No criminal charges will be brought against the three West Bath 9-year-old schoolboys who twice simulated the violent rape of a classmate. Although the playground assaults were stunningly repugant, the decision by Sagadahoc County District Attorney Geoff Rushlau not to prosecute these children as adults is correct.
The case has attracted national attention as a glaring example of what’s wrong with kids today. In early May, two boys held the girl down on the playground while the third boy climbed on top of her and simulated intercourse, against her tearful protests. Two days later, they did it again.
After the first attack, the girl complained to the teacher supervising the playground, but the teacher only told her to play elsewhere. It was only after the second attack that disciplinary action was taken against the boys, and against two others accused of inappropriate touching and of making lewd comments. All were suspended, none for more than 10 days.
Community outrage at the assaults was aggravated by the teacher’s failure to take the first complaint seriously and by what was perceived as reluctance by school authorities to acknowledge the incident or to inform the public of how it was being handled. The outrage at the assaults is warranted, it is the emotion that must always greet such acts. But prosecuting little boys for merely aping conduct they see on television, at the movies and in video games, but that they cannot possibly understand, would merely mask the problem.
The problem, of course, is adults, even the most well meaning adults. In kinder times, a teacher fielding a complaint of teasing or pestering would never have imagined a simulated rape. Today’s teacher must. The public used to be content with internal handling by administrators of schoolhouse mischief. As that mischief steadily devolves into acts which, if commited by adults, would be violent crimes, administrators must develop ways of communicating more effectively with the public, while preserving the necessary confidentiality provided for by law.
Today’s society is one that continues to cherish the freedoms for which earlier generations fought and died. It also is a society that, in the name of freedom and popular entertainment, celebrates increasingly crude and aggressive behavior. Today’s adults created this society. Now we must find a way to protect our children from it.
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