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Subscribe to RSSFreeze tag during recess seldom raises eyebrows, but a variation of the game known as “rape tag” among students at a Minnesota elementary school has alarmed administrators and parents.
Principal Bill Sprung of Washington Elementary School in New Ulm sent a letter home this week to parents to alert them to the disturbing game, which was described as similar to freeze tag, "except that a person had to be humped to be unfrozen," the letter states.
Sprung found out about the game after being notified on Jan. 10 by a concerned parent.
He told parents that students in two classrooms were primarily involved. The school, he said, immediately notified teachers and recess supervisors to talk to students about the matter and put an end to the game. "We addressed it as an inappropriate game," he told msnbc.com on Thursday.
While there’s been no recurrence on the playground, Sprung said that he chose to send letters home to quell rumors and speculation apparently fueled by Facebook postings.
He defended the school's handling of the matter: "I think in terms of extinguishing the game, the school and the staff did an excellent job."
Since the letter went home, Sprung said, he's been contacted by about 15 to 20 parents, some of whom were upset about having to discuss the sensitive topic with their children.
"Since the surge in facebook discussions, all staff at Washington has been notified of the game and will be watching for any incidents of the game," Spung said in his letter to parents.
He told msnbc.com that the level of playground supervision has remained the same: "We have not needed to increase the monitors," he said.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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That is ridiculous, but that is what kids do. Probably came up with it to see what kind of shock value it would have. Seems like the school handled it like your supposed to.
My first thought was that the school needed to fire the " recess monitors" who didn't notice the children humping.
"Rape tag" is not what elementary school "kids do". Were not talking about high school kids here.... were talking about 5th graders who are 10-11 years old. Something is seriously wrong with an 11 year old who thinks its cool to play rape tag.
Generally I am as liberal as it gets when it comes to letting kids be kids. I hate parents who won't like they 8 year olds play GTA, and I def think we shelter our kids too much. However its not cool for young children to be pretending to rape each other on the playground, and that is NOT something your average kid does.
You have to question the kind of playground supervision that is in place at this school, and I would like to know if it's actually called "rape tag" by these kids, or is that a name that the media came up with?
Does not surprise me actually. I remember about ’83 when I was in about the third grade, we had something called Flip Up Fridays where the boys would try to lift the skirts/dresses of the girls.
I would post something that adequately expresses my shock and outrage..
...But I can't stop laughing.
Kids are awesome, but especially when they embarrass their parents.
Yeah, back when I was a kid, we played 'consensual-monogamous-sex-tag' . . . far more wholesome.
Humping is not rape. It is something kids are fascinated with and some do for, yes, shock value. I think they should fire the recess monitors who let them do it, though. It is their job to see kids behave, and they haven't done it.
John S-400329 - First of all, I did not mean to like your comment. Second, did you mean you hate parents that let their kids play GTA or parents that don't? Please clarify so I don't look like a moron responding to your post. Thanks.
Elementary school kids, generally speaking, are stupid. It's not necessarily their fault but it's true. Who didn't do some pretty stupid stuff at that age?
John...ah you don't have a prob with 8 year old playing Grand Theft Auto? That like taking an 8 year old to an R-rated movie. Try not to hit the bong so much moron, that's the kind of crap that gets the idea in these kids head.
God forbid YOU actually have to DO YOUR JOB and talk to your kids and get them ready for real life!!!
I don't see any indication that the playground monitors did anything wrong. Where did any of you read that the monitors refused to stop the "humping"? I doubt that most 3rd grade kids (even nowadays) fully understand the meaning of "rape". They probably think it is something funny and associate it with the naughty idea of sex. A stupid article with stupid responses about absolutely nothing.
It is however assault or could be construed to be if the question were raised in a court.
Too many people nowadays are overly sensitive and overwrought - I mean, one has to have led an exceptionally sheltered life to be shocked or amazed by this.
If you stretch your memories back to when you were in elementary school, I'm sure most of you could recall examples of stuff you and/or other students did that was as bad, or far worse, than this. Only difference is back then the adults realized that "kids will be kids" and took corrective action without making it sound like the world was coming to an end. And the media realized the same so it didn't turn every schoolyard shenanigan into a national story.
tag-2907728 wrote "My first thought was that the school needed to fire the " recess monitors" who didn't notice the children humping."
My first thought was educate the recess monitors that humping isn't rape and "rape tag" is a game that does not increase the rates of violent crime.
So this happened during recess for TWO classes at one school and hasn't since? Now that MSNBC reported on it you'll see it happening all over the country.
Question the schools on this? Fire the playground monitor? No, it's not the schools fault that parents can't teach their children that rape is a bad thing. Figure out which kid did it, then ask the parents why they are teaching their kids to rape tag at school. It's not the governments responsibility to teach values, it's the parents responsibility. The school needs to make sure the kids are protected, the parents need to make sure the kids have values. Schools rarely expel kids these days, it takes money out of the schools pockets.
papag-3094648 "Elementary school kids, generally speaking, are stupid."
Thank goodness once we got into our teens we quit doing stupid things, right?
I think they did some research and came up with an idea to make the news, to shock their parents, etc. Kinda like why they wrote the Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs.
Anyone remember the books "Captain Underpants"? I can't believe they even reported this.
I'd say we were just as stupid in high school, except then it was alcohol-fuelled stupidity.
What is more amazing is the many folks posting messages here giving the impression that these kids did nothing wrong and were just kids being kids....playing?
Do you realize that kids of that age do rape (as these children cannot legally give consent) kids of that age and younger? And also that older children and adults can and do rape children of that age, some even convincing these children that they are doing nothing wrong?
What is right with some of you parents anyway with your kids being kids crap? It is one thing to flick up the skirt of a class mate it is another thing entirely to 'hump' another child. What? Think that that computer that you give to your kids that you did not put a filter on cannot be used to stream or watch sexually explicit movies, or they may not have been looking at your porn or those playboy mags that you thought you had hidden?
If kids can find your gun and your stash of weed, they can find your stash of mags etc..... They may even have been watching you or their older sibblings or even their baby sitter 'make out' while you thought they were asleep. They also listen to your conversations too....
Perhaps the children who were doing rapetag should have been questioned about what their actions meant and what they may think rape is, and where they picked up the term and game from etc.
It is time to talk to your young kids about these subjects in a language the can understand. There are children's book on the subject and can help for the younger one, but by 8 years on many do know about sex. Better to give them the right information before their peers give them their version.
Parents need to start being parents and not try to be their childrens friends. Stop having them have access to all these social media sites, and non educational tv etc.
If parents would stop trying to buy their childrens affection etc by giving them all sorts and sundries they do not need, while allowing them to do what ever and overlooking ignorant and bad behavior and instead make sure that they are respectful etc are spending their time studying etc instead, our educational system in this country would not be in the mess that it is in, and also other countries would not be cleaning our clocks scoring better on tests etc than we are.
Couple of weeks ago a 5 year old child stabbed several people, and also children including teens etc are now being diagnosed with std in the mouth amoung other places. Another child about 5 y/o shot and killed his friend.
Parents need to get real...... because there are many private prisons being built including for children and also some are not as full as these corps would like.
Peace...responsibility....wisdom.....
Is this really any more shocking than the choking game? This game is obviously in poor taste but at least it isn't a game that will put your child in the path of direct and immediate harm. At least I'd rather be told my child was playing rape tag than be told my child was found dead after playing the choking game.
BZ.. Want to know where kids get it from??? Try television, movies, and music videos. I used to teach at an inner city elementary school and the kids would come in singing the latest rap song about smacking the b down, raping the ho, or popping a cap in her head for stealing your drug money. They could describe the videos and most R movies in detail. If one parent didn't allow their kids to watch it the one next door wasn't at home or didn't care.
It's not just the "poor inner city" kids. The middle/upper income kids are watching the same exact movies and music videos on cable.
Unfortunately, morality and decency has become a banner for/associated with one political party so it's no longer politically correct for it to be suggested that as a cultural we have a moral problem.
Mike- I know the Democrats stand for morality and decency but not all republicans are bad. Money corrupts the leaders of the republican party but many of the regular citizens are decent people.
takenaka - The recess monitors did not stop it until AFTER it was brought to their attention by the principal - who didn't know about it until AFTER a parent brought it to his attention. So, I'd say the recess monitors failed.
My first thought was that the school needed to fire the " recess monitors" who didn't notice the children humping.
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That's ridiculous - Fire the monitors. U don't fire anyone unless u have all the facts. Monitors can't be everywhere at all times especially if the area they cover is large. What probably happen in most cases is another student saw it and told their parents who then took action.
Wryview,
. Below is what the school did.."The school, he said, immediately notified teachers and recess supervisors to talk to students about the matter and put an end to the game."
Did u not read the article. How is that a failure to do their job ?
They are teachers therefore they should be fired for anything and everything, child talked back to a parent, fire the teachers, kid does poorly in school, fire the teachers, kids misbehave at recess, fire the teachers. Anyone percieve a pattern here?
Yep, and it's not a good one Explorerdog1....
I live in Minnesota, and my kids are homeschooled. Thank G-d.
Typical shock-value behavior by 3rd to 5th graders on a playground and appropriately extinguished by the school once it was discovered what they were doing. Very few children at that age have any developed sense of what they were doing or why it had shock value. They do, however, have a keenly developed sense when behavior causes adult shock and will sometimes use it for that effect. A job well done. Parents finding it disgusting or a problem to discuss with their children should reconsider the propriety of their deciding to have children. Children do and produce all sorts of disgusting and distasteful excretions, statements and behavior -- frequently producing them at the most inopportune times. Dealing with it and extinguishing what's inappropriate is what socializing children and preparing them for mature life is about.
Sort of funny what kids do when they are alone. If you could listen to some of the conversations your kids have with their friends, you'd probably have a very different opinion of what is appropriate for a normal 5th grader to do.
Meh, I think there are far more important things happening in the world.
I'm waiting for some ACLU-type to complain that the school is interfering with the students' "innocent fun" since after all, there is no actual rape involved. I gave up on elementary school around the time the kid was suspended for bringing a little plastic soldier to school for show and tell and the soldier was cast with a rifle in his hands. The kid had "brought a toy gun to school."
GMAFB!
So who is it you don't like? The ACLU, parents, kids, or schools? Can't really tell from your post.
He's pissed that guns aren't adored and worshiped obviously.
You owe more of your rights to the ACLU than you will ever know you ungrateful....(CoH WARNING!)
His post was actually sarcasm so troll on Fred
Next thing you know the school will forbid the kid having two dolls with male genitals lying on each other. Sheeeze! You will be happy the ACLU is alive and well then!
The ACLU? Wha? How pissed are conservatives about not being able to discriminate anymore that they have to bring up the ACLU on a story about kids pretending to rape each other?!!
what kind of dolls have male genitals (that children play with)?
The ACLU should be banned, period!!!
From the founding fathers vision, to politicians from both parties, all the civil liberties organizations and special interest groups from any and all ends of the political spectrum...Their ideals are nothing but empty bluster without courage of the men and women who defend the country at home and abroad. They make our way of life possible...As imperfect as it is, there's a lot worse places and ways to live...
Yeah, it's because of ACLU that we have so much trouble in the schools now; back before they started their anti-Christian rages, and took discipline out of schools what can you expect. Yeah, the parent who came up with the idea of rape-tag should be brought before the school board and told to explain their reason for teaching their child something like that. Of course then having been raised on a farm I wasn't completely naive at that age but we didn't go around playing games like that at school.
Was it? Sure didn't smell that way to me.
What an idiotic statement, Chamber Doc. Jeessh, the internet has nutcases everywhere!
Where do kids get this from? Sex didn't rear its ugly head in my past until well within high school.
jackjr
Sex is not ugly! Sex is the most beautiful and honest way you can express your feelings of love.
The only thing ugly about sex are the twisted people who use sex to hurt others, especially children.
Oh, I beg to differ. Sex can get ugly.
Kids dry humping each other on the playground is probably not the most beautiful thing one would ever witness.
Not when its without consent.
This isn't about your feelings on sex. Its about kids who were humping each other, trying to make a sport out of a very serious sexual offense. There is nothing beautiful about that.
I guess you don"t watch the Disney channel?
@JackJr -- most likely from some twisted, demented adult.
Yeah, I'd be having a serious discussion with the originator of this game, where'd a 5th grader see/get the idea for something like this?!
Sex is beautiful? Oh yeah, and who get's stuck with the Tab when these teen girl's get pregnant?? My Tax'es take care of enough unwed mother's no, we don't
It is clear that very few of you have been married past the first child or two.
Some kids don't have it so lucky. Sex will rear its head in 50% of the kids' pasts before high school.
This comment will really stir the pot, but here goes. It probably was started by and for a black boy to rub against a white girl.
I hear sesame street is going to some kind of special about this...
Holy @!$%#... this is kids being kids. If sex didn't "rear its ugly head" in your life until high school, I can only imagine why. Sex is very on the minds of grade school kids, but for the most part, they don't have a clue. Rape tag doesn't mean to them what it means to an adult. It's simply a way for young boys and girls to experiment with the mixed up drives that are starting to push and tug at their emotions.
Let them know it's not a real good idea for a game and get over it people.
When I was in 5th grade I had a boy rip my shirt off in front of the whole playground. I have young boys ( about that age) and I explin age appropreate things about sex to them. I don't understand why parents are mad about having to do their darn jobs. Its parents who don't talk to their children and open up those lines who have grand children when their children are in their early teens.
Well said, lnh022459.
I find it very amusing when a person says in one breath "sex is natural, kids shouldn't be 'hidden' from it!" and in the next moment looks down on teen mothers. Yes. Sex is natural. Parents need to monitor their children and teach them about what's appropriate and what isn't. For elementary school students to be playing rape tag is a problem. To them it's probably just a game, but it's something to be discouraged and the parents need to explain why it is. This school took quick action in alerting the parents and by bringing it to their attention allowed them to actually parent.
Jack - I really feel sorry for you if you think sex is "ugly". Don't give up hope - one day you'll find the right partner (or even just an adequate one) and you'll discover why the rest of the world is so obsessed by it :D
@jackjr - the internet.
@Khalid-2395974 - People who are emotionally ready to handle it are all right but elementary school kids playing rape tag clearly isn't the right context. You are better off taking kids slow and letting them mature to the point they are emotionally capable of making decisions about sex.
Letting a bunch of of elementary school kids joke about raping someone means cracking the whip and protecting possible victims from them.
Where do kids get this from? Sex didn't rear its ugly head in my past until well within high school.
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Were u that sheltered as a child ? I was aware of sex since elementary and that was back in the 70's.
Parents were upset after having to talk about the sensitive subject with their kids?? WTH is wrong with parents today? No wonder we have 3/4 of the issues with our children that we do. Parents are afraid to parent. They would rather look away and pretend nothing is wrong. They need to step up, talk about inappropriate behavior BEFORE it gets to the playground. I firmly believe that parents should be held accountable for their kid's actions. It's not the responsibility of the teachers to parent, their job is to teach.
Matt - I agree with your post! Parents need to parent - absolutely....
One thing I did want to add is society's role in how we are able to raise our kids...Society (in my opinion) has taken on the role of judge, jury and executioner and we police one another instead of helping one another. I don't say that this is an "absolute", but it has become a big role in what's going on in today's day and age of raising kids...
To comment on the article - sounds like the school handled it appropriately and kids will forever do crazy things....
Parents were upset after having to talk about the sensitive subject with their kids. Can you imagine how upset parents would have been if the school hadn't sent a letter home? Sheesh.
Good point. That would be a catch 22. Parents are upset if they get a letter and have to talk about sex to kids and are upset if they don't and have to talk to their kids after something like real rape or sex (not humping) happens.
Parents these days prefer to hire Mr Television to babysit their kids so they can play on facebook or world of warcraft. God forbid a parent does their job. These days parents seem act like victims who have kids and never wanted the kid, and feel like the whole thing is one giant burden. Then they pass their screwed up way of life onto their own kids, who repeat the process. I know lots of people with kids, about half of them single mothers (who don't want the father involved at all, ever), and I don't know one who can seem to even manage it half right. What ya get for getting knocked up before you can even support yourself, but it's not fair the kids who end up in these situations.
And I 110% fully agree... Parents need to be held accountable.
Matt, did you ever hear of Clinton's comment of "It takes a village to raise a child"? I'm not bringing politics into this, but too many people stick their noses into individual families have caused this because now parents are afraid they aren't doing the "PC" thing in raising their kids. I absolutely think parents should raise their children, pay attention to them and teach them right, but if no-one allows them to do it we all take some responsibility for it.
15 to 20 parents
What? They would prefer that this to continue unabated? What kind of parent would be upset about knowing about this?Maybe they were the parents of the offenders!
The irony is that those same 15-20 adults had no issues complaining to the school and telling them how their actions have affected them in an adverse way.
If the kids tried it and it took administrative action to deal with it, I not sure the playground monitors were doing adequate. monitoring. They should nave actively intervened the first time they saw any such action.
I trust your reporting is not headline grabbing, and inaccurate. If it isn't, the comment that parents were "upset at having to discuss this with their children" is downright disgusting. It appears that would prefer to leave disciplining strickly to the schools, and /or look the other way. No wonder these few kids felt they could get away with inappropriate behavior. My thoughts to the parents: Do your job! And great job school staff.
I believe that one of the reasons there are so many problems in schools is because parents are abrogating their responsibilities. Although, I will admit to being uncomfortable when I had to explain to my grade-school children that, despite what the president said, oral sex really is sex.
denver bill....I absolutely cracked up at your last line!
Granted it's a long time ago, but in "my day" most parents didn't talk to their kids about sex. You learned from older siblings, friends, or when you got married. If you lived on a farm, you didn't need to be talked to...you learned at an early age watching animals in the fields or barn.
I think the source of most of these school problems is school consolidations. When you had neighborhood schools the classes were smaller and parents knew all of the teachers. For deviants, there is safety in numbers. Large classes, few or no aides, institutionalized deference to authority, and the tendency of adults to doubt kids' stories, all allow teachers to victimize kids with little risk. Add to that the sex-as-entertainment that permeates cable TV, both parents working--sometimes two jobs--so that there is less interaction between parents and kids, and things get even easier for the perps.
One of the ironic positive by-products of the housing crisis is that you're starting to see more multi-generational families, i.e. grandparents living with parents and children. It was not unusual when I was growing up, and the "geezer patrol" were an extra safety factor for my generation...not that we appreciated them. In those days before air conditioning, the retirees spent a lot of time sitting on the front porch. If you were a kid, that meant anything you did wrong would be reported back to your folks. We didn't appreciate it, but in retrospect we had freer childhoods than most kids now because our neighborhoods were safer--thanks to the "geezers."
Becsmom -- We may be of an age.... Though I don't think I've quite reached 'geezer' status yet.
'Sex education' was Mom handing me the Kimberly-Clark 'Now That You've Become a Woman' pamphlet and some very confusing/contradictory/moralistic 'keeping yourself pure' lecctures from the nuns (12 years of Catholic school) and a movie of sperm swimming madly to the egg -- no explanation of how they got there!!
I was in high school and reading a trashy novel before I figured it all out!
lmao
"Sprung found out about the game after being notified on Jan. 10 by a concerned parent." Why did the school find out about it from a concerned parent and not a playground monitor in the first place?
If I ever found out my kids were involved in a 'game' like this, they'd be getting more than a talking-to!
I can't fathom how an elementary school age child could even come up with a game like this; what is going on at home?!
When we were in elementary school the kids who had older brother and sisters (middle school aged) introduced us to a lot of things we should not have been doing. So reading this is not a shock at all to me.
poor parenting skills. Parents who let kids see too much too early in life. I'm not a crack pot control freak parent. I do however have limits to what my kids can see and hear. Parents are too busy layin up in bed with the newest boyfriend/girlfriend, and not caring about what their child is seeing or doing.
Really? "Rape Tag"? It's bad enough the kids are going through the humping motions to unfreeze each other but must MSNBC make it sound even worse?
Uh, I dink MSNBC gave it the name. Sounds like the kids did.
That sort of tag sounds like much more fun than touching with a finger. MSNBC has done an excellent job teaching the US that there are more fun versions of tag.
ChamberDoc,
As an ACLU-type I, find your stupid ass comment to be typical of a stupid ass. This kind of sexually oriented (usually boy on girl) bully happened when I was in grade school in the 50's, it was called "Snatch up Day." A boy would yell, The First of May is Snatch Up Day," and with a friend back some girl into a corner, pull up her dress (girls were forbidden to jeans) and try to pull down her panties. This left girl humiliated and often in tears. It was passed off as "boys will be boys." This has nothing to do with a kid bringing a toy gun to school, unless you're one of those guys who confuses his little man toy with a Glock. And, nothing to do with the ACLU, grow up.
Another genius who doesn't know sarcasm when she sees it. Try Reading Is Fundamental.
I think you need to admit that the 'sarcasm' was anything but flagrant.
I've seen plenty that WASN'T sarcasm that read just like it. Perhaps ChamberDoc could use a (/sarc) in the future so we 'geniuses' aren't taken in by such a poor example of sarcasm. Better yet, why don't you go ahead and read every seed on the vine, and tag everything you see as 'sarcasm' so that you don't have to tolerate folks who don't interpret it as such.
Heh. I actually wish one of the boys in my 5th grade would have tried that. Would have given me an excuse to beat the Sh!t out of them.
"except that a person had to be humped to be unfrozen," the letter states.
That's sound like winter up north to me.
I think I need to move up north, then! Lol
They were talking about humping and then unfreezing in a video game. THAT'S where these kids have gotten this.
I think the school system did a great job. And how are the parents going to be upset about having to explain the sensitive subject to kids but they would have been extremely upset if there child came home and said "guess what we played at school today? Rape Tag!!!!"
If kids know the word rape is some how related to humping I think they are old enough to have the conversation. They may not understand fully what rape is but they sure know its not your regular tag.
Flashback: Does anybody remember playing hide-and-go-get-it? If not use your imagination and we were playing that at least 15-20 years ago.
As sure as I'm sittin' here, if the school had taken up and taken care of the matter w/o notifying the parents, these same parents would be up in arms about not 'being allowed' to handle this w/their children.
Education professionals can't win these days...they're d*mned if they do, and d*mned if they don't.
I totally agree.
I'm probably gonna get all kinds of shocked, disbelief types of responses for this, but......ROFLMAO!!!! This is AWESOME! Let the kids have their fun.
I think it's funny how only the adults seem to have a problem with it, even though the kids can choose to play or not.
Might be innappropriate, but it sounds hilarious.
True! Hilarious and inappropriate!
Our female dog is always humping our kids.... and they do think it is hilarious! They also understand that it's not a sex act. They understand the humping is just the way the dog expresses her dominance.... well, at least in her world!
Im with you buddy - I think we're the only ones who saw this and said , " WTF!! LOL! " Im not condoning little toddlers humping eachother but this is friggen hilarious. - - -Also ROFL at Auzziegirl and the dog humping.
I think if it were called "hump tag," it wouldn't sound as vulgar as "rape tag." The word "rape" is the truly offensive part. I had to laugh when I read how the kids get unfrozen. I think I'd laugh first, then I'd probably get ticked because it's just plain gross.
Isis, who is it hilarious? This is the first step up a ladder to sex before marriage, which brings with it all kinds of complications if not problems.
Oh noes! Sex before marriage! That's never happened before! It's the end of the world!
@HShaver, premarital sex is NOT a big deal. So stop trying to make it into one.
If a couple is BOTH emotionally and physically ready, then they should NOT let a marriage certificate(ie, a piece of paper), and a couple of gold bands stand in their way.
Isis, with sex comes risk...I would add if they are physically, emotionally, ready and financially able to support an offspring preferably w/o sucking on the welfare teet.
With sex comes risk.....that's why I said both emotionally and PHYSICALLY ready.
Since you totally missed my point I'll elaborate: physically ready, means that they go on birth control so that they don't end up pregnant if they're not ready for a child.
You need to realize that sex does NOT HAVE to end in a baby if the couple is responsible to take the proper precautions (ie, birth control, condoms).
But something about your post....idk I wouldn't be surprised if you don't believe in birth control. You seem to be under the mindset that unless a couple wants a child, they should not be having sex, and therefore need to be married. WRONG. Boyfriends and girlfriends can go on birth control and have sex if they want to, and if they're not married, so what? More power to them for being able to stand on their own feet and make those decisions REGARDLESS of marital status.
I would just like to point out that it is OPINION that premarital sex is not a big deal. To a lot of people, it IS a big deal, so don't put your opinions as fact just because you need justification. Do your deal, I don't care, but people have different ideas of morality and they should not be mocked.
I don't "need justification" as you say. HOW DARE YOU.
The premarital sex preachers have every right to post their opinions, and SO DO I. So you can shut up and STOP accusing me of looking for justification.
I think you're just trying to start a dispute. Whatever.
Auzziegirl, the dog is not expressing dominance. She's expressing anxiety and confusion. She is probably looking to have dominance expressed toward her to reassure her of her rightfully submissive role. She's looking to be dominated. Yes, I just said that in the awkward context of this news story that has nothing to do with dogs. Funny how these things happen.
Isis, you sound angry. Don't be angry. Go eat some chocolate.
There is no chocolate. I had cinnamon toast.
It seems years ago the girls were grabbed and abused against their will. This sounds consensual and the name was probably invented by the reporter. It is all a part of this American life.
Kids these days, always coming up with new versions of old games. I remember when I was a kid we would all just throw rocks at each other.
I think Questions need to be asked about how the game originated. There was a game played at my private all girl elementary school in the 70's. You were"raped" on the swings and had to go down a slide to get an abortion. Needless to say the child who came up with this had been in some inappropriate situations. Scary stuff leaks out of kids mouths when they don't know how to deal with the crap they are exposed to.
Compared to this, "rape tag" is pretty mild.
They got rape tag from watching adults playing Gears of War. That's one of the most offensive things you can do to someone who you 'kill' in the game. It's demeaning. That's why they do it.
After reading the whole article, this is the part that bugs me the most:
Seriously? Kids were pretending to rape each other on the playground and these parents are worried about having to talk to their kids about it? Get over yourself people. Having "the talk" with a 10-11 year old is a great thing to do, especially with how young kids are becoming sexually active today. After all, these kids were playing rape tag.... how long does anyone honestly think it will be before they are having sex? My guess is not that long.
Teaching your kids about sex and letting them know that rape is certainly not a game (or something to be made light of) is something all parents should do with their kids once they hit middle school. Your simply not going to stop teens from being sexually active, and its best they understand and know hot to handle such situations.
Exactly, that part of the article stood out to me as well. The fact that parents are afraid, embarrassed or ashamed to talk to their children about sex (not just rape, either) is HIGHLY disturbing. Hopefully the kids who are sheltered like this will have enough common sense to look it up.
I really feel for the young girls in this situation...if their mothers are so ashamed, then they're probably gonna put off telling their daughters about their periods, and when it happens, trauma will ensue.
2012, and there are STILL parents who can't just throw the damn shame complexes out the window?
I'm more concerned with the 15-20 parents that thought it was disturbing to discuss this with their children. Just where do parents think that kids learn things? Parents should openly speak about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with their kids. The best place for a kid to learn is from their parents who love them and will tell them the truth in love knowing that lies will hurt them. I vote to put that handful of parents into parenting classes. The school solved the problem for the kids, but somebody should handle the parents.
The parents did not think it was distrubing to discuss this with thier children. Those parents were upset that the school chose to try and keep this activity a secret from the parents, by asking the students not to tell them.
The school sent the letter to the parents. I'm not sure where you came up with the school hiding from them.
When I was a kid we played "Kill the Carrier," but nobody complained that we were encouraging murder. I think people are over-reacting about this game. Yes, it's in bad taste, but it is ultimately harmless. In a few weeks the kids will have forgotten all about it and moved on to some other game.
Besides, this is in Minnesota and they do weird things there: They refer to "Duck, Duck, Goose" as "Duck, Duck, Gray Duck."
You're right. This goes along with the same pre-teen mentality that causes elementary kids to laugh when you are trying to have a serious discussion about Lake Titicaca.
Heeheehee, Titicaca
We've had it as a society !
R.I.P !
Man, when I think of all the little issues that have come up on the playground in my career there have been a few that have taken some effort to put out little fires as a result. Yes this is inappropriate but inappropriate things sometimes happen in the world of many, many kids. We discover it, we teach what's right (even if it's uncomfortable). What I can't fathom is how any of those little things could have wound up on a national news site. That's the thing about this that is the most inappropriate. Desperate for news.
The real issue here, that is missing from this article, is that Bill Sprung and the teachers asked the kids not to talk about the game to anyone, even their parents. As one of the parents I was furious to find out about this from facebook and not from the school itself.
I, too, am a parent of a child at this school. My child came home the first, and only, day the "game" was played. My child told me all about the game and how much trouble the students were in who were playing the "game." I was informed how these students had consequences that very day. I guess we all have a different story to tell . . .
In my opinion the school handled the playground issue just fine.
On the other hand, the gossip on Facebook has totally gotten out of hand in our community. We can't believe everything we read on a social media site . . . those rumors have caused most of the trouble related to this issue.
And you believe what you read on facebook? I'm not saying it isn't true, but then again!
Ohhhhhh HELLLLL no! I'd kick my kid's @$$ if they thought this was ok behavior!