Year 6 (11 year olds) torturing worms

[mollyminniemo]

I know this may look like a rather bizarre thread but I need some other thoughts/ advice. My DS (11) who is a vegetarian and animal lover told me 4 of his friends yesterday stomped on a worm and killed it on purpose. DS was trying to save it on a sports field and they crowded round him to stop him getting a little stick to take it away and into soil away from all the kids. They kept preventing him from doing it and then crowded round and began stomping on the poor worm. Every time DS tried to get back in they’d (I don’t think with much force) use their hockey sticks to bat him away. They all took part in gleefully stamping on the poor worm “untill it was just mush”.
I’m horrified. What would you do?
I can speak to the boys myself as I come into the school at lunchtimes in the week. Or
message the parents? Ask the headmaster to discuss it in an assembly or with them individually?

Adults squash and kill spiders because they don’t like them, the look of them, are scared of them. Millions of people hate spiders and want them killed asap but that doesn’t make them psychopaths. I wouldn’t personally kill a spider, I used a glass and put it outside, job done.

We walk over insects day in day out without a thought given so I can’t get myself worked up about daft kids squashing a worm. What about plants? They are living things?

I would tell my child it’s not kind if I knew they’d purposely done it, but we all do things we regret. My DC stood on a snail in the dark last week and said she felt awful, but she didn’t see it so it was an accident. She hates insects!

OP has been on MN for many years. Report it if you think it isn't real.

I have

Me neither. Someone has just said ‘a worm today, a kitten tomorrow.’ LOL. Definitely phone the school when little boys start killing kittens. Not worms.

Yeah I don't like this sort of thing and if I caught any of my children doing something like this they'd get a serious talking to. I'd report it to the teacher.

But the take away from all this, and what is important is she learned her lesson and never harmed other animals again. I've seen her with her dogs, she is lovely with them. This is the main thing. If someone is kind to animals their parents have done something right, pretty much.

Chopping up worms, throwing them at your mates, poking bugs with sticks etc was fairly normal behaviour when I was a child.
almost 40 now and have managed not to assault anyone

DevilWitch · Today 23:42

Chopping up worms, throwing them at your mates, poking bugs with sticks etc was fairly normal behaviour when I was a child.
almost 40 now and have managed not to assault anyone

I’m 60 and think you’re bloody weird. Why ion earth would you (at any age) enjoy torturing and killing other living creatures? Just sick.

I was a primary headteacher. I would have wanted to speak to them seriously about it.

But were you also a bully?

It is not whether it felt pain or not - the boys could not know it did not and took delight in killing it - that is shit behaviour that should be called out

They took delight in winding up OP's son and causing him to react. It was nothing to do with the worm.

I would be horrified if my son stamped on a worm but I am not sure much can be done.

What are children doing with hockey sticks unsupervised at lunchtime?

I didnt say it should be

Why not...?

Ffs. I’ve never hurt an animal in my life but I sure as shit use fly spray on flies/mosquitoes and while I’m more of a thong expert with spiders I’ve been known to spray the odd one here and there if in a tricky spot I can’t be sure I’ll have a ‘first kill’ with my ‘spider thong’. I also pick worms off the veges I’m growing and tread on them - I’m not going to thank them for having a munch or kiss them and put them back!

When around the age you are talking about I used to cut up earthworms to determine where/how they lived as two parts dependant on where you cut them.

I’ve never hurt animals, humans or had thoughts of serial killing. I just couldn’t raise an eyebrow about this.

To stick with the animal theme, the school have bigger fish to fry than this

Worms don't eat living plants, you numpty.

Gardeners encourage worms because they are good for the soil. I thought this was common knowledge.

Exactly this. I'm quite shocked at posters dismissing this as it's 'just a worm'.

I don’t like either op. Thankfully DD is very caring towards animals. She comes running for sugar water when she sees a bee on the floor in need of help. She also once stuck a plaster on a snail whose shell has cracked.

I can’t see the school doing much. Maybe they will. There used to be a group of 3 lads near me who used to carry magnifying glasses so they could burn ants with the sun. They threw rocks at rabbits and tied tins to stay cats.
One of them attached a parachute from a toy to his sister’s hamster and then tied it to a firework and let it off.
All they seem to do was torture animals especially the ring leader seems obsessed with it. If you wanted to be his friend you had to do something horrid to an animal. I remember looking at him once and thinking his eyes just looked dead. He really scared me as a kid.

Dont know about the other two but the ringleader is in prison for beating up his wife and child.

Speak to the school do not speak to the children involved or their parents because that never ends well.

Little shits, I absolutely loathe kids like that. Definitely tell the school.

There are kids around here that like catapulting animals, I have real hate for them. They won’t be nice adults, I can guarantee it.

Be proud of your son OP.

@Isittimeformynapyet Worms don't eat living plants, you numpty

Yes, yes they do. Have you not ever read The Hungry Caterpillar. Those fuckers munch through leaves like you would not believe. They decimate a crop of greens overnight. I have zero qualms picking them off and squashing them.

Eta- I do understand there are eleventy million types of worms. Also never had any issue with poisoning them with combantrim when young kids managed to bring them home. Didn’t do an anal flush and cuddle the fuckers.

Caterpillars and worms are not the same thing. Not even close, completely different phyla. But then, if you are using The Very Hungry Caterpillar as your reference source, I shouldn't be surprised.

My SS taught sport (very rough area primary school), the class were on the field and the kids came across a toad/frog and wanted to torture it. My SS tried to find a safe place to release it but the kids would go get it back. So he spent the entire lesson with the poor creature in his hands until the kids went back inside and he could release it safely. No amount of talking to them made any difference.