Police uses pepper spray on 8-year-old
By EnslinPorter
@EnslinPorter (1718)
Philippines
April 8, 2011 5:13am CST
I saw this news/link from my friend in Facebook. Police used pepper spray on an 8-year-old boy who was misbheaving. He threw a temper tantrum, was screaming, was cursing, and even broke wood off the wall so he can stab his teachers. The police ordered him to drop the stick and when he refused, they used pepper spray on him twice.
The mother says she knows what her son did wasn't right but she thinks police used excessive force. She said the police were called on her son two times in the past and police were able to talk him out of it. On the other hand, the teachers were already barricading themselves and obviously can't do anything about it.
If this has happened before, I think the mother should have done something to help her child about it (who admits to having anger management issues). Isn't having police being called on your child for situations like this a red flag already? She should have done something to prevent further damage like this. Anyway, the child is already seeing a doctor according to the mother, but wasn't diagnosed of any mental illness nor was he put on any meds.
I don't know what to say about the pepper spray but the child needs to be controlled for this is already the third time. Still, something inside me says that the pepper spray is appropriate, though a bit cruel for a child, because it's an effective way to momentarily disable such uncontrollable child.
What do you think?
News Article: http://tinyurl.com/3er5ujw (not a referral link)
3 responses
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
12 Apr 11
From what has been described this was a very violant child and from personal experience very dangerous. The older the child the easier it is to talk them down and reason with them. I have seen and had to help with a child in this age range. I was trained and authorized by the school to restrain such children. When they go off on their temper tantrums they can be very hard to control and often you have no warning sings. In one of the cases I dealt with one minute the child was playing and the next he was throwing anything he could get his hands on or punching other students and teachers. There were times when two teachers could not hold him down. In the restraint position that you held the child he could not move but neither could the person holding them. If you relaxed for a second the child could head butt you or even bite you. In this state of rage the child has great strength and with a stick of wood he was very dangerous. A child that is that out of control does not belong in the traditional school but in a secure facility where the staff is trained to deal with such children. This is where the Law saying that all children have a right to an education gives too much power to the parents and the school is on the hood if the child is hurt, or if the child hurts someone else.
In my time I have been head butted, bitten, scratched, hit and spit upon by these children. Understand they don't understand what they are doing, they only know that they hurt inside (emotionally) and need to be someplace where that rage can be directed until such time as you can reason with them.
I think the police acted in a reasonable manner.
@EnslinPorter (1718)
• Philippines
12 Apr 11
Thank you for sharing. It is a great addition to this discussion that we get the perspective of someone who's involved with children especially with this kind of situation. Despite the danger, thank goodness there are people like you who take the job and for that I salute you. It must take great understanding and commitment to do what you do. 
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
29 May 11
Well...under that situation...pepper spray might have been appropriate. If he was threatening to hurt others and was wild like that..it probably hurt him a lot less than having to physically subdue him. He could have really hurt someone or even himself. That pepper spray might seem a little extreme, but his behavior was too.
Mom needs to get a hold on this as soon as possible. If he was bigger, it might have been a very nasty situation. The counseling is great, but there has to be reinforcement at home too.
I hate that the kid got sprayed, but the other alternatives might have been worse. I have heard of people fighting against restraint and really hurting themselves.
@Kirinx (1688)
• United States
5 May 11
yikes that is kinda harsh for her alittle kid but I am sure he will be better behaved in the future ^^".The cops could of easily handled him without doing
that but i guess the cops in the situation lacked patience.
the mom should train her kid to be more obedient also.that kid prolly wasnt raised to well..
