One Moment Please! 3 more seconds and I'll put you in handcuffs!

Well, that's what happened to this girl...

Salecia Johnson, 6, tantrum thrower. (Picture AP)

So, you may have heard of Salecia Johnson recently. Yes? No? Well, she is a six year old girl who threw a major tantrum at her school in Georgia (U.S.). So major, that the school's powers that be decided to call the police. Salecia was handcuffed just like any other arrest - and two charges of simple battery and property damage were filed.

Remember Salecia is six, not sixteen...

When I first heard this story I didn't react like some others - which was to say, 'how could they do that to a six year old!?'. More, I was happy to hear that some strong discipline was given out to an unruly child. Now, I'm not saying what happened to Salecia was right or wrong, but I like that there are schools in the world willing to make a strong statement to little sh*t kids. And I say 'little sh*t kids' unashamedly. 

Salecia's Mum and Dad - not impressed.

The Only Child has had her fair share of tantrums and unruly episodes - but those are generally limited to super tired moments or very short bursts of fantasy - where I have somehow perpetuated the fantasy that she has any say over Mummy and Daddy's life. However, she has never had the audacity to display any disrespect to other authority figures in her life - her Teacher, Piano Teacher, Principal - and as far as I'm told, to any of her friend's parents.

So, what did Salecia do at school that warranted the principal calling the police? She apparently assaulted the principal by throwing a shelf and striking the principal in the leg, jumped on a paper shredder, and tried to break a frame made of glass. It is said Salecia also tore things off the wall, and decided to throw some books and toys as well - for good measure. When the police arrived, they noted that Salecia was lying on the ground screaming and crying. 

Salecia's family have said that the handcuffs were so tight on Salecia's wrists, and that little Salecia was very shaken up by the experience. As the Mother of a six year old myself, I can imagine the scariest thing being the placing of handcuffs on a little girl's hands - the physical restriction of your body by strangers would be quite terrifying I'd imagine; For any age group.

I sympathize with Salecia's parents, while at the same time I am someone who doesn't see anything wrong with shock tactics to enforce good behavior in children - and used effectively, I do believe it works. For example, the Only Child had a kleptomaniac little friend once who liked to enter other children's lunch boxes. After some discussion back and forth about this (the Only Child said that the cookie was a very yummy one and her friend couldn't help it), I let the Only Child know that I would happily ring the police and have them meet with her if I ever heard that she partook in any of this kleptomania. I also let her know what happens to little people who grow in to big people who steal - namely jail, no money, loss of friends etc. Consequently, she began giving her friend sermons about what happens to big people who open other people's lunch boxes...

This school had enough!

If Salecia's tantrum throwing has been an ongoing thing, then I would totally support the ringing of the police to give the little trouble-maker a shock. If it was a one-off, then obviously ringing the boys in blue doesn't seem that fair. However, I also don't believe it's fair for parents to raise their children with no respect and no manners. The number of times the Only Child has had play dates with little angels who have had rude mouths astounds me - and 100% of these rude children have parents who I know do not have a strong or at least a firm stance on discipline. And, they are happy with that - they are not interested in working full-time and spending the small amount of quality time they have with their child schooling them in the art of societal etiquette. 

Fair enough.

Just be aware that a parent's lack of discipline at home, could mean increased discipline away from home, from others.

A video from CNN about the arrest