# My son was jumped by a couple of punks at school today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 28, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530 "2011-05-28T04:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/101 "2011-06-01T04:27:32Z")
> [@treis](#): > > He doesn’t have a broken bone. He has a ‘possible’ broken toe, which means he doesn’t have one. Broken toes hurt like fuck and they are kinda hard to miss. > > He fell/was taken to the ground scraped his knee and stubbed/twisted his toe. The attackers didn’t hit him in the face, and maybe caused some bruising through body shots. Here’s my fight injury scale: > > Minor: Scrapes and some bruising. > Serious: Black eyes or bloody noses. > Major: Major broken bones (Orbital, ribs, arms, etc.) > Extreme: Internal injuries/Hospitalization > > He’s a kid, and doesn’t have the mental ability to comprehend what a ruined life means. All of this would put you in jail if you did this to someone. Your attempt to marginalize an attack because a bone wasn’t broken is asinine. The people who don’t have the mental ability to comprehend what is going on are the bullies. The learning curve begins now. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/102 "2011-06-01T05:38:05Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > All of this would put you in jail if you did this to someone. Right, because I am a 25 year old adult. They are 10-12 year old kids. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/103 "2011-06-01T05:39:30Z")
Exactly, so they won’t go to jail. They’ll go before a judge and get the appropriate consequence for someone in their age group. Sensible. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/104 "2011-06-04T21:39:30Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > We finally heard back from the doctor. Yes, his toe is broken, but it’s right on the tip so there’s not much they can do to treat it. He needs to wear closed toed shoes and take it easy while it heals. If it’s not better in three weeks we need to go back to see her. > > No updates on the school front because my son is home today with a stomach bug. (It’s completely unrelated. His sister had it last week. Two days of barfing. What fun.) I’m glad he seems to be doing okay. Sorry your thread is getting hijacked. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/105 "2011-06-06T17:45:37Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > We finally heard back from the doctor. Yes, his toe is broken, but it’s right on the tip so there’s not much they can do to treat it. He needs to wear closed toed shoes and take it easy while it heals. If it’s not better in three weeks we need to go back to see her. > > No updates on the school front because my son is home today with a stomach bug. (It’s completely unrelated. His sister had it last week. Two days of barfing. What fun.) IANAD, but I believe there’s rarely anything done for a simple toe fracture except to watch out and don’t damage it further. One of my daughters broke her toe once, and that’s pretty much what the doctor told us. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/106 "2011-06-06T18:16:11Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > ()\*() > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > …What is that supposed to be?.. I took it to be an ass. And a hole. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/107 "2011-06-06T18:24:17Z")
I have to say, I am very surprised by the responses here. I agree with Markxxx that the bullies took your son’s comment as a threat to tattletale. Of course he didn’t deserve the beating he got, but pressing charges (whatever that means exactly) seems like overkill to me. The attitudes of some people in this thread regarding punishment for a middle school kid are very foreign to me. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/108 "2011-06-06T19:57:38Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I have to say, I am very surprised by the responses here. I agree with Markxxx that the bullies took your son’s comment as a threat to tattletale. Of course he didn’t deserve the beating he got, but pressing charges (whatever that means exactly) seems like overkill to me. > > The attitudes of some people in this thread regarding punishment for a middle school kid are very foreign to me. From past threads on bullying, many people have admitted they were victims when they were younger. I was one myself. These kind of things stay with you for a long time so a lot of people such as myself don’t simply forgive bullies for being assholes that easily. I’d want revenge, horrible horrible revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/109 "2011-06-06T20:23:53Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > From past threads on bullying, many people have admitted they were victims when they were younger. I was one myself. These kind of things stay with you for a long time so a lot of people such as myself don’t simply forgive bullies for being assholes that easily. I’d want revenge, horrible horrible revenge. I understand. I had problems with bullies when I was young, and I agree it can stay with you a long time if you don’t find a way to get past it. But I also feel it’s part of growing up for many, many kids. If I were the OP’s son, I would be begging my mom to let this whole thing go so as to not draw more attention to myself. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/110 "2011-06-06T20:29:26Z")
If bullying goes unchecked long enough, it ends with a gang, or several gangs, holding sway over the student body and posing a threat at **all** times, to **every** student who is not in a gang. I’m not saying that because I’ve read or heard some scare propaganda. I’ve lived it. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/111 "2011-06-06T20:32:25Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Look in the mirror. You feel that costing the parents a couple grand for a lawyer is a good thing. Yet you don’t seem to consider the implications of this. Not many families nowadays have a couple grand laying around. Having to hire a lawyer for Billy might mean that little Timmy doesn’t get piano lessons this year, or little Suzie has to quit the hockey team. > > And what exactly does Juvie mean for this kid? Do you really think kids go into Juvie and come out well adjusted adults? Of course not. Juvie is full of real delinquents. The kids that are in gangs or are putting other kids in the hospital. Those are the influences this kid will be exposed to, and that sure as shit isn’t going to help his behavior. To continue further, what will the disruption of his school and social life going to do to this kid? No school sports, no school band, no activities that could be a positive influence on the kids life. > > No, the people in this thread are the ones who aren’t thinking this through. Putting a kid in the court system is very damaging and serious, and should only be considered as a last resort. > > Everyone is wildly overreacting to this incident. A kid limping for a couple hours after a fight doesn’t need to be taken to a doctor or interviewed by cops. He needs to get some ice cream and be taken to a movie. A kid being a bully doesn’t need to be arrested and tossed into juvie. He needs to have detention and be suspended. A middle school does not need a police officer. It needs a principal. > > A couple stories from my school career: > > (1) In 5th or 6th grade, IIRC, I made fun of some kid and compared his ‘girlfriend’ to a warthog. He decided to start a fight on the playground. It’s too bad this little Hitler didn’t get tossed into jail for the rest of his life. Or maybe I should have been arrested for harassment and defamation. > > (2) 7th grade. I walked up to some kid in the hall and punched him in the spine. Why? I haven’t the slightest idea. I barely knew the kid, he hadn’t done anything to me, and I wasn’t mad. Maybe I just thought it was funny, I dunno. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I didn’t have a middle school cop to taze me and toss me into Juvie. > > (3) Freshman year of high school. We were required to show our IDs to get on the bus to go home. I made some commented to the effect of, “If I was going to bomb a school bus I wouldn’t forget my ID”. That got me two days of in school suspension. Guess I am lucky I didn’t rendered to Gitmo and waterboarded. And, uh, the idea that middle school is not the adult world is a bit inane, as well. It is the edge of the adult world, but it is indeed there. One of my acquaintances got caught with three guns in his locker- he was 13. He just wasn’t allowed to keep them at home, so he kept them at school. Back then it was a month long suspension, but everyone knew if he was kicked out, he would be totally fucked, based on his parentage. I started smoking crack in middle school, and everyone I knew was smoking pot or drinking, as well as many doing much harder drugs. Everyone but me was also extremely sexually active- I waited until I was 16. I was hit in the head twice with a ball-bearing from a truck- 4 inches in diameter- an inch high welt on my head and blood streaming all down my body. The attacker did it in front of witnesses so that they would know how bad-ass he was. He did it because he bumped into me in the locker room and I didn’t say sorry. He got a three-day suspension, even though we tried to press charges. Any further questions? ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/112 "2011-06-06T20:37:43Z")
> [@gurujulp](#): > > Any further questions? Where the hell did you go to school? ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/113 "2011-06-06T20:42:18Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Where the hell did you go to school? Sorry- just missed the edit and didn’t see the ‘don’t derail anymore’ ’ from **twixter**. Didn’t want the warning. Hope I don’t get it. Uh, I guess take the questions to PM. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/114 "2011-06-06T21:28:00Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Where the hell did you go to school? Suxtobe U ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/115 "2011-06-06T21:45:20Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > But I also feel it’s part of growing up for many, many kids. It has been. But why should it be acceptable? Just because we adults had to go through it, our kids have to go through it? Does it not strike you as a little insane and pathetically sad to think that bullying is something we can do nothing about? This is the fucking first world, why shouldn’t we fix this problem? If we look on tolerantly while these neanderthals victimize their peers, they’re going to learn that it’s ok, and teach their kids that it’s ok, and raise yet another generation of bullies/bullied kids. Not the future I want for the next generation. Do you? > [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > If I were the OP’s son, I would be begging my mom to let this whole thing go so as to not draw more attention to myself. I would have been too, if something this severe had happened to me. “Luckily” I was only a victim of girl-on-girl verbal bullying and posturing. It got pretty damn nasty, though never veered into physical territory. But, instead of feeding the instinct to denydenydeny (and letting them win btw), wouldn’t it be nice if the goddamn bullies were properly punished every time this shit happened? Being a nasty little bullying shit is NOT a requirement for anyone to achieve adulthood. We adults should stop treating bullying as a rite of passage, and start treating it as the serious problem that it is. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers, and most kids who kill themselves are victims of bullying. Oh, you were bullied and you turned out just fine, you say? [Shame](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=7228335) [about](http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/21/another-11-year-old-boy-commits-suicide-after-homophobic-bullying/) [the](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/girls-teen-suicide-calls-attention-cyberbullying/story?id=9685026) [other](http://abcnews.go.com/US/gay-teen-suicide-sparks-debate/story?id=11788128) [victims](http://queercorner411.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/another-gay-teens-commits-suicide/) [that](http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34236377/ns/today-today_people/t/sexting-bullying-cited-teens-suicide/) [didn’t](http://www.jaredstory.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/116 "2011-06-06T21:49:56Z")
And if your kid is the bully, are you supposed to be proud of him, or just turn a blind eye? ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/117 "2011-06-06T22:39:59Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Are you contending that playground fights are a new phenomenon? > > Yeah, I can totally THsee the parallels between bringing a gun to school and a minor playground fight. What seems to you as a minor playground fight was actually **TWO** kids beating up on **ONE** kid…that’s not a minor playground fight…that’s being _jumped_. At least a few other 11 year-old kids knew the difference as well, and intervened because they _knew_ that that was no ordinary “playground fight”. Heh, 11 year-olds that had more sense than a guy twice their age. Refreshing to hear. Had they thought, “Hmph…just another playground fight.”, and did nothing, do you think we would have heard something worse than some bruises, scrapes and a broken toe from **THK**? Do you honestly think that those 2 kids would have just stopped at a broken toe, or keep beating him up until they were too tired to throw another punch? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/118 "2011-06-08T00:36:00Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > “Kids, you keep pulling this shit and you’ll be spending _ten years_ with Carrot Top. Do you want that? Do you _really_ want that, you little shits? If you do, then keep doing what you’re doing. Otherwise straighten the fuck up already.” **Chimera** , you probably don’t realize it, but you may just add to the problem. What do you do if the kids ask “Who is Carrot Top?” Well? What would you answer then? Could you justify, before a courtroom, exactly why you showed somebody else’s kids a video of Carrot Top? Would you want some stranger showing \*your \*children a video of Carrot Top??? Just think about it, and I believe you’ll see the folly of your path. Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/119 "2011-06-08T00:47:29Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > If I were the OP’s son, I would be begging my mom to let this whole thing go so as to not draw more attention to myself. I can see a child doing this same thing, and it would be totally wrong. If a kid doesn’t make the ball team because the coach thinks the kid is too fat, that’s something for mom/dad to let go. Being laughed at because the child dropped his tray in the cafeteria is something that parents should let go. But being physically assaulted, because some punks wanna teach a rat a lesson, is something that needs severe punishment. As an adult, what would you do if you caught somebody smoking in the restroom at work, and said something about, and got beat up? Not severely, just pushed around a little bit, with a ‘possible broken toe?’ Would you tell your boss to let it go? This is separate from trials of life that all kids must face.This is a wretched distortion of childhood experiences, and a teacher and the police should not let something like this get a pass. Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530/120 "2011-06-08T00:52:57Z")
Sounds like Angels With Dirty Faces (for those who remember James Cagney). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-was-jumped-by-a-couple-of-punks-at-school-today/583530.md?page=7)