Girl, 8, handcuffed, jailed for two hours

[Still Waters]

An 8-year-old girl was handcuffed and held by Alton Police for two hours after throwing a tantrum at school.

Jmyha Rickman was hauled in the back of a police squad car. Her guardian said she was treated like a criminal, all 70 lbs. of the young girl.

Rickman’s ordeal began at Love Joy Elementary School late Tuesday morning when she apparently had a bad tantrum.

http://www.kmov.com/...-195485751.html

http://www.dailymail...rum-school.html

[Iron_Lotus]

big ol tough cops gotta cuff a little girls feet and hands, pathetic.

[+OverSword]

[supervike]

What is the alternative to a little girl 'tearing up a classroom'? You can't lay hands on her, as that would open you up to a lawsuit.

If she is out of control, what do you suggest? Cookies and Apple Juice?

It's a tough call, but if they were that concerned with her behavior they called the police, then it sounds like it was handled as good as they could.

[rashore]

Wow, that's quite the tantrum to tear up two classrooms.

[Iron_Lotus]

why was she tearing up the classroom in the first place? if its true she asked multiple times to use the washroom why was she not allowed? was she expected to *SNIP* "urinate' in her pants in the classroom? as a kid id have probably thrown a helluva tantrum too but guess what theres better ways of handling a child throwing a tantrum than HANDCUFFING THEIR FEET AND HANDS!

how about for starters taking said child to the washroom than the principles office? ya know that used to happen all the time back in school without the need for calling the police, oh and after you can get in contact with her gaurdians to come pick her up from school whwere she can be disciplined at home (hopefully) but no no no lets scare her *SNIP* 'and make matters worse'

*Please try and use G-rated language to make your point*

Edited March 6, 2013 by Lilly
language

[aztek]

If she is out of control, what do you suggest? Cookies and Apple Juice?

yea, that is what they get now. that is why we got generations of arrogand selfish *SNIP* 'brats' my guess, when they grow up the will rase their kids same way.

*Also, a valid point, just use G-rated language*

Edited March 6, 2013 by Lilly
language

[supervike]

Calling the police didn't seem to be the first choice here.

Maybe it could have been diffused before it was started, but once the cat is out of the bag, then what?

The kid was out of control. Scaring the crap out of her should be the least of her worries.

[Sweetpumper]

They should have tazed her.

[Iron_Lotus]

They should have tazed her.

obviously! they tried everything else so why not right?

[Queen in the North]

It seems excessive, but what can you do when you can't even touch a kid in school for fear of being arrested yourself?

I don't know the laws in the US, but in the UK teachers are only supposed to physically stop a child from doing something if they are endangering other members of the class.

I don't see it being such a huge thing that she wasn't allowed to go to the toilet, in school we were routinely not allowed to go when we asked. She is of an age where she should know to go in scheduled breaks. And if she was totally desperate and could not wait, she could have just got up and gone, not started a tantrum.

[The Silver Thong]

I'll say this. I bet she never does it again.

[ohio traveler]

There is no need to bring in the police. The first time you call her parents and send her home. If it happens again you kick her out of school.

Sometimes I really think our country needs to bring back two things : Orphanages and military schools.

[Lilly]

First, coddling kids and allowing bad behaviour is obviously not a good idea. However, handcuffing and jailing an 8 year old child isn't the best choice IMO. It seems to me that a reaction like this little girl had indicates she's a young child with severe emotional problems. I think this should have been handled in a very different manner. Instead of law enforcement perhaps DSS and the school psychologist should have become involved?

Now, in a more official capacity...Do not attack others because their opinion differs from your own. Do not circumvent the language filter. Basically, post like mature adults.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Lilly
spelling

[Gummug]

I can almost see the cops handcuffing her if she was being physically/verbally abusive towards them, which I suspect she was (and towards everyone else I suspect). Also, just a thought, maybe she was known for wanting to go the bathroom for other reasons...then again, I could be totally wrong, I think a person would about have to have been there and seen it first-hand.

[Lilly]

I can almost see the cops handcuffing her if she was being physically/verbally abusive towards them, which I suspect she was (and towards everyone else I suspect). Also, just a thought, maybe she was known for wanting to go the bathroom for other reasons...then again, I could be totally wrong, I think a person would about have to have been there and seen it first-hand.

You make a good point, if the handcuffing was done to keep the child from hurting herself and others it may have been warranted. The bottom line (for me anyway) is that this is a very young child...certainly there's some type of serious mental health issue involved in her behaviour. The need for professionals in mental health (verses law enforcement) seem to make far more sense to me.

[Professor Buzzkill]

I didn't know having a tantrum when your 8 was an arrestable offence.

[Sweetpumper]

It is these days! Luckily, she didn't eat her Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun.

[Lilly]

Some legal responses to what kids do are absolutely ridiculous. Our society needs to apply far more common sense and less of the 'one rule fits all situations' nonsense currently seen.

[Ashotep]

I bet it wasn't the first time they had problems with this kid. While I'm not crazy about handcuffing children they may of had no other choice. If she does have mental problems she needs to be somewhere they can deal with that and not in a public school where she could hurt other children.