Unruly students

Georgia -- So, you're a teacher for special needs children and you're having a couple of unruly students in your class.

Two disruptive, teenage students refuse to return to their seats - what do you do? That's simple, you just pepper spray them.

At least that ways the solution one female Bibb County teacher used recently in her classroom, according to 41nbc.com.

This really makes me wonder if she was only having a permanent brain meltdown or simply had lost it temporarily.

At least it goes to show that a lot of teachers unfortunately don't have the skills or training needed to control potential violent conflicts and other similar problems at school.

Domestic violence

Here are some quite interesting -- and perhaps even shocking -- statistics about domestic violence arrests (from mirror.co.uk):

UK -- Researchers have found that female suspects are proportionately more likely to be arrested when police investigate allegations of domestic violence.

Despite the fact that women were the victims in 91 per cent of cases, police detained female suspects once in every three incidents, according to a study.

T put things in perspective, men, which are the offenders in 92 per cent of cases, are arrested only once in every 10 incidents.

A Bristol University researcher (Prof Marianne Hester), said the difference was because women were more likely to arm themselves during rows.

She said that women were using a weapon nearly always in self-defense which is treated as a more serious offence.

Brian Moore, Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on domestic violence, said: "It is often only after arrest that an investigation establishes a history of violence."

692 people held for domestic abuse between 2001 and 2007 were studied by a team lead by Prof Hester.

A scary list

Idaho -- A convicted Ontario sex offender has allegedly made a list of 32 girls to "look up" once he gets out of jail. Now parents worry for their children's safety as the man is soon to be released.

One parent talked about how their kids in effect were prisoners. "we don't know what to do to make it better for them," the parent said.

Sheriff's deputies reportedly found a list the man had written. It was titled "people to look up". 32 local girls between the ages of 6 and 17 were on the list, including his original 15 year old victim.

In order to come up with his list, authorities alleges the man read newspaper articles about the girls. It is said the list is so detailed it that had everything short of an address to look these girls up.

And still we somehow tend to hang on to this all-to-prevalent idea about 'random violence'...

Courage beyond belief

I strongly urge you to read this article. It's graphic and disturbing, but it leaves a lasting impression about this young woman's courage. What a will to survive!

Typical escalation

This is a very typical - and tragic - episode of escalating violence.

Story:
Texas -- In Conroe, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death and two others were injured in a disturbance outside a pub, according to chron.com.

The 23-year-old victim was stabbed with a knife late Thursday, police officials said. He was transported to a medical center, where he was pronounced dead.

Three men had just left the local pub and were walking to their car when they were confronted by three men in a pickup about 10:45 p.m.

An argument allegedly broke out and one of the men from the pickup began hitting the car with a small sledge hammer. A passenger from the car then reportedly stabbed the victim.

Your typical bouncer?

Probably far from it - this guy seems to be one really mean and depraved individual.

According to guardian.co.uk, the 39-year-old is on trial, accused of murdering two women (19 and 22 years old). Both reportedly died after being struck with a blunt instrument. The man is also on trial for two attempted murders and one count of kidnap and false imprisonment.

According to the paper he has previous court appearances dating back to when he was 13. He had admitted offences ranging from vehicle theft, having an offensive weapon to assaulting a police officer.

He was jailed for a total of 13 months in 1991 for hitting a constable in the face, common assault on a special constable and failing to surrender.

In February 2005, he was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for seven years for dangerous driving after being stopped on a motorway hard shoulder at 70mph.

And this guy was working as a bouncer (doorman)...

Now, you may all say that most bouncers are not like this person here, and fortunately you're right. However, and this is my point, there are too many in that line of work who pose a real danger to those around them.

How do I know - I used to work the doors myself. It used to be worse, but there are still too many young guys out there with far too much testosterone, short fuses, little or no empathy, steroids, drug abuse, criminal connections and what have you not.

Norwegian psychologist Per Isdal describes in his book "Meningen Med Volden" ("The Purpose of Violence" - unfortunately available in Norwegian only as far as I know) amongst other things how one bouncer used his work to set people up for violence. A scary read; even more so if you knew that there are more guys like this out there.

One small piece of advice: Do not talk back at bouncers - it really does you no good at all. What it potentially can do is get you and others hurt.

And by all means - let us not forget that most of these folks are nice, hard working, under-paid and under a lot of stress. Be nice, boys and girls :-)

Just one drop

Missouri -- Thanks to a drop of blood, police believe they've solved a violent crime that occurred more than eight years ago in Clayton, bnd.com reports.

And now, a 38-year-old St. Louis man faces charges for robbing and sexually assaulting a woman in 1999.

Police say the woman was talking on the phone when she was grabbed from behind. Wearing a pillowcase over his head, the assailant tried to sexually assault her.

Fighting back, she bit the suspect so hard it drew blood. That turned out to be vital to the case.

Late 2006, the blood sample was entered into a DNA index system - something which eventually led police to the suspect, who was on probation for another crime.

Lame excuses #2

In our ongoing series "It wasn't me" we have reached the often used 'sudden feeling'... This is commonly accompanied with "I'm sorry", and "I didn't mean to".

Story:
In Malaysia, nst.com.my reports about a 17-year-old who blamed his violence on a "sudden feeling which overcame him".

On April 21, 2007, an 18-year-old female college student was walking along a pedestrian lane in the college when the teenage security guard threw a rock at her from behind, causing her to fall to the ground.

The young man then dragged his victim into a nearby storeroom, undressed her and began to assault her. When the student screamed, he repeatedly hit her on the head with the rock. He tried to rape her, but when he failed to do so, he rolled his clothes to form a rope and tried to strangle her.

After begging him to stop, he set her free and she sought help from a male college friend who took her to a clinic.

A welfare officer read the probation report on the accused. He said the boy regretted his actions as they were a result of a "sudden feeling which overcame him". "He did not intend to hurt the student," the welfare officer said.

He "saw him off"

Yes, I know, poor joke - sorry about that :-)
At least there's a bit of 'eye-kido' in this story...
Anyways, this kid did a great job! With all these witnesses, I do take it for granted that it's real - or at least close to what actually happened.

Story:
Florida -- While waiting for wire cables to be delivered to his home Saturday morning, the longtime student of Hapkido (a Korean martial art) fought off a neighbor who barged into his family's Pompano Beach home with a chain-saw.

The 17-year-old high school senior said his friends had just picked up a compressor for a robotics high school competition. He said goodbye and went back inside the house to wait for the cables he would also need, leaving the front door open.

Moments later, the teenager said, the 6-foot, 300-pound neighbor walked in with a chain saw belonging to the teenager's 56-year-old father. Screaming and spewing obscenities, the neighbor tried, in vain, to rev up the tool.

Go to sun-sentinel.com for the full story.
Read this and other self-defence stories at Your Martial Arts Resources

Another "tough" guy

This is just sad. And I bet he's got a good excuse since he was drunk. We all know we can't possibly control ourselves when we've had something to drink, so it wasn't his fault ... right?

Story:
Canada -- A 40-year-old man faces assault and possible hate-crime charges after attacking an elderly Asian man in broad daylight on a busy Vancouver bus.

The attack happened at about 1 p.m. Sunday, said police."The man, for some inexplicable reason, starts making racial slurs against the 87-year-old man, punches him in the face and runs off," a police source said.

The man, of medium build and smelling strongly of alcohol, jumped off the bus and ran into a nearby pub.

Role modelling

Absolutely great!
I do wonder where most kids learn negative and violent behavior. Could it *possibly* be at home?

Story:
A New Hampshire woman has been charged with assault for allegedly throwing pizza at an umpire at a Little League game in Concord last month.

Police say the 35-year-old woman was working in a concession stand. Her son is on the Concord All-Star team, which lost a close game on July 11. A league investigation said Concord parents and Little League volunteers taunted the umps and tried to provoke them.

Police say the woman tossed pizza that hit one ump and a parent. She's charged with two counts of simple assault. The league disciplined nine parents, board members and volunteers, asking some to resign from the board.

Source

Violence, alcohol

UK -- Violent crime is on the rise across Scotland, according to new figures which reveal that hundreds more attacks were carried out last year. Binge-drinking and growing inequality has been blamed for the spike in violence, which saw 13,994 crimes - including murder, serious assault and robbery - recorded in 2006-7, 2.4 per cent more than the previous year's tally of 13,664.

Six of the country's eight police forces witnessed a rise in non-sexual crimes of violence, with Northern Constabulary seeing a one-third increase in reported attacks, from 481 to 640. Four other forces - Tayside, Central, Grampian and Lothian and Borders - saw violent crime increase by between 6 and 15 per cent, while Strathclyde witnessed a smaller increase of 0.5 per cent, from 8,439 to 8,481. Only Fife and Dumfries and Galloway saw a drop in the figures.

The rise ends a three-year decline in recorded violent crimes, sparking fears that Scotland could be witnessing the beginning of a new upward trend. Northern Constabulary said the increase was "partly due to the misuse of alcohol".

"This is a big problem not just in our area but across the country. We're seeing it linked to a vast number of assaults. It's clearly a big contributory factor," said a spokesman.

Doctors are reporting a small but steady increase in the number of assault victims attending accident and emergency departments - which some believe is a more accurate reflection of violence levels - and say alcohol abuse is an increasingly prevalent factor.

Source

He merely had a knife

Quite naturally, this woman is devastated about her son being killed.
But what do this guy expect running towards a police officer holding a gun? Do they actually think it is possible to "aim for the legs", or shoot the weapon out of the hands of the person?
And then there's this phrase: "He merely had a knife." Yeah, some folks have this funny idea that a knife is just a harmless tool. Not.
This lady probably watch too much action movies, and/or need someone to blame.

Story:
A woman says a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy who fatally shot her son was out of line.

The 27-year-old man, was gunned down after he stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her roommate and then ran towards the deputy, holding carving knives.

"There are worse people on the streets," the 47-year-old mother said. "This was too much violence. He wasn't armed with a gun. He merely had a knife.''

Actually, he had two knives - and used them to repeatedly stab two people.

Source

Teenagers face curfews

UK -- Teenagers could be subjected to curfews in London in an attempt to curb the surge in fatal stabbings, police revealed yesterday.

Ben Hitchcock became the latest victim of a wave of knife attacks affecting the capital and other inner-city areas when he was beaten and stabbed in a fight between two groups of youths in south London, over the weekend.

The 16-year-old died after being attacked by a gang of 20 youths after he and a group of six friends had been banned from a party.

The officer who is heading the murder investigation, revealed yesterday that the imposition of curfews was "an option being considered" in an attempt to tackle the mounting violence.

Source

Offenders are getting younger

California -- Courts have seen the number of sex offense cases involving juvenile offenders rise dramatically in recent years, an Associated Press review of national statistics found, and treatment professionals say the offenders are getting younger and the crimes more violent.

Some psychologists blame the increase - 40 percent over two decades - on a society saturated with sex and violence and the fact that many of the accused were themselves victims of adult sexual predators. Others say there aren't more children committing such crimes, there is simply more awareness, better reporting and a general hysteria about sex offenders.

The number of children under 18 accused of forcible rape, violent and nonviolent sex offenses has steadily risen, from 24,100 children in 1985 to 33,800 in 2004, the AP's analysis found. Violent offenses include attempted rape and sexual assault, while nonviolent offenses including fondling, statutory rape and prostitution.

Source

Full moon fever

Maybe there is something to it after all?
And perhaps we should all be alert when a full moon falls on a payday?

Story:
UK -- Police in Brighton are to put on extra patrols on nights when there is a full moon to combat an increase in violence.

It follows research by the Sussex force which concluded there was a rise in violent incidents when the moon was full - and also on paydays.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: "Research carried out by us has shown a correlation between violent incidents and full moons. From my experience, over 19 years of being a police officer, undoubtedly on full moons, we do seem to get people with, sort of, stranger behaviour - more fractious, argumentative."

Past research into the phenomenon includes a study by Professor Michal Zimecki, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, who argued that a full moon could affect criminal activity and health.

In 1998, a three-month psychological study of 1,200 inmates at Armley jail in Leeds discovered a rise in violent incidents during the days either side of a full moon.

Source

Bad karaoke

As far as music goes, karaoke is probably the worst thing known to man. The only thing that comes close on the "shit-O-meter" is elevator and telephone on-hold music. Oh, boy!
Fair enough - I have heard karaoke singers that actually can sing. But the rest ... Mama mia!
Consequently, I can kind of understand the security dude her, even though killing the "artist" is taking your statement too far by any ones standard.
And just contemplate this line: "Deaths and violence are not uncommon in Philippine karaoke bars." Ouch! Must be lots of really bad singers over there. Or maybe some really aggressive music criticisers?

Story:
In a Philippine karaoke bar, a man has been shot dead by a security guard for singing out of tune.

The 29-year-old man was halfway through his song on Tuesday night in a bar in San Mateo town, east of Manila, when a 43-year-old security guard yelled that he was out of tune.

When the performer ignored his comments and continued singing, the guard pulled out his revolver and shot him in the chest. The victim died instantly according to police.

Source

Alcohol

I may enjoy a drink or two now and then - more and more seldom I might add. Still I have no problem seeing the potential dangers connected with alcohol consumption.

Story:
Guam -- Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among Guam's adolescents, and used by more young adults than any other illicit drug.

According to recent studies published in the medical journal, The Lancet, alcohol ranks among the five most dangerous drugs in our society. It has been ranked as being more dangerous than illegal drugs like marijuana or ecstasy.

Source

UN report critisises Sweden

Sweden -- According to gotlandstidningar.se, a resent UN report criticises the Swedish government, stating more should be done to protect Swedish women against violence.

The reported number of crimes against women in Sweden is on the rise. During the month of January (2007), there were 60 more instances of rape and 200 more instances of assault being reported to police compared to the same period in 2006.

On a total, there was 3 250 reported instances of such crimes being reported during January 2007.

Hazards at work, 34

Sweden -- Threats and violence against Uppsala ambulance personnel is far more widespread than what the official statistics show, according to unt.se.

In fact, violence is such a regular occurrence that many don't bother to press charges or even file reports, according to health personnel.

Patients starting to fight during rescue operations, threats and violence from bystanders, drunken people interfering during the Weekends, and even assaults with axes and knives, are just some of the examples.