If you're a parent would you think this was ridiculous if I pulled you aside after school for this?

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I work in a school.

A 5/6 year old today trod on a small bug. He did this on purpose.

I'd like to say it was because he didn't know better but this was half an hour after a lesson on looking after the environment and things we could do to care for nature. Lots was mentioned about animals, etc.

I pulled the child up and spoke to him about his behaviour. He essentially received the equivalent of a bad behaviour point as a result.

If you were pulled aside after school as a parent and told about this incident would you think it was ridiculous?

I know people have different views, some would draw the line at hurting an animal the size of a cat, for example, but wouldn't bat an eyelash at killing a spider.

The point is whether you believe killing all living creatures is wrong even a killer snake or spider if it's about to attack a baby.

I don’t think that is the point, or something that anyone has argued?

They are sometimes indicators of sociopathic or psychopathic traits in early childhood according to the research.

Is there? Surely killing is killing?

Well can’t speak for anyone else but yes I am

Yes, I’m never sure why people don’t leave spiders in the house. Amazing and very important creatures.

I think if there had been occasions after your warning, I might say something. As it is, but their behaviour has been corrected and there's no need for parental involvement. If there were tasks around nurturing nature (eg growing a plant) I would encourage them to take an active role.

It's a not one you'd want to engage in a discussion with parents because as you can see here, there's not a societal consensus on this.

A lot of us eat meat and fish. We kill flies as we drive around in our cars. We might put an insecticide on our crops which kills bugs. We get exterminators round to sort out our rat problem. We put flea collars on our cats and put chemical lice treatment on hair.

But killing an animal is wrong. All very contradictory.

So if it happens again, talk to parents about him not doing what he is told.

Yes maybe the school should actually consider this point - it would be good if schools concentrated more on animal product free things esp in say cookery. Surely schools should be promoting things that don’t involve cruelty, are good for health and good for the planet.

I think the vast majority of people would think killing something doing potentially serious life threatening harm if that’s the only way to eliminate the threat is ok.

killing/abusing animals for food is ok in some peoples eyes is ok (not mine) - the grey area.

killing animals for fun is not ok unless you are a seriously fucked up person

So much time and energy wasted arguing over this. Life is messy and contradictory. Imposing absolute rules, black and white thinking and telling him off doesn't really help a small child. A small child killed a bug, it's not that deep - maybe he was scared and acted out of impulse or instinct. I have squashed plenty of cockroaches in the house as a child, and trapped many flies/mosquitoes - they are a nuisance and pose health and food safety risks. The only red flagged psychopaths I can see are the morally superior sanctimonious teachers who would punish a child for killing a bug/spider.

None of the examples you've given were gratuitous killing though tbf.

You might think it’s wasted time and effort - but many people don’t. Luckily the world doesn’t dance to your agenda. If my child purposely killed an animal, I want to know and make sure my child knew wrong it was. I’m flabbergasted that some parents shrug their shoulders about a child purposely killing something for fun.

Luckily world doesn't dance to anyone's agenda, hence the lack of consensus. I'm just flabbergasted that small children are being punished and red flagged as potential psychopaths for killing a bug, assuming it wasn't for fun.

The only red flagged psychopaths I can see are the morally superior sanctimonious teachers who would punish a child for killing a bug/spider.

Slight overreaction I think.

It's almost as if primary school kids can grasp absolute and simple rules but struggle with more complex ones.

Don't kill anything that's living seems like a reasonable rule for the age of kid. He can get into the world of pests and food safety risks when he's a bit more mature.

As for red flagged psychopath teachers 🙄

Some people are hysterically frightened on insects, and alternatively he might come from a household that watches those shows where people have bugs poured on them, and insects are seen as disgusting.

So he may have got the gist of the lesson about caring for nature, but maybe comes from a household were insects are seen as separate to animals and as germy and disgusting and fearful and was reacting to that rather than taking pleasure in killing the bug.
So at least your lesson did begin to counteract that. Maybe there could be a follow up into the benefits of insects etc. I'm sure BBC Earth has some documentaries on this.
Apologies, if I'm repeating pp as only had time to skim.

Lordy. I used to enjoy pouring boiling water into ants' nests when I was a child. My mother would hand me the kettle. I wouldn't do it now, but OTOH I didn't turn out to be a serial killer.

Yes, the psychopath comparison is absurd overreach. Torturing small animals in order to enjoy their suffering is not in any way comparable to stepping on an insect.

Are you therefore anti abortion? If not why not.

I'm guessing it's the parent who told you you were being ridiculous, and also pointed out that people kill bugs all the time? (And indeed, other animals kill bugs too and eat them - a single swallow eats 25,000 flying insects a month).

If you're a teacher you would surely know that any single lesson on any topic delivered to children aged 5 or 6 (you don't seem to know the child's exact age) is going to go in one ear and out the other, assuming - best case scenario - that it goes in that one ear at all.

Children do not translate a school lesson on the general topic of caring for animals into behaviour regarding one certain type of animal they've probably seen their parents and others despatch to their next incarnation dozens of times. It is troubling that you expected this child to (1) hear the lesson, (2) absorb its implications, and (3) immediately refrain from behaviour possibly born of fear of bugs or learned from copying a parent or grandparent's reaction.

To judge from your OP, you shamed this child, which is not the way to encourage empathy, care for the earth or its creatures, or any other positive virtue.

No I’m not anti abortion- this has nothing to do with veganism - I’m interested to hear why you think there’s a link.

Sorry but yes, as a fellow teacher I think it’s crazy to report home on a small child killing a bug.

Yes, slightly more than a slight over reaction by the teacher that is.

I draw a distinction between killing for food and killing for fun. Quickly and humanely killing an animal to eat it is to me not the same as slowly torturing it to death for the entertainment of watching it in agony.

The crazy bit is punishing a small child with a demerit rather than gently explaining to help them learn.

You are aware of the conditions that the majority of farmed animals are kept in aren’t you, basically abused for months/years