to let DS do school project on Jack the Ripper?

[soupforbrains]

DS is 10. he is bright, loves reading and is a huge history buff.

Summer homework project is "Choose a famous Victorian to learn about and present what you learn in a creative way".

DS wants to do Jack the Ripper, DS is already aware of Jack the Ripper from the Horrible Histories books and some other kids books/shows which have discussed great unsolved mysteries.

I think this is a fun idea, and together we have discussed presenting the finding on a big board like and investigation/crime board. Obviously there will be some glossing over of the details and clearly we're not about to stick crime scene photos up. We've also discussed looking into the living conditions in the east end of london at the time to give more social history learning to it than just the crimes.

I'm not an idiot and I know that this idea is perhaps a bit risky but so long as we do it in an age appropriate and not over gory manner would IBU to let son do this. Additionally would any teachers out there consider it to be interesting and a bit different from the no doubt countless Isambard Kingdom Brunels which turn up, or a step too far?

Just wait until he gets to secondary school. Dd's Year 8 history teacher had the photos on the whiteboard! They also showed a film on the anniversary of 9/11 that showed people jumping from the towers. All good fun.

Thanks everyone, lots of very good points here.

I hadn't considered the idea of other children going home and googling it afterwards, probably because my son never has unsupervised access to google.

I've used "we" because I have discussed the project with my son including the fact that it might not be appropriate and the elements of it which make that so, which led to the discussion we had and the conclusions we came to about how to focus to project on the unsolved crime mystery. I clearly should have worded these differently, I'm not invested in this as his topic, I have a list of others I would rather do, but it's his project and he should get to choose. Before you all say that I should be directing him, I am, hence fielding other opinion before he starts on the work.

I will have another chat with him this evening and suggest he choose another person.

The Sting Thanks for that suggestion I will put that forward to him but I have a feeling he'll go in a different direction.

While I appreciate that the blood & gore is a bit much the class last term were shown a video of (re-enacted) medieval torture methods which was graphic enough is made one child sick and sent two others out of the room in tears so I can be fairly certain the presentation my son would do would be less affecting than that.

anyway, I will re-direct the project. thanks again everyone.

I am quite encouraged that he is interested in history, in its broader sense rather than presenting a hagiography of a supposedly 'great' and impeachable Victorian. You are right to point out there will be countless homilies to Brunnel or Nightingale.

What if one of the kids goes home and googles him because of your sons presentation and IS subjected to the gory images etc? Are you prepared to deal with tbe fall out and blame of an angry upset parent of a traumatised child

Hang on - ANYTHING a child googles is at the discretion of the parent and should have the relevant filters in place. My DD is 10. She knows she has to ask me first if she wants to google anything - it isn't my responsibility to require other parents to parent in such a way, it is my responsibility to parent my own.

But then I have had it in the neck from another parent who was annoyed because my 10year old DD mentioned periods to another 10 year old girl.

My main concern would be if your DS came across photos of the crime scenes during using the net to research.

I've seen them and they're really disturbing. I was fascinated by the case but since seeing those photos i don't read about it any more.

I wouldn't allow my son to do this for all the reasons listed above and, most importantly, because of the other members of the class who don't need this inflicted upon them.

My son enjoys history too and has enjoyed finding out about Charles Dickens and his world. Your DS could do him, still include lots of details about London and focus on his philanthropy.

No. I would feel very uncomfortable researching this with a 10 yo.
There are so many amazing Victorian to chose from. I can't see any excuse for getting interested in someone who was a notorious abuser of vulnerable women if I'm honest.

Ps I am not at all squeamish either.

Unless you're prepared to watch over him like a hawk, OP, I think there's a real risk of him coming across age-inappropriate material.

Prostitution, sexual mutilation, a child murder for which the Ripper was a possible suspect are all a bit much for the age group.

I think there is a fascinating social history angle on the case - race relations in the east end, the difficulties with early policing and many other ideas which make this about much more than just "gory femicide". However I think it researching those things are really an a level or undergrad project.

If he's interested in unsolved Victorian crimes, then the Spring Heeled Jack legend might be interesting to look at:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring-heeled_Jack

Surely the point is is this something 10 year olds should be thinking about . If the year 6 teacher had said go home this weekend and do a topic on Jack the Ripper half the parents at least would be in complaining about it , therefore it is inappropriate .

Can you really do a project about Jack the Ripper and leave out prostitution, rape and murder?

So it will be a project about Jack, who lived in London, was a naughty boy and never got caught?

Would you let him do a project about the Yorkshire Ripper?

If one child was sick and 2 in tears after being shown something their teacher thought would be appropriate I think you can.safely say there are children in the class who probably won't want to hear about women being ripped open with a knife.

oh and just to defend myself a little because everyone has picked up on the phrase 'fun idea' I meant thta in terms of the idea of presenting it as a crime board, which I still think is a fun idea and could be used for a number of other unsolved mysteries. I in no way intended to trivialise the awful nature of these crimes nor the violence against women. Clearly my son's interest in the area and my own enthusiasm for supporting his idea, and the crime board aspect led to me not to think this through enough. However I would say that when a great many awful aspects of history are presented to children, they are generally glossed and sanitised to a point where they lose a great deal of the importance of the events.

Additionally I have discussed the topic with my son, he does know that the women were prostitutes and what might have driven women to that, I had intended to cut that element out more because I thought the teacher and/or other parents might not be so pleased at fielding questions in that vein.

Bumps I agree, thought as I've said before my son doesn't have unsupervised access to the internet and I would have pre-vetted a list of sites for him to look at. I also agree that the photo I came across affected me too.

serf yes, obviously given the change in my plan this has been very helpful and it was clearly worth me asking the question. You among many others have been very constructive. This was my first AIBU but I've read many so was not wholly unprepared for the onslaught.

Completely inappropriate and a poor choice for a child. Why would you encourage his fascination with a murderer?

I personally wouldn't want my child studying about a murderer at this age.

How about Joseph Bazalgette? The work of the man who stopped London stinking of poo would have loads of scope for stuff that would amuse 10-year olds, and bringing an end to cholera in London is a hell of an achievement.

Why not review this link. Charles Darwin is by far the best option in my opinion.

primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/victorians/famous.htm

Boys As I said before it's the unsolved mystery aspect that I think captures his imagination so I will definitely suggest he look at that one. Any others you're aware of?

He does love history, but the Victorian Era isn't really one of his favourites, he prefers the ancient civilisations and then the napoleonic wars and the world wars. but a mystery would get him hooked.

Lakie thats a great suggestion. Never underestimate how hilarious poo is for 10 year olds. I think Bazalgette is in the book I've got him from the library.

Genghi I agree, I already suggested Darwin but he wasn't bothered. I think he likes him but thought others would think it "boring"

I think its very easy to see this from an adult viewpoint and not remember that children think very differently

'Why were they walking on their own in a dangerous area?
This was the area where they lived - oh ok then.

If op's son has set up all this information about the poverty of the time, the area and the living conditions, children won't ask more searching questions as they will think they have all the information - it's the beauty of children, they haven't full developed their critical thinking skills and think they know everything anyway. They will accept that these women were poor and that they lived in a poor and dangerous area. You can even tell them that it was assumed that the Ripper hated women and that's why he targeted them (after all - he was never caught, so his reasons for choosing prostitutes are only our best guess).

Loads of history is weirdly sexual and we sanitise it to teach them - think about teaching the Tudors - we don't tell them that Anne Boleyn was accused of sleeping with loads of men, including her own brother, and that it was claimed that the child she miscarried was deformed because it was her brother's child. But we still teach that Henry wanted rid of his wife and chopped her head off.

We do teach the second world war in primary school - its an incredibly popular topic, but its a very sanitised, age appropriate version.

I have no idea how old I was when I realised that the women Jack the Ripper killed were prostitutes, it was probably the first time I saw 'From Hell' as a teenager. But I already knew who he was and what he did, I read about him In 'Vile Victorians' and I's heard of him before that. I'd never given his victims a second thought. If you're presenting the the murders with Jack as the protagonist, children aren't going to get bogged down in the back story of the other people 'women going about their business' will suffice.

If classmates are then found googling Jack the Ripper (as if they don't have better things to do with their time) then this is the reason why we don't allow ten year olds unsupervised screen time. Though they can get into much more trouble on line than googling a Victorian serial killer.

I see OP has changed her mind, I hope being told he can't study the thing he's actually interested in and instead must spend his summer working on a project he doesn't care about doesn't turn her son off history for good.

Jacqueshammer there are technology shy people out there who might honestly not know how to put blocks and filters on search engines. Or they could get hold of a less secure older siblings laptop without blocks on. Or, go round a friends house /have naive parents who they trust their kids not to look up things without asking. At worst, parents who dont give a shit to put blocks on then blame everyone else.
And very occasionally, stuff slips through blocks.

At 10, kids arent stupid and many think theyre more grown up than they are. , they can go to great lengths to get around blocks if theyre determined enough; it doesnt mean they can handle what they find.

Soup, if he's keen on warfare, someone earlier suggested the Crimean War. What about relating it to one of the personalities involved in the doomed Charge of the Light Brigade?