End Juvenile Violence and Sexual Abuse and Put Into Place More Stringent Supervision Protocols an...
I had been a victim of this kind of abuse while I had attended a boarding school back when I was a child, and the events had just come to surface years ago. And yet, one of the abusers still remains there, and I have bad dreams in distorted form about the assault that had taken place some 37-40 years ago. All of these incidents of sexual abuse in schools and acts of violence either happen in unsupervised locations, or the staff are not carrying out their supervisory duties properly or they want to chalk the incidents up as provoked, even though they may know fully well that they are not truly ready to take on behaviorally challenged students who have behavioral problems that causes therm to act out in a violent manner.
Back in the 1970's the topic of sexual abuse was hardly talked about or dealt with properly. Now, as more and more people are coming forward and talking about their past of being victims of sexual abuse, it is now time to set the records straight and set some concrete policies and procedures by operation of statutory law.
I am asking that all college students, former college students and parents all stand with me on this issue. We have to do this as a group effort to make things safe for all across the board, no matter when or where it happens and that these people who engage in these kinds of acts face the consequences of their actions. If they do not face the consequences of their actions, then what have they really learned about life. Us grown ups are our children's teachers, including, parents and school officials. Although the Co-Sponsorship deadline had been extended to February 4, 2015, due to lots of inclement weather, that has gone by and at this time, there are two other legislator, State Representative Marcos Devers of Lawrence, Mass and State Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives from Newburyport have gotten on board with me and state Representative Diana DiZoglio..
I talked to a school committee member who was from one of my nieces' schools that she attends and talked about the bill with her. I had told her about a provision that would also give staff and students a reprieve from dealing with school-aged children, and that there is a provision that would allow for the school term to end no later than the third Friday in June and start no earlier than two days after the Labor Day holiday. The true history behind summer vacation was so that school-aged children could help out on the family farm during the growing season, which also allowed for school-aged children to also get quality family time.
But, yet, this particular school committee member asks questions about, "How does changing the school year tie into the Juvenile Violence Act." Well, to make a long story short, this very same school committee member who asked that question had an incident of Juvenile violence happen to her. Another answer to that question is, if the teachers have to work beyond June 30'th of each fiscal year, they have to be paid the same rate as the same fiscal year. However, I am not convinced and you should not be convinced either that they will get their pay in a timely manner, by these very same school districts as the state is often slow in appropriating the necessary funding and local communities are always fighting for more funding. The school districts are left to their own devices as to how to deal with any school days missed beyond the five allotted snow days per year. This Juvenile Violence Act does give many options from A-E as to how the school districts can make up the missed snow days beyond five and end at the mandated time frames as proposed in the bill.
Do not let these school committees fool you. We all may had heard about the events of October 22, 2013. A popular teacher's life was taken by an act of Juvenile Violence. The question that should remain in your head is, where was security and other faculty members when this teen followed this teacher into the faculty bathroom on that fateful day of October 22, 2013, and yet, there is talk about extending the school year depending on inclement weather. These regulations were promulgated by 603 CMR 27. This lets the school districts make their own decisions. So, folks, it is time to sign this petition and keep up the fight. By keeping up the fight, we will be sending a message loud and clear that we do not trust the school districts or schools themselves in keeping things safe for our children nor the people that work with them. One other thing to make noteworthy is that the law does recognize self defense when someone is being harmed, however, in a school, if a teacher uses self defense, onto another student to protect themselves from serious bodily injury or death, because, it is the youth that perpetrate these violent acts in some cases, such as what happened to Miss. Ritzer on October 22, 2013. If she had been able to use self defense to fend off her attacker, a student, she may had been alive today. But, here's the problem. One cannot use self defense on another student, even though the law recognizes such, because, the youth or their parents may cry corporal punishment, thus they are asked to refrain from doing so by school policy. Don't be fooled by that either. Why? Even though the youth had engaged in the violence that resulted in serious bodily injury or death, the parents of some of these youth will use Corporal punishment or the video game made my son or daughter act in such a violent manner, that they will get lawyers and psychologist to back up their cases and sue for lucrative money, thus, the youthful offender ends up getting a reward for their own bad behavior. Thus, by signing, we together will be letting our legislators know that they need to pass this law and let the law take command and start down the road of real reform.
