Ga. boys ages 8 and 9 charged with rape

[Gunny]

By SHANNON McCAFFREY, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 48 minutes ago

ACWORTH, Ga. - Three boys, ages 8 and 9, were being held Monday in a detention center on charges of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl near a suburban apartment complex, officials said.

The alleged attack happened Thursday and the girl's mother reported it to authorities Sunday, Acworth police Capt. Wayne Dennard said.

"The victim said they were playing outdoors and the girl was forced into a wooded area where she was sexually assaulted, where one of the boys raped her," Dennard told The Associated Press.

The three boys — an 8-year-old and two 9-year-olds — were charged with rape, kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault, Dennard said. They were due in juvenile court Monday afternoon. Their names were being withheld because of their age.

more ... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071119/ap_on_re_us/boys_rape

8 and 9 years old?

 

[Paulie]

8 and 9 years old?

That so hard to believe, this day and age?

 

[Gunny]

That so hard to believe, this day and age?

Dude, when I was 8, I played cowboys and indians, army and GI Joe. Played baseball, tried to jump my bike over anything that didn't get out of the way.

And girls carried germs and wanted to do dumb stuff.

So no, I don't get it, even in this day and age.

But then, we weren't forcefed sex ed in elementary school either.

 

[jillian]

Dude, when I was 8, I played cowboys and indians, army and GI Joe. Played baseball, tried to jump my bike over anything that didn't get out of the way.

And girls carried germs and wanted to do dumb stuff.

So no, I don't get it, even in this day and age.

But then, we weren't forcefed sex ed in elementary school either.

Little children who sexually assault other children have been sexually abused themselves or have been subjected to inappropriate sexual stimulation.

So, I'd suggest taking it up with the kids' parents.

 

[Gunny]

Little children who sexually assault other children have been sexually abused themselves or have been subjected to inappropriate sexual stimulation.

So, I'd suggest taking it up with the kids' parents.

Y'know, I can see where that could be true. I'm definitely not discounting it.

However, we (meaning myself and those kids I knew) didn't even know what sex was when we were 8.

Then there's the fact that for a child to be a victim of sexual abuse all they have to do is watch TV. Actual parental involvement/abuse not required.

If that's not enough, they get instructions on just what sex is at too young of an age nowadays, so they know how to carry out the act but don't understand the ramifications/consequences of that act.

 

[doniston]

Y'know, I can see where that could be true. I'm definitely not discounting it.

However, we (meaning myself and those kids I knew) didn't even know what sex was when we were 8.

Then there's the fact that for a child to be a victim of sexual abuse all they have to do is watch TV. Actual parental involvement/abuse not required.

If that's not enough, they get instructions on just what sex is at too young of an age nowadays, so they know how to carry out the act but don't understand the ramifications/consequences of that act.

And it is also possible the girl made it up,----and/or instigated it.

 

[jillian]

Y'know, I can see where that could be true. I'm definitely not discounting it.

However, we (meaning myself and those kids I knew) didn't even know what sex was when we were 8.

Then there's the fact that for a child to be a victim of sexual abuse all they have to do is watch TV. Actual parental involvement/abuse not required.

If that's not enough, they get instructions on just what sex is at too young of an age nowadays, so they know how to carry out the act but don't understand the ramifications/consequences of that act.

Kids still don't know what sex is at 8. Unless their parents have them watching porn or do inappropriate things, they aren't going to know what sex is in any event.... unless they've been abused.

Most sex abusers have been abused themselves.

 

[Gunny]

And it is also possible the girl made it up,----and/or instigated it.

Now don't you suppose a rape kit was run on the girl before charges were filed? That's usually the way it works.

 

[Gunny]

Kids still don't know what sex is at 8. Unless their parents have them watching porn or do inappropriate things, they aren't going to know what sex is in any event.... unless they've been abused.

Most sex abusers have been abused themselves.

You didn't read my post, or I wasn't clear enough. Of course they don't know what sex is. They DO know how to mimmick the actions. Kids are known for mimmicking adults.

And all you have to do is turn on Law and Order or CSI and there is little left to the imagination. That's not even counting pay cable channels where even less is left to the imagination.

I also believe IIRC, sex ed in elementary schools was a big issue in the not too distant past. That's handing out instructions to perform the actions without the maturity to understand what they're doing.

And I'm not willing to blame abuse for abuse. I consider that a copout on the responsibility for one's actions.

 

[Kid Pickle]

You didn't read my post, or I wasn't clear enough. Of course they don't know what sex is. They DO know how to mimmick the actions. Kids are known for mimmicking adults.

And all you have to do is turn on Law and Order or CSI and there is little left to the imagination. That's not even counting pay cable channels where even less is left to the imagination.

I also believe IIRC, sex ed in elementary schools was a big issue in the not too distant past. That's handing out instructions to perform the actions without the maturity to understand what they're doing.

And I'm not willing to blame abuse for abuse. I consider that a copout on the responsibility for one's actions.

I knew what sex was at 8, not the full ramifications of such, but I had seen things on television and Playboy and had heard things from other kids. It was the 80's and everyone assumed that kids were ignorant and unaffected by these things. Now the sexualization of children is pervasive.

Rape is not sexual. It is violent. There is more going on here than just sex and wanting to have sex. There is the complete disregard of the personhood of another individual. Even if a child wants to have sex, to force it upon someone, especially in a team with another shows a prediliction for extreme violence and a lust for power over those who are helpless. A simple child knows this is wrong and there were, I'm sure, many opportunities to reconsider. Such savagery is staggering in such young children. I don't know about trying them as adults, but what do you do?

 

[Kagom]

I've never met a kid under 10-11 who has been "forcefed" sex ed. Almost all schools offer to let parents have their kids pulled from it. Even in my freshman health class it was offered to have us pulled from it.

 

[doniston]

Now don't you suppose a rape kit was run on the girl before charges were filed? That's usually the way it works.

But not necessarily. and what if she instigated the "action"?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

But not necessarily. and what if she instigated the "action"?

Well days passed before the charge was leveled so I doubt a rape kit was run. But I suspect more than just her word is the basis for the charges.

Personally I do not recall getting a repeatable "hard on" till about 11. But perhaps they did not penetrate in that manner.

Blaming the girl is not very acceptable in todays society. Though I doubt she just made it up myself.

 

[Gunny]

I knew what sex was at 8, not the full ramifications of such, but I had seen things on television and Playboy and had heard things from other kids. It was the 80's and everyone assumed that kids were ignorant and unaffected by these things. Now the sexualization of children is pervasive.

Rape is not sexual. It is violent. There is more going on here than just sex and wanting to have sex. There is the complete disregard of the personhood of another individual. Even if a child wants to have sex, to force it upon someone, especially in a team with another shows a prediliction for extreme violence and a lust for power over those who are helpless. A simple child knows this is wrong and there were, I'm sure, many opportunities to reconsider. Such savagery is staggering in such young children. I don't know about trying them as adults, but what do you do?

I am not saying and have not said it was caused by any one specific thing. We really can't do that without all the facts, motives, etc. I tossed out some ideas to counter what I considered an absolute POV.

What to do, IMO, would depend greatly on the specific facts, whenever they come out.

 

[Gunny]

But not necessarily. and what if she instigated the "action"?

Doniston ...

I don't discount the possibility. The fact that a female can cry "rape" and a male is forced to prove his innocence annoys me greatly. At the same time, I am not going to allow that to completely discount out of hand the charges.

 

[Lookout]

You didn't read my post, or I wasn't clear enough. Of course they don't know what sex is. They DO know how to mimmick the actions. Kids are known for mimmicking adults.

And all you have to do is turn on Law and Order or CSI and there is little left to the imagination. That's not even counting pay cable channels where even less is left to the imagination.

I also believe IIRC, sex ed in elementary schools was a big issue in the not too distant past. That's handing out instructions to perform the actions without the maturity to understand what they're doing.

And I'm not willing to blame abuse for abuse. I consider that a copout on the responsibility for one's actions.

It's not a cop out, It's programming! Hell, an 8 or 9 year old doesn't even know what a cop out is. Look around your house and see how many commercial names of material items you have staring you in the face. If one see's or whitnesses something enough times, they buy it. Thats why we have commercials on T.V. and Billboards and why our houses are filled with Pepsi and Budweiser and Coke and Tide and Gain and campbells and etc.etc.etc...It is all programing and so is abuse. The kids that did this probably didn't really know what they were doing, just acting out what had been done to them or what they have seen. And for an 8 or 9 year old to get ahold of material like porn is a parental neglect issue. I hope the police grill the parents of the boys and search their houses to help put the pieces of this puzzle together. You can blame T.V. and its content and cable and the sex ed. in schools and a whole slew of things, but what it really comes down to is the parents.

 

[Gunny]

It's not a cop out, It's programming! Hell, an 8 or 9 year old doesn't even know what a cop out is. Look around your house and see how many commercial names of material items you have staring you in the face. If one see's or whitnesses something enough times, they buy it. Thats why we have commercials on T.V. and Billboards and why our houses are filled with Pepsi and Budweiser and Coke and Tide and Gain and campbells and etc.etc.etc...It is all programing and so is abuse. The kids that did this probably didn't really know what they were doing, just acting out what had been done to them or what they have seen. And for an 8 or 9 year old to get ahold of material like porn is a parental neglect issue. I hope the police grill the parents of the boys and search their houses to help put the pieces of this puzzle together. You can blame T.V. and its content and cable and the sex ed. in schools and a whole slew of things, but what it really comes down to is the parents.

In the for-instance I cited, it is one person attempting to cop out for another, not that the kids themselves are trying to.

I agree that the parents make a major impact, but if you rule out peer/societal pressure and lay it all on the parent(s), you're just kidding yourself. When you factor in that most kids don't think their parents know squat and that Jimmy-Joe-Bob down the street has all the answers, it's not so one way as you would make it out to be.

And tell the kid to stay away from Jimmy-Joe-Bob? That's like telling them McDonald's is bad for them.

In a society that has and continues to glorify violence, is violence then so surprising?

 

[Lookout]

In the for-instance I cited, it is one person attempting to cop out for another, not that the kids themselves are trying to.

I agree that the parents make a major impact, but if you rule out peer/societal pressure and lay it all on the parent(s), you're just kidding yourself. When you factor in that most kids don't think their parents know squat and that Jimmy-Joe-Bob down the street has all the answers, it's not so one way as you would make it out to be.

And tell the kid to stay away from Jimmy-Joe-Bob? That's like telling them McDonald's is bad for them.

In a society that has and continues to glorify violence, is violence then so surprising?

You have to have a license to have a dog but anyone can have a kid.
I did not mean that it is all on the parents. I just think that the inmates are running the asylum. If Jimmy-Joe-Bob's parents were raising him right then Danny-Lee-Smith would be getting the right message from him. I don't know squat about kids really, I never had any. At sixteen, I knew I did not want kids and made sure I did not. It seamed like just a huge headache to me then as it still does now. However, I do know something about abuse and programming and know that it is as contagious as the common cold or the flu. One of the major factors we have on this planet is children having and raising children. People with issues pass them along to their children and the kids will do one of two things...They will either act it out, or act it in. I think all the birds are flying in the wrong direction and 180 degrees from wrong is still wrong. I think that they should make it mandatory for anyone having a child or going to have a child, to take a parenting class and counseling...Yeah, like that will happen. I'm just glad it is not my problem, personaly. It still affects me though because I have to live in this society.

 

[Kid Pickle]

You have to have a license to have a dog but anyone can have a kid.

I think that they should make it mandatory for anyone having a child or going to have a child, to take a parenting class and counseling...Yeah, like that will happen. I'm just glad it is not my problem, personaly. It still affects me though because I have to live in this society.

It's getting to that point, isn't it? Of course, people would scream bloody murder if that were proposed. Unfortunately, our society is moving towards allowing anyone to have children. Children are becoming like pets. Even people who have no business having children can find someone to facilitate them.

I cannot think of anything more important that a person can do in life than raising children. I just cannot fathom the way people do not put their parental responsibilities first in their lives. This is the reason why stories such as this come to be "normal."

 

[Gunny]

You have to have a license to have a dog but anyone can have a kid.
I did not mean that it is all on the parents. I just think that the inmates are running the asylum. If Jimmy-Joe-Bob's parents were raising him right then Danny-Lee-Smith would be getting the right message from him. I don't know squat about kids really, I never had any. At sixteen, I knew I did not want kids and made sure I did not. It seamed like just a huge headache to me then as it still does now. However, I do know something about abuse and programming and know that it is as contagious as the common cold or the flu. One of the major factors we have on this planet is children having and raising children. People with issues pass them along to their children and the kids will do one of two things...They will either act it out, or act it in. I think all the birds are flying in the wrong direction and 180 degrees from wrong is still wrong. I think that they should make it mandatory for anyone having a child or going to have a child, to take a parenting class and counseling...Yeah, like that will happen. I'm just glad it is not my problem, personaly. It still affects me though because I have to live in this society.

Look at this particular case. One boy was obviously the leader, the other the follower. Let's assume it was the leader that also was the one that raped the girl.

What's the follower doing? He's tagging along with Billy Badass because he's "cool." Most male kids from what I saw growing up, resent the rules that stifle them and envy those that have little or none. That is in defiance of what they are taught is right and wrong.