My greatest concerns are, these students appearing to be questioned by authority without an adult parent or guardian present on their behalf. Also, all these alleged school threats being taken at face value are basically coming from students being taken at their word, with an adult thrown in from time to time, as if that validates what they're reporting.
I can recall when I briefly worked in the system, and noticing students forming cliques, targeting weaker unpopular students, even lying on them to get them in trouble. Believe it or not, they're just miniature adults who do the same thing in the workplace, community, in general and will carry that on into their adult lives.
I also recall teachers targeting unpopular students, or a student the teacher had a falling out with a parent over something.
I once pulled a group of students aside one day who appeared to be targeting one particular male child who was basically quiet and stuck to himself.
This was elementary school. I asked them why were they being so unkind to the student. They told me a teacher I'd really admired and looked up to, but not after that, had told them to because he, the student they picked on, was a liar and a cheat. The young student was super smart and, even at that age, loved working with electronics. He was from the community I live. He could take a computer or non-working TV-VCR apart, put it back together and next thing you know, have both up and running. His was a natural self taught talent.
After those students told me they'd been told by an adult to basically bully the child, I asked them, "Has he ever lied to you?" "Has he ever cheated you out of anything?" The answer was "no." I told them, then what that adult told "you" is wrong, and I don't want to see it happening again. Children tend to follow adult leads. When adults create a toxic environment, those children often become a part of that toxicity.
Those students became friends that last well into adulthood.
As a black person, I often speak from a black perspective, based on experiences throughout my lifetime. But before anyone assumes I'm speaking on the issue based on race, the bullied student was white, the students caught up in the bullying were a mixture of white, black and other. It's all about something is just not adding up about these sudden threats, and I'm concerned about the permanent psychological, emotional, and even physcial damage being done. And not just in the moment, but a lifetime.
Brenda Washington