TR that is exactly what I have told my daughter. I would rather deal with a suspension than a hospital stay.

That's exactly the advice my father gave to my sister...in a school where he was one of the teachers.

Grew up in school systems where both instigator and victim were punished to some degree, so I adapted to the "rules".
Learned that it was best tolerate minor problems, wait until they were unaware and near a coach/teacher, and ambush them with a full-on assault.

Teacher/coach would break up the conflict before many return shots could be delivered.
Learned a simple rule: if you're in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

First with a name like Big Teddy I do not see anyone picking on you. Also my brother is a special needs child. He has problem in math and english but he is a whiz at computers and he is very artistic. My mother put him martial arts class and is doing very well, but a bully at school hit him in the bathroom so my brother defended himself and was suspended from school for it. My mother raised hell drove down from work and went to the superintended and basicly threaten to kick his butt and the kids parents.

...I didn't speak clearly, apologies...
 

Jeez... I put my foot in my mouth...


My apologies, :( NORMAL550GIRL, I'm by no means disagreeing with you. Teens should know or have some ability of self control by the time they get to high school, but we all know that's not the case.

NCLB has labeled (or lumped) all kids with learning disabilities, behavior disabilities, social disorders, ADHD and any other handicaps listed in NCLB I may have left out as "special ed.".
That really puts the education system, IMHO in a corner as the BD kids, while in some cases very smart, have violence issues. It's a great big sh!t sandwich if you ask me...

In our district, like most, we have a very diverse SPED department and all those kids are in the same building with the regular ed. students. Which makes for a long day some times. I have learned recently that some districts have off site campuses as part of the district for kids with severe LD or BD. While those with disabilities that are able to function amongst the reg. ed. population without major incidents but have a LD go to special ed. classes in the reg. ed. building.
In cases of violence when students have had their 3d, 4th, 5th physical altercation there are options to send them to a offsite county run or private alt school. However, with today's economy and the cost to the district to pay for a placement at a alt school; because NCLB laws make the district liable for the cost, it becomes nearly impossible to expel a kid.
We have several cases right now of that exact nature. Students that have multiple altercations(some are VERY LD/BD and violent) with students and staff, but due to their IEP(Individual Educational Profile) we can't expel them so we have to keep them here, where they don't belong. Quite frankly I'm not so sure it shouldn't be the parents responsibility in some cases to pay for alt placements? (MOO)

In our (there are three of us) role here where I work, we're used as a extension of the Dean's office. The front line if you will in regards to dealing with, not just campus security issues, but student behavior and expectations. We're in the unfortunate position of dealing with the kids when they are at their worst most times. All jacked up because they feel they were treated poorly by a fellow student or staff member. Or maybe they're acting out because things at home are not going well. (Mom and Dad are splitting up, Dad's a drunk and beats Mom and them nightly, they're homeless or whatever the unfortunate circumstance)
They allow us the opportunity to keep kids out of the Dean's office by making on the spot corrections and when necessary referring them to the Dean for more severe consequences if needed. It's a pretty good system. There are many tools at our disposal especially for those kids involved in school activities, "what would your coach say if they saw you acting that way?" It generally reels them in pretty quickly...
Quite honestly, if they hired some schmuck security guard from a pool of guards from a security company like "Guardsmark" that all he did prior to working here was count 2 x 4's at Menards, it wouldn't do much good here. All that guy wants is to get paid and make sure nothing "bad" happens on his watch. I feel things would be much worse if they didn't have someone with an interest in making the kids in the community better individuals.

In regards to the Children with "downs" it is in my experience that they are handicapped to varying degrees and while we still haven't heard what happened in the case in this thread. It could be possible that the boy that got punched, while handicapped, may have incited the boy that punched him. That was all I meant, it's not right by any means but it does happen.

A chemistry teacher here, that retired last year had a great theory in regards to I.Q. levels in relationship to (and in this case) criminal/violent behavior.
You have a line with three points, point A, the middle point B and at the other end point C.
At one end, pt. A, there are the highly intelligent/intellectual/outstanding character values etc.
As you get toward the middle, or pt. B the I.Q. becomes more average and the level of character drops,
As you move along the line to pt. C, intelligence drops and obvious signs of no character values appear and criminal activity/violence increases.
You then take both ends of the line, bring them together forming a circle and what meets when you put the two points together? The highly intelligent, and high crime involved/violent individuals.
*I've yet to find the study on-line but in my very simple mind, this does make sense to some degree. Of course by adding in handicaps like "downs" (or other disabilities), it complicates things in this particular theory doesn't it.

It's been a several years since the school here has changed the policy in regards to blanket suspensions for fighting. When they used to bounce kids evenly no matter the circumstances my kids were told exactly what TR and GreenBeretTFS mentioned. "If you're getting 5 days off, you better get better get "yours".
And as I explained to Afchic in a PM, my kids are no angels but they do not start fights. They have been instructed that if they are ever in the unfortunate situation and have to defend themselves then so be it as long as there was no other choice and they did not instigate the fight and to always tell the truth no matter the consequence. The school here knows I have my kids on a leash and that should they ever deserve the consequence they earned at school they will be punished at home as well, 10X. But they will never be punished at home for defending themselves.
I'm a bit relentless when it comes to their character. There are many mornings that I have to ask them as they're walking out the door, "Does your appearance command respect?". I also remind them often in so many words that, it's more important to have character than to be one...

Thanks for letting me be part of this thread. I realize it's a privilege interact with you all here. I learn more and more just lurking about, you are truly the cream of the crop!