Threat of gun violence from another elementary school pupil
Our child is in 3rd grade at a Berkeley elementary school. Yesterday another child cut in line, and our child asked him not to, to which the other child said that he had a gun in his bag, and if our child did not apologize to him, he would shoot our child. Out child told their teacher, and was directed to the principal. We were informed of this as an incident of being 'verbally mean', and told that the other child had been reminded about being kind and respectful. Case closed.
Are we naive in thinking that this is a more grave matter? What should our expectation be here?
Oct 5, 2017
Parent Replies
I don't think that response is adequate. I would address that with the principal and if I still had an issue I would go above their head to the district office.
Yeah, this is more than a case of being "verbally mean." It's an incendiary threat, and needs to be addressed.
In all likelihood, it's bravado, but it's a poor sign that the child who made the threat thought it was a useful thing to say--apparently he's learned that people with guns get respect and attention. This puts him at risk as well as all other children at the school.
Hello there. Just file a police report
let the school know that you are doing it.
Was the bag immediately taken and searched before the child had a chance to remove and hide a possible gun? Was there follow-up with the family of the child who made the threat to check if the family owned a gun (which might be brought to school in the future, if your child does not toe the line)? You are not naive at all in thinking this is a grave matter. Threatening to shoot someone is not verbal meanness. It's a death threat. Elementary kids do bring guns to school (and have in Berkeley). If the threat had been made by a 2 or even 3 year old, I would brush it off -- but not with an 8 or 9 year old. A third grader whose mind jumps to making a death threat to intimidate another child may well live in a household where guns are spoken of or even used in menacing ways.Calling it verbal meanness is ludicrous and sends a VERY strange message to both the child who made the threat and your child. Under the discipline policies of BUSD, the child's threat is grounds for suspension and expulsion. l would demand that the school take this incident very seriously.
I would go up to the District (assistant Superintendant)on this one. We once had a kid say there was a bomb, and it was taken very seriously. Hopefully there is no actual gun, but seems like this should be escalated up a bit!
I think the school handed the situation appropriately. It was a case of verbal bullying. Although the word 'gun' was used no actual gun or any weapon or any actual violence was involved. Assure your child that he did the right thing by asking for help when another child threatened him and that you are very proud of him for using kind words at school. Be aware the school cannot inform you of further actions they may have taken with the other child and his family. If a conference was held to understand the other child's behavior and/or a referral for therapy was made the school cannot tell you this for privacy reasons.
How does your child feel about the resolution? If they are ok, it makes sense to let it go. If there have been other incidents with this child and your child, or your child is scared, pursue it as a case of bullying. I believe there is a BUSD complaint form for bullying incidents.