I assumed. After you posed that question - I did some research - and yes, it is an inner city school.
You are right - and I agree, the girl on the ground does indicate to me as well that the boys were up to something - but again, we don't know the whole story.
I can also tell you this, yes, these children are that exposed to sex. Yes, it comes at a very early age. It is unbelievable how much they know even in first and second grade (more than I did at 5th - I'm telling you!). Again, I'm speaking from my own teaching experience. The inner city you grew up in is not the same as it is now. I mean, heck, look at our culture in general - look at how these girls dress and act - in the suburbs and the city. Sex has become a major factor in children's (and I do mean children) lives. We didn't grow up like that! I don't think I knew what a BJ was until I was a junior/senior in high school (not from experience - from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High). And middle schoolers are doing it at my school!!!!!
But to share one more story - about four years ago, I was teaching first grade. My fellow teacher had this incident happen in her first grade classroom: During library, two girls had separated themselves behind a bookcase. The one girl told the other girl she wouldn't be friends with her if she didn't have sex with her. The library teacher found them fully clothed, but acting as though they were having sex. First grade!!!!!
Again, as you said, regional differences may also apply. I orginally grew up in country bumpkin Virginia and North Carolina (I'm a military brat). My inner city experience has been here in Detroit. It has opened my eyes to so much - it has been a valuable experience and one that I'm extremely grateful for.

__________________
Karen
Me, 36
DH, 39
TTC #1
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7

But as you say, it is not merely in the inner city. I have nephews who are living in country bumpkin sections of Delaware who come home speaking of many things that I am quite shocked at. We shouldn't be generalizing that this is happening because they are inner city children, or that because they are inner city children that they are being subjected to more sex than the average suburban child. Most known child molesters are middle class suburbanites, and their victims are likely to be children they know, right in their own neighborhoods.

These children may just be the objects of bad parenting, which we see daily in the country or in the city. The man who sexually assaulted the three month old was no where close to being an inner city citizen of Myrtle Beach. These children may be learning to behave this way not because bad parents have exposed them carelessly to their sexuality but may instead be acting out what was done to them by their uncle, teacher, the local policeman.

Ultimately, the question is whether parents should be held accountable for the actions of children when such things occur. I would like to know first, where the children learned such things. And if they have been exposed at home due to poor parenting, then I say yes, yes and yes.

__________________

Just chiming in...

We had a 3rd grader giving sex ed talks to other third graders during recess. This happened a couple of times. We are a rural school, however, this is her first year at our school. She came from a suburban school.

Did I miss how long this big group had been gathered together? For a minute, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes. Without watching the video clip again, was the teacher just standing there chatting? Or was she nearby helping another student?

I agree. If she had ignored it, or sat and watched it then it would be different, IMO! I wonder what we are missing from the story?!?! Recess duty sucks!


Dee

__________________