Y2 drug dealing 'game'

[ReindeerBollocks]

DS (6yo) came home this evening and told me about a game he was playing in school called drug dealer. I was quite shocked and asked what this game entailed (boys chasing a drug dealer I.e. A tag type game). I asked if he knew what a drug dealer was, and he said it was someone who deals with drugs. He couldn't explain any further as I don't think he is fully aware of the concept - neither should he be. He also told me the name of the boy who invented the game.

I am seriously concerned that another child has brought this phrase into school, to be used in a game, and potentially what this child has been exposed to. My aim is to contact the HT tomorrow, but I am not sure if I am overreacting due to the content or what action I should

Please can someone advise the best course to take - or any views of teachers who would find their young pupils in this situation.

I would mention it to the teacher of the children concerned, or to the head teacher, or to the 'responsible person' for child protection (a named person within school).

Not in an alarmist way - it may be something the child has picked up in from a parent reading the newspaper / watching tv and saying '* drug dealers ought to be....'. However, it may equally be that it's another tiny snippet of information that adds to a file about a child's life. Say it in a 'I thought you might like to know, as it seemed an unusual thing for a child of that age to be aware of' tone and manner.

You are going to raise a child protection issue because a child has heard the word 'drug dealer' somewhere.

spiderpig,

It may be over-reaction - as I said, the child may have heard it in an innocent manner and think of it as another synonym for 'baddie.. It may not. The point is that if it isn't mentioned (not in a 'this is a child protection issue' but in a 'this happened, just passing on the information to you' way) then nobody will be able to make that judgement.

Why would it raise a child protection issue? It's easily the kind of thing they could have overheard from the news etc. Really, if the child had picked it up in any kind of sinister way, say his parents are drug dealers or use them etc they're not likely to be going around saying things like "Look at me! I'm a drug dealer!" or "I'll just phone up my drug dealer" are they?

I think it's fair enough to have a word with the HT. I expect they'll just have a word in assembly or with the class or the boys concerned asking them not to use that particular word (though is "cops and robbers" any better? )

Would you have felt it was as bad if the children had been playing "catch a murderer?" Or "catch a robber"? I am sure we played "catch a bank robber" when I was little.

I remember playing "Windscale" as a child of around 6 or 7 in the late 1970s...which was our way of playing out the fear we felt due to hearing about the Windscale Nuclear Plant fire having knock-on effects...the fire happened in 1957! We must have heard something on the news which frightened us...so we played it out.

This could be similar but I do think you should mention it.

I would be totally horrified at this! Definately make an appointment to see that head, but be sure to be calm and rational when you do. You need to be able to express your concerns coherently but strongly.

I seem to remember playing 'catch a murderer/kidnapper/robber' and lots of awful make believe games about innocent children being abducted and forced into slavery (a la Cinderella) etc. There was a phase of those sorts of games at school.

I wouldn't be too horrified, or panic, but I would mention it to the HT or the class teacher as a FYI.

So they are playing a game that involves chasing and catching drug dealers.

Isnt that what the police do?

Sounds entirely innocent.

A child has quite possibly seen one of those programmes about the police, there are loads of them on and they are shown at various times of the day, a child could have seen a snippet of one and asked what they were doing to be told they are 'chasing drug dealers'

Im amazed that some people see this as a child protection issue.

I also agree with bertybotts....drug dealers/users do not use the term 'drug dealer'

I would be very wary about going in all guns blazing here. It is very possible they have seen references to drug dealers on the 6 o'clock news, and are aware they are "baddies".
I remember when my mum taught a reception child whose mother came in complaining that the child had been taught about lesbians from school. Official complaint was brewing, the works. Anyway, it eventually turned out the child had learned about lesbians from watching Eastenders with her family, mother was mortified. Not quite the same situation, but it's easy to see how something that at first may seem irresponsible actually has a more innocent meaning.

My Reception aged son uses drug dealer as a term for a type of bad guy- should I be referred to SS?
It's one of those words like sexy that children pick up through the the media but don't really understand. I remember being in infants when Madonna's Like a Virgin was in the charts and we used to sing it without knowing what virgin meant.

I would mention it to his teacher. I would want to know if the children in my class were playing this game.

A reception child at our school used to play a game like this. Same child also used to tuck a plastic knife from the home corner into his sock. Separately these all appear to be innocent, however when you put them all together...

PS: this is my first post and I'm very excited about it