My son tried to protect himself, now what?

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hliws asks:

My 15 year old son was being threatened by an alleged local gang member. He did not want to involve the authorities in fear the situation would escalate. He was told he was going to be assaulted on a particular day after school. In response to this threat he returned a text threat to try and scare the other kid off by saying "I'll stab you if you come near me." He brought a small utility knife from my tool box with him on the particular day to school. He states he feared for his life and thought he had no choice but to defend himself. This kid apparently set him up and immediately reported to school authorities that my son was in school with a weapon and threatened him.

He is now up for an expulsion hearing. We admit he really screwed up by bringing a weapon and taking matters into his own hands but is there any room for the defense of self defense in this case?

In Topics: Bullying and teasing

> 60 days ago

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angela256 writes:

You could ask anybody that sees the gang threaten him and maybe they can witness it,but your son shouldn't text back a threat that only leads to trouble.

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JamielaIsmail , Teacher writes:

I am sorry that your son is up for expulsion, but surely if you speak to the school head and board and give the full picture, and ask for a warning rather than being expelled, they might just consider his case. If he is a good disciplined student then this should count in his favor. Unfortunately, the good guys are always caught and the school board finds them easier to judge than the gangs as they would retaliate.

Good luck.

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kerriel writes:

call 911

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Koempell writes:

He really should have called the police.

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jjones , School Administrator, Parent, Teacher writes:

As far as the school is concerned the excuse of self defense won't work. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to weapons.

The big issue here is fear, in your son's case it was fear that prevented him from doing the right thing. That would be reporting the problem. He was already prepared to escalate the issue. Was he really prepared to stab someone? Standing your ground and defending yourself doesn't mean you have to do it alone.

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http://www.niot.org/classactions?gclid=CMXfwbuc3LQCFUWnPAodJWYAiQ

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Antibullyin... writes:

Did he bring his concerns to anyone at the school? Were any school authorities aware of threats against your child? If so, try to present the dates and facts to show the child was in fear also speak to your child about how to advocate for himself in a non-violent manner. Speak to community groups who deal with these issues and seek guidance on how to effectively deal with this issue. Weapons in schools are a serious threat given the recent news of this nature. Finding a support team or mentoring for your child may help.

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