Thirteen-years-old Peter Barton (not his real name) was playing with a little girl of 6. Claiming that he was pretending to be a professional wrestler, peter punched, kicked and stamped the playmate to death. Her liver was severely damaged; her skull was fractured and the medical experts compared the injuries to a fall from the top of the house. Peter was tried in court as an adult and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole when he is 38.
“What we are dealing with is a new kind of childhood criminal. They are starting younger and they know what they are doing. They won’t think twice about killing” said the Florida State District Adam Emmit. The state of California alone registered 312 homicides committed by minors which must of them were gun-related.
Discussion questions for your comment:
Peter claimed he was pretending to be a wrestler. Could he be saying the truth?
Is it really possible that a 13 year-old boy could intentionally kill a young girl?
Are children the same as they have always been, or are they really different these days?
What do you think about the punishment was given to Peter?
I think the program looked struggles, and therefore wanted to be a professional wrestler and apply to real life all the "movements" that observava on TV ... at such young ages is very difficult to distinguish reality from fiction to see the wrestlers applying these tactics he wanted to try them also thought it was gonna be the same as that he had observed nowadays on TV ... he saw the fighters as heroes or stars which mimic wanted .. it is very likely that if idealized future as a professional wrestler and be as famous as them ... I CRITERIA if the child has committed this crime was because consent has been raised in an atmosphere of violence, corruption also has a great influence on advertising that ... no children of today are very violent very aggressive intolerant seek to solve their problems, almost hitting offenses etc ... the elapse time customs have lost their values beliefs ... I think they should not necessarily judge him as an adult in my opinion should punish criminal mind, but before that antesedentes inestigar the possible causes that led him to commit such a crime, I believe they had had to take him to a psychologist to psychoanalyze your case study, give him treatment and follow-up interviews with those close friends, parents, neighbors .... to at least reach a conclusion about the cause that led him to commit such a crime to prevent and it does not happen in other families ...
ResponderEliminarI think that it tells the truth because he think was a little game to playing with the girl. He forget what are doing and with who and in the moment. He only sees that like a game because he doesn’t know what is the different of a professional wrestler and him. That have a consequence that going to be that he gonna kills the girl. He only was 13 years old; he wasn’t consents of what going to happen. With the time children have changed already they are not the same, now see more violence what has provoked them to change. For my he can’t leave go out of the jail since with 13 years he can kill a girl, now they can do worse things being major
ResponderEliminarI think Peter was saying de truth because he tought that was just a game, maybe television or videogames have influenced children's choice about their acts.
ResponderEliminarIt's possible because happened once...maybe more than once this all depends in the way the child was raised.
Nowdays children was changed a lot because of the enviroment where they live, now are so many ways that they can take on, and society it's not the same than 50 years ago.
I think it doesn't was the correct punishment because the intentions from a child are differents than from the adults.
He could be telling the truth, but peter has the ability to know and that he could cause some damages
ResponderEliminarIt may be possible, but at the same time not because he knew what could happen to the girl with his actions.
They are very different at this time. There has been much aggression and they an also have access to information that they couldn't have previously.
I think that they could have sent him to an institute that could help him to be a better person and also the punishment is very severe because it could be said that Peter had intended to kill the girl.
Nobody knows, it depends on his mind.
ResponderEliminarIt’s possible. Nowadays, kids can see people killing on tv, and they can think that it’s something normal, or maybe they just feel like they want to do it, for mental reasons.
They’re different; many years ago, kids didn’t know about wrestling, they used to play traditional games, and media wasn’t as good as now. Things like murders weren’t normal topics around people’s conversations, but now, there are video games and other things that are about assassins and violence, so they get very influenced by this kind of media they are receiving.
I think that it’s too much for somebody who’s still under his parents’ maintenance, and that still doesn’t know what he wants for his life and that hasn’t ended his studies; they should’ve made him see what he did, and let him understand the moral limits in an easily way.
1. The kid must think he was a wrestler because perhaps he saw in movies, TV, videogames and he lost the notion of reality and he tried to imitate his favorite characters of violent programs.
ResponderEliminar2. Yes. Maybe he thought he was somebody else but there wasn’t excuse because he had conscience and he knew the difference between the good and the evil.
3. These days, those children grow up surrounded by technology and are influence by violence and aggressive behaviors and their parents maybe don’t pay attention about what they watch or feel and the kids think that everything is normal and this acts could be reproduced in the real life.
4. He has to be punished as he is: a young boy. Also if the idea is to reinsert him to the society again, Peter has to receive psychological and psychiatric help.
I think Peter was saying the true because that was just a game for him, he maybe doesn’t think like the consequents for his acted and he is just a kid maybe he doesn’t middle his forces whit the girl.
ResponderEliminarYes, because in the history we can find cases from kids who kill their mother or father, and that’s because their homes are aggressive people and they do what they see.
Today children are different, some are violent, because the levels of violence there, miscommunication, excess pressure on schools, colleges and tv programs are more violent and teach how to kill or plan a crime
If it was an accident, he should not be so quick to judge, but it was with perfidy you had to give psychological help and instead of jail, he should make a community work, so it helps to improve your character, how to respond and others.
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarMy opinion is that Peter is telling the truth is not their fault that probably repeat what he saw on television and I wanted to do the same, the children of this age do not know exactly how you feel and how to react, they like experience and learn new things.
ResponderEliminarIf it is possible that a child of thirteen children intentionally murder a child, because now society has changed greatly in recent years, is now common to see news about children who commit crimes every day, this is because of how mass media influences and the importance of having good family-based.
I think I should have put a punishment considering that is a child and that this decision could change your life, what the need is psychological support so that he can differentiate and understand what is right and what is wrong.
I think peter could have mental problems and did not know the seriousness of the injury he did to the girl and he don't want want to hurt the girl unless he had psychological problems. And I think kids are different these days because the violence is much more than before especially in the televison and on the Internet due to the large influece of mass media today. That is why children are now very expose to this and depends on the parents handle this at home and is also working for teachers in schools to prevent things like this. And I think that the sentence is too heavy for a child of thirteen years and he doesn't know or are not aware of their actions because the child may suffer from mental disorders or some type of mental retardation and does not deserve such a punishment big ...
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion Peter said the truth because he though that was a simple game not a dangerous game, he didnt think in the consequences maybe he saw wrestlers in the tv and only want to do the same.I think he didnt do it intentionally because maybe he forgot in that moment what he was doing and who he was punching. In this moment the children are not the same, this day exists a lot of violence everywhere, and this violence have being influencing the children to do those things.
ResponderEliminarI think he didnt have to be punished that way, maybe he only needs to go to the phsycologist and take professional help and talk with his parents.
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarWell he's only a child but with 13 years old he had to know what he was doing, there's a big difference between play and punch a kid.
ResponderEliminarThat's possible, maybe the little girl was only playing with him, and maybe he was so temperamental and turned furious with the girl. Punch someone once can be an accident, but punch and punch again is intentionally.
No, years ago, children only play and play without any violents games, but now the violence is show everywhere and children just try to do what they see.
Maybe the punishment hasn't to be like that, but kill a person is a seriuos crime and an adult or a child has to be punished for that.
1. for me he was just pretending to be someone that he`s not, he was using his imagination and trying to play whit his friend, but if he was playing that it is because he saw that in a program or somewhere else.
ResponderEliminar2.maybe not, because when you are a child you don`t know so much about how does people dies and when is to far to go, so i think that maybe insede his head he acctually try to kil her but he didn`t know that it was really goin to kil her.
3.they are too diferent, because the times have change and nowadays we see violence in tv programs and the children star to imitated those thing so they become more violent.
4. it was very very bad, because he needs help and an phicologyst who give him a trearçtment to see whats is goin on in his head, why would a young person would do that and why does the family didnt care.
1- I think that he could be saying the truth but I think that its really related with the education that the boy has received and how his parents have told him to treat the others, obviously at the age of 13 you know what is wrong and what is right so he should think, and realize about how the girl was suffering and complaing of the agression.
ResponderEliminar2- I think he doesn`t want to kill her but he really want to hurt her.
3- I think the boys are even wrost these days because right now there is a lot of influence of tv, programs, violence and videogames that make the boys think that everything is like the way they see it throught the screen so they start making things without thinking in the consequences of their acts.
4- Well he kill someone, he deserves to be punish and to receive psychological treatment to be sure that at that age of 38 he will be find out of prission without hurting anyone but honestly I think that he would not be find out in life cause being in prission from his thirteens it may cause confussions in his head and someone like depress about life .
1- I think that maybe Peter was saying the truth or maybe not, only he can know!
ResponderEliminar2- yes, it is possible because nowadays people from all ages are being influenced by bad thoughts and a 13 years old boy can be influenced easier than other people. It depends of the ambient in wich he grew up too.
3- I think that with time absolutly everything has changed, includig children, because now they have a lot of more bad thoughts that influence they, for example videogames, tv shows where everithing is violence and now the children aren`t having the same education than what they received before in schools and in their houses.
4-I think that it was really hard. He should have been punished in a different way, where he can learn about what he did, and I think he should go to the psychologist and he should have a new oportunity to be a good person and change, so in the future he could be someone in this life and not be all his life in a prission cell, being nobody! Everyone deserve another oportunity!!
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarI think peter Pretend To Be A wrestler But I Used it to kill the girl, at the age of 13 years and Have enough intelligence, maybe I Could Have Mental Problems and had to see professionals like psychologists, as well as in turn could be that was an accident and killed the girl by mistake
ResponderEliminarChildren May Be more violent now by Several Factors Such As Internet TV among others but it no is a reason to act in that Way
I think the punishment is fine, That is a child is no reason to Punish him harshly and should be considered as murder however it must receive help from professionals and good people...
Well,I think he may be telling the truth, for a 13-year-old child, although he is aware of his actions is not yet mature enough to differentiate a game from reality.
ResponderEliminarIt is also true that a 13 year old would intentionally kill a child because he already has enough clear vision of reality.
I think these days children are more aggressive than before, now they have at their disposal all types of mass media such as TV, internet, radio, newspapers, etc. In which violence is seen as something normal.
The punishment is a bit harsh to me, because he was punished like an adult, being a child, he also gave the reasons may be enough to say it was a severe punishment for someone his age.
1. I think that him was saying the truth but even he knows what was doing, but he justify his acts saying this excuse, in his mind he was gaming, but i think that he take the game so seriously and he starts the agresion.
ResponderEliminar2. Yes, i think it`s possible because we have the basic conception of the world in owr minds, and in owr socitity kil it`s bad, and i don`t think that the child have a bad concept of kill.
3. well no, the information and the form of living these days acepts a free conception of the world so now the rules and good modals or thinks like that are not in the mind of a lot of people, so owr childs now have a different mode of think.
4. Yes i think that with the norms of owr societity the punishment it`s good, but even qhen he child go out of jail he are gonna be a crazy men and he are gonna hate the world and all the people and he are gonna have a weird mind an he are gonna kil evereything like the antichrist!!!
That’s something only he knows, unfortunately television shows wrestlig as a game and doesn’t give the necessary importance to show what could happen if a child tries to emitate what he watches. So maybe he didn’t know the damage inflict to the little girl.
ResponderEliminarOn the other hand I consider that a boy of 13 years is aware of his actions and is able to distinguish between a game and real action, besides knowing when to stop, so it’s possible that he killed her intentionally, maybe just to prove to himself what he could do.
Kids aren’t like they were before, the enviroment and education changes, so they change too.
I think the punishment given to the child isn’t correct, it doesn’t give him the chance to change neither the opportunity to reincorporate to society. At any rate he was just a child and he should had been treated as such.
1.He was able to do it but he wanted to hide his agresivity by fighting.
ResponderEliminar. 2.I think that maybe because of what he have learned on those 13 years, he could've done it intencionally because at that age you already have the use of reason.
3. They're very diferent because times has changed and there are several things that influence the children minds and some parents don't pay attention to it.
4. I think it's not fair for a kid of his age to be punished that way, there are other ways of punishing, but I also think about the girl's family and the pain they went through, so maybe it's kind of fair
I think to he's a kid and they only play, he didn't know to he can kill her friend whith a play.
ResponderEliminarThe plays are so violent and child see how the people kill other people in the tv and games.
My opinion is to Peter can't make the same boy becouse they think to he's a killer .
The punishment is not fair becouse they only play...
Maybe he said the truth, but if he was capable of hitting the little girl on that way, it has a lot of possibilities to be lying to save himself. Because this little boy has no control of his actions, that's why once he started he couldn't stop it. Who knows what kind of education he got, or what kind of influence he received, but surely it wasn't good, he's little but he's old enough to know that what he was doing was wrong. I don't think he's a criminal yet, but if he doesn't receives any help, he could probably become a terrible criminal in the future.
ResponderEliminarWell, maybe it depends of the given education, because I think that children are the same but they learn different things, if it's about time evolution, well now children and any other person has more violent education by TV programs and more technological weapons or aggressive instruments so that could be one big difference.
Lastly, as the text said, he was punished like an adult and it results he's not adult, so it's kind of difficult for a kid to understand why he's being punished on that way and he could get really angry, so once he goes out of jail it could be more dangerous, that's why the're should be another ways of helping these cases and make them understand that it's not good to hurt people and that they should think better before acting.
1. it's so difficult to know that, because even he was a kid in his age he already know how to differentiate the good from the bad so he have the possibility to lie to save himself, for me he was laying.
ResponderEliminar2.Maybe, because nowdays all the kids watch in television only violence and crimes and things like that so maybe he think that he wasn't doing anything wrong because is normal for him watch things like that or maybe he see that in his family everyday or maybe i don't know he reallly want to kill her.
3.I think that children are so different this days i don't know if it is because the TV programs or for the education that her or his parents gave to them but they are really influenced by something wrong nowdays children aren't have naivety anymore.
4.I think he was conscius about he was doing so my opinion is that if he can kill a girl for nothing he have to be punishment about he was done and he deserve that type of punishment because his acts.
1. Well, I think that the boy maybe said the truth, because he thought he was just playing with the girl, like the programs he saw on T.V or maybe like when he played with his males friends.
ResponderEliminar2. I think he didn't do it intentionally, maybe when he punished her, with every punch that he give to her he became more excited and then he can't stop because of the adrenaline.
3. I think that nowadays the children have changed, because before they were more respectfull, and their parents were always in home and learned them how to be better persons. Now the parents of the children are the media, since the real parents care more about their work that their children's morals.
4.In my opinion, the punishment is kind of drastic for a kid of his age, but he killed a girl, so yes he needs to be punished but in a different way.
1- I think that maybe he is saying the truth, but I if he says the truth, maybe he has psychological problems, because a kid who has thirteen-years-old can know the things that are correct and incorrect, in my opinion he is lying.
ResponderEliminar2- I think it´s possible that a 13 year-old boy kill a young girl, because nowadays the children watch a lot of programs that have much violence.
3-Well I think that the children are very different, because before the childhood was better than now, in the past we have more educated programs and more healthy games and this kind of things, now all the games and tv programs have a lot of violence.
4-I thinks that was very strong but in the correct way because when someone kill other person, need to have a punishment.
1.I think Peter knew what he was doing, a 13 years old boy knows that he cant abuse or hurt a little girl of 6 years, unless he had some psychological or metal problem, maybe he was attacked by his parents, because as well we kwon when a child is attacked usually he ends like a murderer.
ResponderEliminar2. Yes, if I hit so hard I think that this child had a lot of repressed anger within himself
3. I think many children have been dragged by what they see on television, practically in these days there are many programs on television that are too violent for children so young, they copy what the television characters do, want to be like them, and they follow their example no matter if it's good or bad
4. I think they should try him for what he is, a small child who may regret their actions in the future
1.Well yes peter is a child but with 13 years he should be aware of his actions and he always knows that he can not kill or hurt other children just to be playing like a w wrestler
ResponderEliminar2.Yes I think maybe this child was very angry with his family, so he hit the little girl.
3.maybe this little boy did what they have done to him throughout his life, perhaps in your home does not recivier all the love that he deserved and followed the example that his parents gave, so he killed the girl
4.I think it's too much for a young boy
1-I think he was telling the truth, but also at that age you know what is wrong and it’s okay, then it could also be lying because he knows that what he did wrong.
ResponderEliminar2-the truth I think not intentionally wanted to kill her, but I think he wanted to hurt her. It may be that he has grown up in a violent environment, or be influenced by television programs and this will cause to be violent with other people.
3- Children nowadays are very different because they do not grow in an environment similar to that in which children grew before, and now the children are exposed to all the bad things of society, now many do not have that innocence than before they had children and many are like "adults."
4- I think it is a little extreme because although the if you know what is wrong and not but not only the fault of it, because there are many factors that can get you to do this crime, then the authorities shouldstudy the condition in Peter lives to determine what to do with it.
I dont know, in the life are 3 truths: your truth, my truth and the real truth... in my opinion the boy was well aware about he was doing, maybe the girl screamed or maybe she complained and the boy dont put attention, but he was enought old for know what he was doing. maybe he had already done dangerous things but less saveral and he didnt thing that colud happen this. in my opinion its ok that the boy was judge as an adult because at this age we know what is bad and what is good.... the sad part is about are so many years in jail for his boy, although he has committed a mistake he was very young, however he should be punished by his acts in the past.
ResponderEliminarthe last comment is alejandro centeno`s comment
ResponderEliminar1.Yes I think that Peter was telling the truth. Many young people like him still lives in a fantasy world and if we take into account that some TV shows and Internet information pretend to give the idea that violence is a normal thing. For a young boy like him, those kind of things are awesome and there is no idea of the risks, like in this case the death of that little girl.
ResponderEliminar2.Yes, because at thirteen you know what you are doing,but it depends of the enviroment were the child was developed.
3.In these days children are more developed in different ways because media has envolved in their lifes and it affect their ways of expression and entretaiment.The problem is that the information is easily reached without any parent's supervision.
4.Despite of the "crime" Peter was a little boy,I do not agree with the punishment because he was judge as an adult.
Pedro could be telling the truth in case it is a troubled youth, but assuming it is a young man without any problem, Peter was telling lies because a person 13 years of age and is aware of what he does.
ResponderEliminarTo my opinion a 13 year old if you can intentionally killing a child, a person with 13 years is no longer a child who does not know what is good and what is evil.
I think kids today are not the same children as before, were better educated on principles with better bases, and now are educated with different principles and now influences many parents are more liberal with their children.
The punishment given to Peter it seems unfair, even if a person aware of what it does, it should not be tried as an adult.
1-If it can be possible because the truth is very difficult to believe that a 13-year-old child has the bad intention of killing his sister but equal it is difficult because already this one consents of what it does.
ResponderEliminar2-If it can be possible because in these moments so much the television, since in Internet you programme or games that the children have to disposition teach them or show a world where everything is death and violence.
3-Not the truth they are not equal since the children of now are mas intelligent or have things that make them be mas bad since now estan in a world where everything is a violence, aggression and deaths and they learn of this.
4-I believe that it was not just because the truth we all commit mistakes but diay the truth only the child and God there can know which were the intentions or if really it was an accident
Thanks to all for your active participation on blog 1!! :-D. Feedback will be given on the following weeks :-)
ResponderEliminar