Body camera video: 6-year-old girl cries, screams for help as Orlando police arrest her at school

[teach1st]

11. Student meltdowns have become more numerous and violent

I'm writing this only in response to the comments that children have always have had meltdowns, which is true, but doesn't account for the level of violence in meltdowns currently as opposed to those of ten or more years ago.

I taught elementary for 31 years, all K-5. For most of that time, there were rarely meltdowns that necessitated teachers abandoning the classroom with all of their other students. Lately, it's not so rare. I've seen chairs flung into windows and thrown at students and adults. I've seen classrooms destroyed. The meltdowns lately are much more numerous, violent, and prolonged.

I don't believe that arresting these children is the answer. I've been lucky to work at schools with good staff who understood how to best deal with these episodes. That said, I've seen situations where I wouldn't have blamed educators for calling in police. However, these situations shouldn't end in handcuffs or arrests.