My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

To think playing with a dead bird is wrong?

85 replies

plaintomatopasta · 20/04/2017 17:52

So a bit of back story. I'm a teacher and was sent outside to cover a boys pe lesson. They're 14/15yr old and in mainstream education but the bottom set. Whilst outside we were playing a game of softball and the ball went wide so one ran after it and came back with a massive dead seagull. He then proceeded to kick it, chase other students with it and stab a pen through its head.

I shouted at him and tried to get him to leave it alone but he ignored me. I was the only teacher out there and none of the other boys are really trustworthy enough to go get a teacher. They all found it hilarious and encouraged him! I just ended up sending the entire group inside again back to the changing rooms whilst I got the deputy head and he dealt with them.

After the lesson I was really upset and I thought it was really sick and wrong that they found it hilarious. Not a single other teacher or anyone I've spoken to about it saw a problem and generally said "boys will be boys".

AIBU and a bit weird. I actually cried!

OP posts:
Report
steff13 · 20/04/2017 18:08

It's really unsanitary. You can get salmonella from handling a dead bird. Gross.

Report
Pinkandwhiteblossoms · 20/04/2017 18:11

It's gross. I've seen kids do it. But never brought it into the classroom - yuck!

Report
Floggingmolly · 20/04/2017 18:13

Little savages Shock. I know it was already dead, but... that's sick.

Report
TheWitTank · 20/04/2017 18:15

Absolutely disgusting and I fucking DETEST "boys will be boys". It's not only unsanitary, its weird. What is funny about stabbing a dead bird in the head? I would have flipped.

Report
upperlimit · 20/04/2017 18:15

It is grim. I'd heave at the though of all the germs. But, I wouldn't be crying about it either - I don't think it's wrong in a deeply moral way that you seem to be suggesting.

Report
taytopotato · 20/04/2017 18:15

It sounds really sick to me- kicking the dead bird and stabbing its head with a pen.

Report
Justmadeperfectflapjacks · 20/04/2017 18:16

Serial killer in the making. .
Remember his name now for future newspaper articles. . .
Sick twat.

Report
taytopotato · 20/04/2017 18:19

You cried because of empathy. That boy who did it does not have it.

Report
Pinkandwhiteblossoms · 20/04/2017 18:20

They aren't exactly being cruel to animals though, are they? It's dead. And seagulls aren't for the most part cutesy animals. It sounds like showing off to me. If it had been my class I'd have felt like throwing up, angry and pissed off at being made to cover PE and the boys should absolutely have been punished. But I don't think it's indicative of some sort of psychopathy either.

Report
upperlimit · 20/04/2017 18:21

Yeah, hold on, I think I'm going to retract that ... I guess I was thinking as a moral equivalence, is it worse than killing animals for food? But then when I think about how weird it must be to shove a pen into the eye of a dead thing just for sport, yeah, that's wretched.

Report
plaintomatopasta · 20/04/2017 18:22

@steff13 I tried telling them it was full of germs and they needed to leave it alone but they laughed.

@Pinkandwhiteblossoms we were outside on the field so they didn't bring it inside thank goodness.

@upperlimit I think I cried because of the fact they thought it was funny and an appropriate thing to do. I also think it's partly because I have only been there a short while and I haven't had anything like that happen (been a teacher since 2007 but left to have a baby).

Thank you @TheWitTank @Floggingmolly @taytopotato Too for thinking its a bit weird. I'd have never found things like that funny when I was their age and if I found out my son had done something like that he would never see the world outside his room for a year!

OP posts:
Report
Pinkandwhiteblossoms · 20/04/2017 18:22

He probably wouldn't have done it on his own, it'll have been to show off in front of his mates.

Report
plaintomatopasta · 20/04/2017 18:26

@taytopotato I am quite emotional about things and although I know it was dead and a gross seagull it was still a bit upsetting.

OP posts:
Report
Birdsgottaf1y · 20/04/2017 18:26

Do you feel the same about mouse and rat trap

Report
Cornettoninja · 20/04/2017 18:27

It's a bit lord of the flies isn't it?

I hate to say it but I do think boys are more prone to behaviour like this (testosterone maybe? Dunno) and I doubt the majority of those kids would have initiated that kind of behaviour if your initial coroner hadn't.

I don't think it's necessarily indicative of a psychopath though, some people cut up dead animals/people for a living and are highly regarded. It's not like they took pleasure in violence and killing something.

Yanbu though, it would have really upset me too. I lived in fear of being made to dissect a frog at school - never happened though.

Report
OrangeJulius · 20/04/2017 18:30

I don't have a problem with handling dead animals - when I was in primary school, I brought a dead bird in for show and tell, and even now if my cats bring something in I like to inspect it.

However even in primary school I handled dead things with a bit of respect. Not really sure what to make of their behaviour, it's pretty horrible.

Report
Birdsgottaf1y · 20/04/2017 18:30

Sorry don't know what happened.

I'm Vegan and don't agree with your attitude, unless it's the lack of respect for what was one a living creature. But if they eat meat then they are used to being a part of animal cruelty senseless killing.

Calling them potential psychopaths is ludicrous.

Report
Floggingmolly · 20/04/2017 18:32

They didn't just aim a kick at it as they passed by, though; they stuck a pen through it's head! I'd have been thoroughly sickened too, plaintomato. With your minimising colleagues, also.

Report
taytopotato · 20/04/2017 18:33

Plain, I'll be upset too. Even though the bird was dead, for me, it's cruel to kick it and stab it in the head.

Report
GrumpyOldBag · 20/04/2017 18:33

It's not the same as with a mouse or rat trap though is it?

Because a normal person wouldn't then go on to mutilate the corpse.

Report
MrsTwix · 20/04/2017 18:33

I think it's unpleasant behaviour but not particularly concerning or abnormal. A fair proportion of teenage boys are grim I'm afraid, especially in single sex groups. It's not like they killed it and they are curious and love a bit of gore.

I do think they should be made to apologise to you for upsetting you and for not following your instructions. That to me is the seriously bad behaviour, I don't tolerate defiance or disrespect and that would be the issue for me in this situation.

Report
Whiterabbitears · 20/04/2017 18:42

YANBU, it was sick and disrespectful to you for ignoring you. I don't agree that its the same as a mouse in a trap or non vegetarians eating meat because he took pleasure in mutilating something. A dead creature should be revolting to most people so yes its pretty weird and they are old enough to know better. It would have upset me too OP.

Report
claraschu · 20/04/2017 18:49

Horrible.

Report
mirime · 20/04/2017 18:49

But if they eat meat then they are used to being a part of animal cruelty senseless killing.

Yes, because buying (or having their parents buy) shrink wrapped meat from a supermarket means that couldn't possibly understand why mistreating a corpse would be unpleasant and inappropriate.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.