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Really? He assaulted a kid, pushed some kids around, then he pulled out a knife and slit a soccer ball... and you told him to get his parents? Then you couldn't decide if you should call the cops because.... geee........ it may be legal for him to carry a knife.
My goodness.
It's not the AGE difference that determines if you should call the police. It's the fact that there was a person on the playground who was acting in an aggressive manner and in possession of a knife. Learn something new: Most kids can't do much to protect themselves when confronted by a teenager who has grabbed another kid's penis and then pulled a knife. They don't have the brain power to assess what's happening or the skills to help themselves. That's the job of adults. You were the adult and you had a phone: 911. That's why they invented it.
At the VERY least you should have ordered your son and the other kids to get the heck away from the kid with the knife. Young kids don't know what to do in those situations. It's the job of the adult to take control and direct them. There's something called the Three Steps Back rule that's taught in personal safety courses. I think you could benefit from taking one. They also have them for children.
Yes it makes sense to me that in your small closed little world you would think I would have a a phone in my hand like the rest of the world. I'm a single disabled mother that chooses to go without for a few reasons. I have to pay more impotant bills and I didn't mention that the neighborhood children come to my home hungry when thier parents have mismanaged money again and they have no food. I'm happy to have the life I do I'm not complaining one bit. I'm rich beyond compare in my eyes but no cell phone.
I am not technically responsible for any of the kids other than my own. My child is not allowed outside without me. The other kids are children who play in the neighborhood without any supervision from thier parents. So I've kinda taken them under my wing. They know that my house is a safe place to come if they feel they need help. I do the best I can for them and I know if I had not been there to stop and seperate the kids it would have been alot worse. Law is not my chosen field of study and I don't get myself into to trouble so don't have to deal with police usually. I know that it is assult when adults hit eachother but was unsure when it's dealing with kids. I talked to the fathers of the two boys who were physically assulted and neither one seemed very upset like I am. They had more of an attitude of boys will be boys. If the teenager had put his hands on my son I wouldn't even have to ask what to do but when these other parents don't seem to care I question if I have any right to be as angry as I am or call police on behalf of thier children.
Actually, Nat, you most certainty are responsible for the children, your the adult and they are under your supervision, Number #1 Rule from here on out,
"Public Safety First" always. At your home or anywhere else.
I understand that your trying to be nice with your son's friends, But there is no such thing as technically, your either responsible for "the care and safety" of the children or your not, it takes plenty of responsibility watching over young children, so hat's off to you for your efforts, but you need to be all in. Writing up a report is a good move.
This kid sounds lost in a scary way, by you reporting this incident may very well get this kid the help he needs and get's the parents under the watchful eye of responding officers who should keep an eye out for this kid before he seriously hurts himself or someone else. The parents sound like drunks or drug addicts.Stay frosty and keep a sharp eye out for the family. Stay away from them.
I did get involved! I do keep my eye out for all of the neiborhood kids and I did take them to there homes and talk to the parents. I have made myself available to a group of children that have been playing outside by themselves for the past 5 years only because I care. I have spoken to their parents on several different occations when the kids are fighting 2 are brothers, taking things from my porch with out my permission so on and so forth. The most I have gotten in return is yelled at for waking them up. Now I did not go ask these kids to come out and play. When my son and I go out on our way these kids are already out playing in the streets. Like I said I wish I had called the police right away. Between screamming for this kids parents, trying to stay in between the teen and the group of kids, dodging getting hit myself and not wanting to take my eyes of this child who is bigger than me. I messed up and will no longer have to worry about what to do as I will grab my child as soon as any arguing or anything happens and walk home someone elses parent can take over. See this wouldn't happen to my child he is always with me. He is not out running streets unsupervised and I don't throw my responsibilty for raising my son onto others.
I'm sorry, what? How can you say in your original post that you "...always scoop up as many as I can so they can all play together", and then in your response argue what I have bolded above?!? That doesn't make sense. I also don't understand how a 7-year old could have been sexually molested by having his crotch grabbed and squeezed if you were in truly in between the teen and the group of kids as you said you were, the moment I heard some punk come towards a group of young children running his mouth like that I would have grown wings and FLOWN over there - not waited until a child was sexually assaulted to recognize a potential problem, but I digress...
Look, I'm not saying you're a bad person - I'm sure you're a wonderful person, and I really mean that. What I am saying is I cannot even fathom how you would question whether or not you should call 911 in a situation like this - considerably AFTER the event at that. You are so lucky things didn't end differently.
And I also have to say - I don't care how much you have deluded yourself into thinking you don't have an obligation to ALL children within your sphere of contact. Not as a friend, not as a supervisor, not as a neighbor, not as a parent, not as an adult - you have a duty as a HUMAN BEING. So do not ever say a child in distress within your periphery isn't your responsibility - now THAT'S messed up...
That kind of reminds me of the series finale of Seinfeld/Good Samaritan without the good humor...
I am beyond stunned that you do not feel you were responsible for the kids who aren't yours. You invited them to the park. You were the only adult there with them. You really didn't feel it was up to you to protect those kids from the scary kid? Momma bear should come out instinctively, and you should have done for every kid what you would have done for your own. What if it had been a dog bite, or something like that? Would you have just left a neighborhood kid to fend for himself?
There are programs that help low income people have access to cell phones for emergencies. I'd look into one, if I were you.
I am beyond stunned that you do not feel you were responsible for the kids who aren't yours. You invited them to the park. You were the only adult there with them. You really didn't feel it was up to you to protect those kids from the scary kid? Momma bear should come out instinctively, and you should have done for every kid what you would have done for your own. What if it had been a dog bite, or something like that? Would you have just left a neighborhood kid to fend for himself?
There are programs that help low income people have access to cell phones for emergencies. I'd look into one, if I were you.
I didn't just let them fend for them selves. Have you read any of this? I did not have a phone on me. I did everything I physically could to keep the teen away from the other boys besides turn around and run home to call the police which at the time would have required me turning my back to him trying to gather all the kids and possibly getting stabebed in the back as I walked away to get to a phone. I walked all the children to their houses and talked to parents and came home and posted this because I honestly did not know what to do. As the only parent that is ever outside I do feel responsible for the kids that are out playing and thats why I did what I could to protect them. I honestly hurt when I see these children hurt. When people start saying that they would take me to court and sue me. It is aggrevating.
I'm sorry, what? How can you say in your original post that you "...always scoop up as many as I can so they can all play together", and then in your response argue what I have bolded above?!? That doesn't make sense. I also don't understand how a 7-year old could have been sexually molested by having his crotch grabbed and squeezed if you were in truly in between the teen and the group of kids as you said you were, the moment I heard some punk come towards a group of young children running his mouth like that I would have grown wings and FLOWN over there - not waited until a child was sexually assaulted to recognize a potential problem, but I digress...
Look, I'm not saying you're a bad person - I'm sure you're a wonderful person, and I really mean that. What I am saying is I cannot even fathom how you would question whether or not you should call 911 in a situation like this - considerably AFTER the event at that. You are so lucky things didn't end differently.
And I also have to say - I don't care how much you have deluded yourself into thinking you don't have an obligation to ALL children within your sphere of contact. Not as a friend, not as a supervisor, not as a neighbor, not as a parent, not as an adult - you have a duty as a HUMAN BEING. So do not ever say a child in distress within your periphery isn't your responsibility - now THAT'S messed up...
That kind of reminds me of the series finale of Seinfeld/Good Samaritan without the good humor...
William, maybe you can go re read the entire thing and it would make sense.
I took my son (7) and six of his friends to the neighborhood park today. I always scoop up as many as I can so they can all play together. Everyone was having a great time until another boy showed up with no parents to be seen and started yelling and cussing for no reason at the other kids. I tried to stay calm and watch to see how the kids would handle the situation or if this kids parents might hear him and show up but nothing. This child was older about 13 or 14 and the children I was watching were from 7 to 10. When this teenager grabbed another child in his private area and sqeezed as hard as he could and screamed suck my d--- I jumped up and told this child that he needed to leave the other children alone and told the other kids to go play in another area of the park. This teenager then charged one of the other boys punched him and shoved him to the ground. I told the boy that if he put his hands on anyone else I would call the police. He then grabbed my sons soccer ball pulled a knife out of his pocket and popped it. I told him to go get his parents and he tried to hit me 3 times I backed away with out getting hit and his parents finally came around the corner beers in hand and started cussing me out and told me thier son can do what he wants. I'm not really sure what to do at this point this kid needs help and obviously his parents don't care. Should I call the police on a kid? I'm afraid if I don't someone is gonna get seriously hurt.
Don't ever say you will do something that you aren't prepared to follow through on--you should have called the police.
im sorry I would have dropped that kid like a hot potatoe , I took krav maga classes and he would have been in trouble . I would have also dropped dad and his beer in a heartbeat too if he felt froggy . Yes for Gods sake file a police report and make sure the police follow through on it . I understand your dilemma perhaps you should look into some self defense classes for yourself , in case this sort of thing happens again .I think maybe this kid and his dad are bullies and I usually find when you take one bully down the others get the picture and they keep their distance .I wish you luck I know this must have been hard for you to know what to do .
Nat, be sure to let us know how it went when you filed the police report.
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