CHILD WHIPPING LEAVES INDELIBLE IMPRINT OF COLLECTIVE VICTIMIZATION

By Karen L. Bune

When the aunt of a second grade boy appeared at his school in Prince George’s County, Maryland, entered his classroom, ordered him to remove his pants, and whipped him with a belt in front of his classmates and teacher, she committed an act that has ramifications that are troubling. Her actions should justifiably cause concern among school officials, parents, and students. Though corporal punishment is not allowed in Maryland schools, the act of whipping the child with a belt in a school setting, in the presence of other children who have no choice but to observe this action, appears to exhibit a behavior that could strenuously be considered a form of corporal punishment, assault, or even abuse. Though the teacher may have had no knowledge this incident was about to occur, the teacher should have rapidly intervened in some manner or taken some action when the aunt began striking the child. The teacher needed to take immediate control of the situation occurring in the classroom instead of standing by watching it occur.

Ordering the child to drop his pants was an embarrassing experience for the second grader under any circumstance but to have him do this in front of a group of his peers was humiliating. For the students who were innocent observers of watching what they may have perceived as a violent action was not only shocking for some but also traumatic for others. It was likely very traumatic for the young boy being “disciplined” as well.

When the aunt barged into the classroom, she created an unwarranted disturbance to handle her concept of family business, and she dramatically disrupted the class. It was obviously an unsettling and blatantly inappropriate experience for the other children in the classroom who witnessed this occurrence. One mother of a girl in the class stated, “She cannot stop talking about how disgusting it was to watch…in my opinion, this event will never be forgotten by my daughter. Subsequently, the aunt wrote a letter of explanation to all the parents clarifying the incident as a family matter that should not have been transacted in the academic environment and articulated that all actions were between the two family members. 

It is apparent that the aunt’s response is probably due to the uproar that her actions evoked. Her letter smacks of an effort to deflect blame from the teacher, along with the school, but it is a mere band-aid response to a more significant problem. It is likely that the problem surrounding the young boy could emanate because of the home environment embraced by parenting and disciplinary strategies that are employed. If the boy is punished in this brazen fashion in public, such an action serves as motivation to wonder what is done to the boy in private-- behind closed doors-- when no one is watching.  

The school is now investigating this incident to determine what, if any thing should be done. At minimum, the teacher should be disciplined for failure to take control and act in the situation. The aunt should and could be charged with a number of offenses including disturbing the peace and assault. Though the aunt thought she was teaching the boy a lesson for whatever she deemed he did wrong, she, in turn, needs to be taught a lesson herself. She needs to understand that irresponsible actions have consequences, and she must recognize that her behavior had not only a profoundly negative impact on her nephew but also the surrounding students who, as a result, suffered secondary victimization and trauma. This outrageous episode leaves an indelible and negative imprint of collective victimization.

Copyright 2006 Karen L. Bune

***Karen L. Bune is employed as a Victim Specialist in the State’s Attorney’s Office in Prince George’s County, Md.  She is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.  Ms. Bune is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress and a Diplomate of the Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.  She is a nationally recognized consultant and speaker in the victim services field. Ms. Bune appears in the 2007 edition of “Marquis Who’s Who in the World.”  She can be reached at kbune@gmu.edu 

MORE STORIES BY KAREN BUNE:





CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES FOCUS ATTENTION ON RESPONSE STATEGIES TO ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS

D. C. POLICE CHIEF RAMSEY’S DEPARTURE LEAVES LEGACY OF GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT

CHIEF MORSE ROLE ENHANCED BY GAINER APPOINTMENT AS US SENATE SGT AT ARMS

US BORDER PATROL AGENTS ARE THE VICTIMS

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GETS ATTENTION

U. S. PARK POLICE FORCE IN DISARRAY

D.C. POLICE COMMANDER SOLBERG’S APOLOGY UNNECESSARY

POLICE VICTIMIZATION HAS WIDE IMPACT

US CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF GAINER RESIGNS

PERSISTANCE PAYS OFF FOR MIMI

MAJOR LINDA DIXON FULFILLS PROMISE TO VICTIM

METRO DC POLICE GAY AND LESBIAN LIAISON UNIT

U.S. CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF GAINER

US CAPITOL POLICE MOUNTED UNIT DEALT A HARD BLOW

TRIBUTE TO CHIEF GAINER

CONGRESSWOMAN MCKINNEY - SUPERB EXAMPLE OF NON-VICTIM

	Web www.nycop.com

 Retirees Site