By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Benicia police arrested a 17-year-old Liberty High School student they said made threats Wednesday to kill a classmate, and Thursday brought a gun to campus, Lt. Frank Hartig said.
The youth’s identity was not disclosed, but he was accused of felony counts of terrorist threats and possessing a firearm on school grounds, as well as misdemeanor accusations of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number; of being a minor in possession of ammunition; possession of an assault weapon; and being a minor in possession of a concealed firearm, Hartig said.
He said police were called to a home Wednesday evening to investigate a report of a threat that had taken place earlier that day at Liberty High, 351 East J St.
At the time, officers were told the teen, a Vallejo resident, had made threatening statements and gestures toward some students, telling one girl he would kill her, Hartig said.
Officers gave their information to Benicia police’s two School Resource Officers, Sam Peterson and Will Patterson, who went to the school campus Thursday.
While the two SROs were conducting their investigation, the teen suspected of making the threats apparently saw the officers and left the school on foot, Hartig said.
“Two Benicia police detectives who were in the area observed a male juvenile running toward the Benicia Little League fields at East H and East Third streets,” Hartig said. That person appeared to be concealing a heavy object under his clothing, he said.
The youth ran into the scorekeeper box at the baseball field, emerging a few seconds later, Hartig said.
“He was detained by the two detectives as he tried to return to Liberty High School,” Hartig said.
Officers searched the scorekeeper box where the teen had run and found a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, Hartig said.
“The magazine was loaded with nine bullets, and there was one round in the chamber,” he said.
Police determined the teen had concealed the gun on his body while he was on the Liberty High campus earlier in the day, then fled when they saw the two SROs at the school, Hartig said.
The teen was transported to Fairfield, where he was booked into the Solano County Juvenile Hall after being accused of the multiple weapon, ammunition and terrorist threat charges.
“Because the suspect is a minor, no further information or booking photos will be provided,” Hartig said. Likewise, because of the “serious nature of this investigation,” Hartig said Benicia police also would not give any other descriptions of the victims or intended targets.
Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Janice Adams said Thursday the school’s staff and police “worked well together” to address the threats, and that the school followed through with its share of the investigation.
“We’re grateful for the good, positive relationship we have with the police,” Adams said. “I felt like our staff and the police worked well together. This was a terrible situation.”
She said that, as is its custom, the school district and its Board of Trustees would review safety and security practices in the wake of an incident she called “sobering.”
She added that Liberty High School currently has no metal detectors, but said she already has been consulting with Police Chief Andrew Bidou and Hartig, to hear their recommendations.
“We’re all very concerned,” she said. “It’s very alarming.”
Hartig said the officers’ actions in responding to the report of the threat “prevented a possible tragic event from occurring, and in all probability saved someone’s life.”
He added, “The Benicia Police Department works closely with all Benicia schools, especially when there are credible threats made by students or against students or staff.”
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Idiot.
Agreed!
Here we go, loading up “worst-case-named” charges on this kid without any notion of his complaint. Yes, he did wrong, but kids can be intensely emotional. I’d be more interested in how he got the gun, what its history is, and what responsibility his parents play in this drama. This affair ought not be reduced to criminal terms before understanding its human aspects. Kids act out in silly ways that should not damage their whole, future life-prospect.
In other words, the authorities should examine the whole thing carefully before they go laying on the heavy definitions. No shots were fired. Nobody was hurt. Authorities should not lose perspective and inflate the matter disproportionately merely because guns in schools are a prominent issue to the public. Take a measured approach. If any officer who roughs this kid up should be ashamed.
Correction: Any officer who roughs this kid up should be ashamed.
Your Child / Grandchild? I am sure you would be singing a different song if it was your daughter/grand daughter involved. Put a little more sand over that head of yours!
Being that it was my daughter that was threatened, I personally think Mr. Shelby has no idea what he is talking about. I would also like to point out the the “kid” was a Benicia kid that recently moved to Vallejo, and never changed his address, not an inter-district transfer. Know what your talking about before you go shooting off your mouths people. This “kid” deserves whatever consequences are sent his way. In this day and age you cannot make those kinds of threats! It’s not a joke and even if meant that way (which it so obviously wasn’t), it is not and never will be funny.
Plus, please take into consideration that he threatened only two students and yet had a fully-loaded clip. What did he have planned for the other 8 bullets? Pull your heads out folks. This is not just about a “kid” with emotional problems. This “kid” is damn-near grown and some of you are ready to just chalk it up to “being a kid” and give him the benefit of the doubt. Not smart.
Why are you altering what I wrote Benicia Herald?
Because we are maintaining a certain level of decorum here, in this story and elsewhere on this blog. Watch your language and alterations won’t be necessary. Ed.
I didn’t use any language that I need to watch, thank you very much. But I guess I can understand your position.
And I understand your position, as well. But we are taking a hard line with personal attacks, namecalling and other things that aren’t conducive to constructive dialogue on this blog, as they have been known to get out of hand. Ed.
Understood. I am just extremely upset by the some of the statements that are being made. I will try to be more careful in the future.
Apparently reporting credible threats is not a requirement of Educators in the state of ca .My daughters murder could have been avoided had Mt Diablo High School reported a documented planned murder to the police. I,m grateful that this young girl did not suffer the same tragedy as my child . This type of reporting should be mandated by the State of Ca .
The threat was reported to the police by the school. Thank you, Liberty High staff!
People can be emotional, not just kids. What point are you trying to make. His parents played a role in this drama. Can you state more simple things? lol kids acting silly is stealing something or cheating on a test, not bringing a loaded gun to school.
I’m more concerned that we had a troubled kid from Vallejo in OUR alternative high school. And Mr. Shelby, the fact that there were nine bullets in the gun with one in the chamber is a bit more serious than simply being “intensely emotional.” He is more than “intensely emotional” he is seriously disturbed to go to the lengths he did. Thank God he was stopped before something tragic happened.
Welcome to Benicia. There are Vallejo kids all over the schools in town. They have an Aunt that lives in Benicia and they use their address and BINGO, they are in Benicia schools. It’s a loophole that needs to be fixed. It is lowering the standards for OUR kids.
When Vallejo students are enrolled in Benicia schools, the district gets money from Vallejo City Unified. Just wanted some facts added to the mix. Please don’t be ignorant enough to believe that only Vallejo students have emotional to bring to Benicia’s schools.
Not worth the money the bring. Keep them in Vallejo.
Benicia’s finest at work. Thank You gentlemen.
Yes. Thank you very much!
Another Vallejo problem solved, get them all out!
+1.
the kid was not from vallejo. and he was not being bullied. he was bullying 2 girls threatening them & telling them he was going to kill them, then the next day he brought a gun to school.
Really? He wasn’t being bullied? Every single day he was being harassed by the two girls. They are not victims.
Curious what ‘staff’ you are from… certainly Benicia Herald staff would never make statements as if they were fact and they would not ‘know’ whether the kid was being bullied. I would hate to think that a Liberty High staff member would be commenting here on an open case… participating still in the talk that brought this about in the first place.
WITH REGARD TO THE DISCUSSION OF WHETHER HE WAS BULLIED… DO YOU SAY HE WAS NOT BULLIED BECAUSE BULLYING IS THOUGHT OF AS ONE WAY? Because if you are saying he was not bullied because you don’t think he was harassed then you are wrong.
_____
BULLYING:
Bullying is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The behavior can be habitual and involve an imbalance of social or physical power. It can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of class, race, religion, gender, sexuality, appearance, behavior, or ability.[2][3] If bullying is done by a group, it is called mobbing.[4] The victim of bullying has been referred to as a “target”.[citation needed]
Bullying can be defined in many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying,[5] while some U.S. states have laws against it.[6]
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation.
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more “lieutenants” who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his or her bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse.[7] Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism.
A bullying culture can develop in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home, and neighborhoods.
Definitions
Bullying may be defined as the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.[8]
Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus has said[9][not in citation given] says bullying occurs when a person is:
‘exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons’. He says negative actions occur ‘when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways.
History
High-level forms of violence such as assault and murder usually receive most media attention, but lower-level forms of violence such as bullying have only in recent years started to be addressed by researchers, parents and guardians, and authority figures.[11]
Of bullying in general
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.[11][17]
U.S. National Center for Education Statistics suggested in 2001 that bullying can be classified into two categories:
direct bullying, and indirect bullying (which is also known as social aggression).[1]
Ross states that direct bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression, such as shoving and poking, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching and kicking, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, scraping, and pinching.[18]
He also suggests that social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by attempting to socially isolate the victim. This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including spreading gossip, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim’s manner of dress and other socially-significant markers (including the victim’s race, religion, disability, sex, or sexual preference, etc.). Ross[18] outlines an array of nonviolent behavior which can be considered “indirect bullying”, at least in some instances, such as name calling, the silent treatment, arguing others into submission, manipulation, gossip/false gossip, lies, rumors/false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking. The UK based children’s charity, Act Against Bullying, was set up in 2003 to help children who were victims of this type of bullying by researching and publishing coping skills.
It has been noted that there tend to be differences in how bullying manifests itself between the sexes. Males tend to be more likely to be physically aggressive whereas females tend to favour exclusion and mockery, though it has been noticed that females are becoming more physical in their bullying.[8] There can be a tendency in both sexes to opt for exclusion and mockery rather than physical aggression when the victim is perceived to be too strong to attack without risk, or the use of violence would otherwise cause problems for the bullies such as criminal liability, or the bullies see physical aggression as immature (particularly when bullying occurs among adults).[citation needed]
Of bullies and bully accomplices:
Studies have shown that envy and resentment may be motives for bullying.[20] Research on the self-esteem of bullies has produced equivocal results.[21][22] While some bullies are arrogant and narcissistic,[23] bullies can also use bullying as a tool to conceal shame or anxiety or to boost self-esteem: by demeaning others, the abuser feels empowered.[24] Bullies may bully out of jealousy or because they themselves are bullied.[25] Some have argued that a bully reflects the environment of his home, repeating the model he learned from his parents.[26]
Researchers have identified other risk factors such as depression[27] and personality disorders,[28] as well as quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking others’ actions as hostile, concern with preserving self image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions.[29] A combination of these factors may also be causes of this behavior.[30] In one recent study of youth, a combination of antisocial traits and depression was found to be the best predictor of youth violence, whereas video game violence and television violence exposure were not predictive of these behaviors.[31]
Of typical bystanders:
Often bullying takes place in the presence of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders. In many cases, it is the bully’s ability to create the illusion that he or she has the support of the majority present that instills the fear of “speaking out” in protestation of the bullying activities being observed by the group. Unless the “bully mentality” is effectively challenged in any given group in its early stages, it often becomes an accepted, or supported, norm within the group.[36] [37]
In such groups where the “bully mentality” has been allowed to become a dominant factor in the group environment, injustice and abuse often become regular and predictable parts of the group experience. Bystanders to bullying activities are often unable or unwilling to recognize the true costs that silence regarding the bullying can have, both to the victim or victims, and to the group. Bystanders often feel unwilling to empathize with the victim, regardless of their feelings towards the bully. The reversal of a culture of bullying within a group is usually an effort which requires much time, energy, careful planning, coordination with others, and usually requires some undertaking of “risk” by group members.[citation needed]
It is the general unwillingness of bystanders to expend these types of energies and to undertake this type of risk that bullies often rely upon in order to maintain their power. Unless action is taken, a “culture of bullying” is often perpetuated within a group for months, years, or longer.
Effects of bullying on those who are targeted
Mona O’Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College in Dublin, has written, “There is a growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide”.[42] Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety, lead to low self-esteem and increased susceptibility to illness.[43] Bullying has also been shown to cause maladjustment in young children, and victims of bullying who were also bullies themselves exhibit even greater social difficulties.[44] In the long term it can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder and an inability to form relationships.
Intervention
Despite the large number of individuals who do not approve of bullying, there are very few who will intervene on behalf of a victim. Most people remain bystanders, and may accept the bullying or even support the bully. In 85% of bullying incidents, bystanders are involved in teasing the victim or egging on the bully.[55] When the bully encounters no negative response from observers, it encourages continuation of the behavior.[56]
There are many reasons why individuals choose not to intervene. They may be relieved that the victim of a normal and generally-present danger is someone else, they may take vicarious satisfaction in the bullying, or they may worry that they risk becoming the next victim through intervention. An intuitive understanding that others will be similarly unwilling to assist them if they do become the next victim likely strengthens the motivation to remain passive.[citation needed]
Researchers have been considered the just-world belief theory to explore a posited decline in anti-bullying attitudes. “This is the idea that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get”. The study determined that children do seek to understand, justify, and rectify the different injustices they come across in everyday life. However, further research is needed to link the two together.[55]
Yes the kid was from Vallejo but that is not the issue. If threats were made police should have went to his house and found the gun. This could have been prevented. When someone makes a threat using a gun to kill someone police were notified and should have done further investigation before the gun was brought to school.
No he was not from Vallejo, that is just where he currently resides.
Thank you for your clarifications and I cannot begin to imagine what I would have done, felt or said if it had been my daughter who was the target. Glad she and the others at Liberty are safe. BPD at its best!
Yes, the BPD did an amazing job, and most likely saved lives. Excellent job officers!
Mr. Shelby, your comments ‘no shots were fired, nobody was hurt’ etc are ignorant. Its kids like this boy who end up committing the horrific crimes such as the massive shootings at Sandy Hook and Columbine. I agree these kids’ parents should be looked at, but he did intend harm and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If he didn’t intend to inflict harm on anyone, the gun would not have been loaded with ammo to spare in the chamber. What are you thinking? Its a Vallejo kid, who clearly has problems (if he is at Liberty), who should not be in the Benicia school system. We shouldn’t have to worry about him anymore, as he will be in jail for a while. The high school has let kids back in who have done some horrible things, so who knows, maybe this kid will be back.
If a kid is a transfer, whether its from Vallejo, Fairfield, or whatever, there should be a one strike policy. If they do one thing wrong, regardless of what it is, they should be kicked out of the BUSD system. No exceptions – regardless of whether we lose funding. One strike and they are out. If they are here on a transfer, there should be limits and conditions to that transfer. Also, when kid is expelled from another district for violent crimes, they should not be allowed in our schools, just so we can have the $10,000 or whatever the amount is we get. That is putting our kids at risk just for the almighty dollar.
If only it was $10,000. It’s more like $4700. And I agree, the inter-district transfer agreements, if that is what was used, should be amended to say exactly what you proposed, “one strike, and you’re out.” As it stands now, even if the kid screws up, I believe they can still finish out the school year but are not allowed back the following year. But something tells me that this kid, if he was in fact from Vallejo, didn’t follow the proper channels. Just a wild guess. And yes, there are many Benicia kids who have some pretty serious emotional issues but it would be nice to only have to deal with our own problems.
I am sure the California Ed Code has some rules in there about expulsions and suspensions that the schools have to follow. However, when students who commit crimes such as weapon possession, rape, distribution of drugs, terrorist threats, etc. and are allowed to come back to the same campus they were expelled/suspended from, it sends a message that 1) they can get away with it, 2) the other students safety is not of concern to district, and 3) anyone and everyone can come to a benicia school, for a price (however much that price is). I can tell you that the kids are disgusted with this. They see kids getting caught selling drugs, (everyone knows who sells at school) and they are back on campus after they are released from juvenile hall. We have enough to deal with in this small town. We don’t need out of towners coming in and adding to the problem.
That brings up another issue. Why can’t our K-9 dog come in to the middle and high schools (unannounced) and take a stroll through the campus? If we say we have a zero tolerance, we need to back that up. The kids even say that the enforcement at schools (middle and high) is a joke. If nothing else, start enforcing the rules, and gain the respect of the students. Take steps to make them safe. Make a choice to make the kids who want to learn and excel a priority. If the kids who want to screw around, sell drugs, bring weapons to school, rape, fight, etc. expel them and be done with them. Let them be rehabilitated elsewhere. Don’t make the kids who are there to learn pay the price for your lack of ability to grow a pair and kick them out.
Inter-district transfers are very strict today whether Benicia or American Canyon. They are not easy to obtain. I was researching this a while back. For entering Benicia schools, the student must have no prior disciplinary action at all. Furthermore, he or she must be in good academic standing and have good attendance at the prior school. If there is a conflict with any of these issues, the IDA transfer will not be approved. Priority first goes to people living in the immediate district of which it should, therefore any IDA transfers may not be issued. Plus, student coming in must have a transfer out from their current school district, which many will not approve due to loss of funding. Also, during the time of IDA if the student obtains poor grades the IDA transfer is immediately revoked and the student is terminated out of Benicia school district.
Benicia also has strict policy on residency. This student did not have IDA transfer, or he never would have qualified. He originally lived Benicia, then moved out to Vallejo. By moving out of Benicia, he violated the residency policy and can be immediately expelled for this.
My point is the two policies are completely different. IDA students are held to far higher standard than residency, as well they should be, this is why cheating goes on with residency in many districts.
YOU ARE WRONG. THE SCHOOL HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE OF HIS MOVE TO VALLEJO. HE DID NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE OR DISCIPLINE ISSUES. STOP TRYING TO INFLATE.
I believe we are no longer able to be naive when it comes to threats, threats from any source. If a person be it adult, or child or country makes a threat then we as humans should view that threat as something to take seriously. Their should be consequences for making the threat and not wait until the person follows through with it. We are in different times now where cell phones can be programmed to blow up a home made bomb (Boston Marathon) and children can obtain guns to kill innocent people because they felt they were wronged somehow. Mental illness is at an all time high causing children to kill themselves or others. Just be aware of of your surroundings, the people you come into contact with and don’t turn your head the other way and say things like, “In other words, the authorities should examine the whole thing carefully before they go laying on the heavy definitions. No shots were fired. Nobody was hurt. Authorities should not lose perspective and inflate the matter disproportionately merely because guns in schools are a prominent issue to the public. Take a measured approach. If any officer who roughs this kid up should be ashamed.”
Very interesting to hear some of these thoughts… and my goodness how some of you openly attack the person in the beginning who would be inclined to pursue due diligence and be further informed than the rest of you who jump to JUDGEMENT, DISCRIMINATION AND OUTRIGHT UGLINESS… let me guess… YOU LIVE IN BENICIA 🙂 Interesting also: “the student made threats and brought a gun to school the next day”… REALLY? That’s the story? The whole story? I realize it becomes the BOTTOM LINE, yes, but do any of you simple/narrow minded GROWN UPS really think that there is not more to the story? Less sensational, I know, VALLEJO KID ATTENDING BENICIA SCHOOL BRINGS GUN AFTER THREATENING TWO INNOCENT GIRLS!!! Everyone gets excited over a big headline. What you don’t read here and probably would never know is that this situation resulted from those ‘innocent girls’ poking, pushing, prodding and harassing (to the point of threatening to have that kid jumped as well as threats of a father harming the boy)… and after continued mis-management of the growing issue by informed staff members complimented by the loose structure and enhanced by less than professional interactions and disclosure of personal details/information… this student became more frustrated and confused until his rationale was compromised and his moral compass snapped. DO I THINK HIS ACTIONS ARE JUSTIFIED?? HELL NO. Do I think that ‘it takes a village’ still applies and when a student (or fellow being) is in crisis and trusted parties are not responding or STOPPING THE CYCLE means that any person standing by watching this escalate and then exclaim ‘OH MY!’ Regardless of where the student was from… IT WAS YOUR BENICIA ENVIRONMENT AND MANAGEMENT that WATCHED THIS DEVELOP. Make no mistake about it… this did not pop up overnight!! Certainly, that student will answer for his poor choices… others have the luxury of putting their accountability off until another student becomes their target. GOOD PEOPLE BRING OUT THE GOOD IN OTHER PEOPLE.
As I stated before. We as a society can no longer look the other way. WE have children in crisis situations that need to be dealt with before they become violent because they felt they had no other way to handle the problem.
The suspect was not bullied. The “poking, pushing, prodding and harassing” was going both ways. He fueled the situation just as much, if not more so, than the girls. But it’s nice how you try to make him sound like the victim. Awesome lesson for “the village” to teach our children. And please take in to consideration that the boy was not the only member of his family making threats against the girls. But you probably didn’t have that little tidbit of information, did you?
I would also like to mention that the “kid” had also been suspended recently in regards to the harrassment and had just returned to school from suspension on that very same day that he decided to threaten to kill two of his schoolmates. Just a little more background for all of you playing devil’s advocate.
I AM INTERESTED IN THE THINGS YOU ARE NOT MENTIONING…
Your daughter, everyday, was jumping in conversations that did not concern her, just to poke at him. I know all the little details. Your child told people at school, that her father was going to kill him. Hmm, wonder why he felt the need for protection.
I guess bringing a gun to school is okay then… Give me a break!
YOU ARE AS MISTAKEN AS YOU ARE IGNORANT. I KNOW THE ‘TIDBITS’ AND I HAVE ENOUGH GRACE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE INTERACTIONS. IF YOU THINK YOUR DAUGHTER IS SO VICTIM… THEN WHY DON’T YOU TELL US ALL WHY SHE SAYS SHE WILL HAVE PEOPLE JUMPED, GET PEOPLE KILLED AND CONTINUES TO ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE AND HARASS ANYONE SHE WANTS TO… AND HOW DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW THAT ‘THE SUSPECT WAS NOT BEING BULLIED’??? BECAUSE SHE SAID SO?? HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE STAFF AT LIBERTY HIGH? THERE ARE NUMEROUS STAFF MEMBERS WHO EITHER SAW OR HEARD BOTH GIRLS PARTICIPATE IN THE PRECEDING DRAMA.
***DISCLAIMER*** IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM AM I IMPLYING THAT BRINGING A GUN TO SCHOOL IS EVER JUSTIFIED.***
I DO, HOWEVER, FIND YOUR STATEMENTS AND POSTS REVEAL YOUR SMALL MIND AS YOU CONTINUE TO BADGER AND THROW STONES AT SOMEONE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOUR DAUGHTER ENGAGED FOR SOME TIME WITH HER STATEMENTS, PROCLAMATIONS AND ACTIONS.
FURTHERMORE, TO CORRECT ALL OF YOU… THE STUDENT LIVED IN BENICIA, MOVED TO VALLEJO AND YES, HIS VALLEJO ADDRESS WAS ON FILE WITH THE SCHOOL THEREFORE, NO VIOLATION OF RESIDENCY TOOK PLACE.
‘THE SUSPECT’ IS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. YOU PEOPLE SHOULD LET THAT RUN IT’S COURSE. WHAT HAS NOT BEEN CHECKED YET, ARE THOSE GIRLS WHO ARE STILL RUNNING AROUND DOING WHAT THEY DO.
IN SCROLLING DOWN THIS PAGE… I CANNOT HELP BUT NOTICE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE BEHAVING NO MORE GROWN OR MATURE THAN THE CHILDREN THAT YOU ARE THROWING STONES AT. GROW UP. OR AT LEAST AIM YOUR POISON ARROWS SOMEWHERE ELSE… YOUR BENICIA PD SAVED THE DAY ALREADY… MOVE ON.
AND, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT ‘THE SUSPECT’ WOULD EVEN CONSIDER RETURNING TO THIS POORLY MANAGED ENVIRONMENT… YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT STUDENT RETURNING ARE NOTHING MORE THAN YOU GENERATING MORE HYPE…
LASTLY, HALF OF THIS STORY IS STILL LEGALLY DEEMED “ALLEGEDLY” AND NOT FACT. SPECULATION CAN BE A DANGEROUS WASTE OF ENERGY AND TIME.
Why all the yelling? You seem personally invested in the suspect. Maybe you should take some of your own advice and not be so “ignorant and small-minded” when it comes to the person you choose to defend. Unless you are a student that witnessed the “bullying by the girls”, then your information is just as one-sided as you claim mine to be. Don’t be a hypocrite. The bottom line… He brought a loaded gun to school (not alledgely), period. BTW to quote your exact words, HAD TO SPEAK UP, “IN SCROLLING DOWN THIS PAGE… I CANNOT HELP BUT NOTICE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE BEHAVING NO MORE GROWN OR MATURE THAN THE CHILDREN THAT YOU ARE THROWING STONES AT. GROW UP. OR AT LEAST AIM YOUR POISON ARROWS SOMEWHERE ELSE… YOUR BENICIA PD SAVED THE DAY ALREADY… MOVE ON.” Hopefully, you will “MOVE ON”!!
You hear yelling? Hmmm… i just like all caps 🙂 Personally invested? Hmmm… YES.
Listen, I AM NOT IGNORANT ABOUT THE PERSON I AM DEFENDING… you are talking about someone who does not need media-style inflation to understand the magnitude of the dangerously poor choice they made (for which they are already paying penance).
No, I am not a student who witnessed the bullying by the girls… And I never said I did… I AM NOT THROWING STONES… simply telling you to stop.
HYPOCRITE? So in other words I should sit by and watch as the student is kicked while he’s down… sorry, I’m not that little. I have compassion for all parties involved since I believe that this entire saga could have been prevented by at least one person shutting it down.
BOTTOM LINE: I never said the suspect didn’t bring a gun to school… I said half of the story was allegedly… slow down, read.
HE WAS WRONG, HE WAS WRONG, HE WAS WRONG. And as a separate point, so are you…
Curious what ‘staff’ you are from… certainly Benicia Herald staff would never make statements as if they were fact and they would not ‘know’ whether the kid was being bullied. I would hate to think that a Liberty High staff member would be commenting here on an open case… participating still in the talk that brought this about in the first place.
WITH REGARD TO THE DISCUSSION OF WHETHER HE WAS BULLIED… DO YOU SAY HE WAS NOT BULLIED BECAUSE BULLYING IS THOUGHT OF AS ONE WAY? Because if you are saying he was not bullied because you don’t think he was harassed then you are wrong.
_____
BULLYING:
Bullying is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The behavior can be habitual and involve an imbalance of social or physical power. It can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of class, race, religion, gender, sexuality, appearance, behavior, or ability.[2][3] If bullying is done by a group, it is called mobbing.[4] The victim of bullying has been referred to as a “target”.[citation needed]
Bullying can be defined in many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying,[5] while some U.S. states have laws against it.[6]
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation.
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more “lieutenants” who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his or her bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse.[7] Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism.
A bullying culture can develop in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home, and neighborhoods.
Definitions
Bullying may be defined as the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.[8]
Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus has said[9][not in citation given] says bullying occurs when a person is:
‘exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons’. He says negative actions occur ‘when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways.
History
High-level forms of violence such as assault and murder usually receive most media attention, but lower-level forms of violence such as bullying have only in recent years started to be addressed by researchers, parents and guardians, and authority figures.[11]
Of bullying in general
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.[11][17]
U.S. National Center for Education Statistics suggested in 2001 that bullying can be classified into two categories:
direct bullying, and indirect bullying (which is also known as social aggression).[1]
Ross states that direct bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression, such as shoving and poking, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching and kicking, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, scraping, and pinching.[18]
He also suggests that social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by attempting to socially isolate the victim. This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including spreading gossip, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim’s manner of dress and other socially-significant markers (including the victim’s race, religion, disability, sex, or sexual preference, etc.). Ross[18] outlines an array of nonviolent behavior which can be considered “indirect bullying”, at least in some instances, such as name calling, the silent treatment, arguing others into submission, manipulation, gossip/false gossip, lies, rumors/false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking. The UK based children’s charity, Act Against Bullying, was set up in 2003 to help children who were victims of this type of bullying by researching and publishing coping skills.
It has been noted that there tend to be differences in how bullying manifests itself between the sexes. Males tend to be more likely to be physically aggressive whereas females tend to favour exclusion and mockery, though it has been noticed that females are becoming more physical in their bullying.[8] There can be a tendency in both sexes to opt for exclusion and mockery rather than physical aggression when the victim is perceived to be too strong to attack without risk, or the use of violence would otherwise cause problems for the bullies such as criminal liability, or the bullies see physical aggression as immature (particularly when bullying occurs among adults).[citation needed]
Of bullies and bully accomplices:
Studies have shown that envy and resentment may be motives for bullying.[20] Research on the self-esteem of bullies has produced equivocal results.[21][22] While some bullies are arrogant and narcissistic,[23] bullies can also use bullying as a tool to conceal shame or anxiety or to boost self-esteem: by demeaning others, the abuser feels empowered.[24] Bullies may bully out of jealousy or because they themselves are bullied.[25] Some have argued that a bully reflects the environment of his home, repeating the model he learned from his parents.[26]
Researchers have identified other risk factors such as depression[27] and personality disorders,[28] as well as quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking others’ actions as hostile, concern with preserving self image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions.[29] A combination of these factors may also be causes of this behavior.[30] In one recent study of youth, a combination of antisocial traits and depression was found to be the best predictor of youth violence, whereas video game violence and television violence exposure were not predictive of these behaviors.[31]
Of typical bystanders:
Often bullying takes place in the presence of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders. In many cases, it is the bully’s ability to create the illusion that he or she has the support of the majority present that instills the fear of “speaking out” in protestation of the bullying activities being observed by the group. Unless the “bully mentality” is effectively challenged in any given group in its early stages, it often becomes an accepted, or supported, norm within the group.[36] [37]
In such groups where the “bully mentality” has been allowed to become a dominant factor in the group environment, injustice and abuse often become regular and predictable parts of the group experience. Bystanders to bullying activities are often unable or unwilling to recognize the true costs that silence regarding the bullying can have, both to the victim or victims, and to the group. Bystanders often feel unwilling to empathize with the victim, regardless of their feelings towards the bully. The reversal of a culture of bullying within a group is usually an effort which requires much time, energy, careful planning, coordination with others, and usually requires some undertaking of “risk” by group members.[citation needed]
It is the general unwillingness of bystanders to expend these types of energies and to undertake this type of risk that bullies often rely upon in order to maintain their power. Unless action is taken, a “culture of bullying” is often perpetuated within a group for months, years, or longer.
Effects of bullying on those who are targeted
Mona O’Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College in Dublin, has written, “There is a growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide”.[42] Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety, lead to low self-esteem and increased susceptibility to illness.[43] Bullying has also been shown to cause maladjustment in young children, and victims of bullying who were also bullies themselves exhibit even greater social difficulties.[44] In the long term it can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder and an inability to form relationships.
Intervention
Despite the large number of individuals who do not approve of bullying, there are very few who will intervene on behalf of a victim. Most people remain bystanders, and may accept the bullying or even support the bully. In 85% of bullying incidents, bystanders are involved in teasing the victim or egging on the bully.[55] When the bully encounters no negative response from observers, it encourages continuation of the behavior.[56]
There are many reasons why individuals choose not to intervene. They may be relieved that the victim of a normal and generally-present danger is someone else, they may take vicarious satisfaction in the bullying, or they may worry that they risk becoming the next victim through intervention. An intuitive understanding that others will be similarly unwilling to assist them if they do become the next victim likely strengthens the motivation to remain passive.[citation needed]
Researchers have been considered the just-world belief theory to explore a posited decline in anti-bullying attitudes. “This is the idea that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get”. The study determined that children do seek to understand, justify, and rectify the different injustices they come across in everyday life. However, further research is needed to link the two together.[55]
How did this young man have immediate access to a loaded gun? I don’t think the entire village could have saved this kid. Sad
It sounds like there are lessons to be learned on both sides, albeit one side may have more lessons…The young man should not have been in possession of this firearm, regardless of whether he intended to use it for protection or intimidation, or worse. The girls should not have been engaging in argumentative or bullying behavior at school. Come on people….For lack of a better term, ‘can’t we all just get along?’ People need to be more accepting of each others differences. I am not advocating allowing bullying,intimidation, violence, etc. , but being an outsider, it sounds like this was a situation that got out of hand, that could have possibly been prevented if there was less provocation on both sides. The issue of bullying starts young. Kids learn to bully, make fun, establish social status, etc. at a very young age. If we were a society that taught acceptance, rather than foster this type of behavior, things might be different. Let the nerds be the nerds, jocks, rockers, rappers, etc. all be themselves, without judgement, without violence, without loss of self esteem, etc.If you have a child who is a little different, you will understand that they are judged. They could be different in the sense that they are really smart (kids will think they are goody two shoes), or one that likes rap music (some might think they are thugs), or one that is really good at sports (they are a dumb jock), or is quite and introverted (they are a brooding ‘goth’). If people were not pushed to the extreme to perform like they are ‘normal’, we might not have the issues we do in this day and age. With the technology, weapons, etc. that are readily available in today’s society, people need to realize that common courtesy, decency, respect, etc. go a long way.Yes, there are people in this world who have mental issues, but they are not the majority. The majority of the tragic incidents at schools (violent) in the past few years could have been prevented if people were more kind and accepting of each others differences.
You are absolutely correct. Thank you, outsider.