[Ammi]

...if a felt a child was in danger, I could never not intervene...with little James, that was such a disturbing part...but some have had to live with that throughout these years...

[Ammi]

...I intervened once with something physical, it was such a long time ago and I’m a similar size to a sparrow...after the incident, I had many panic attacks about it/what could have potentially happened etc...thing is when you’re a lot younger, you often don’t feel the same sense of danger or caution...I don’t think that my actions would be the same now...

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...I intervened once with something physical, it was such a long time ago and I’m a similar size to a sparrow...after the incident, I had many panic attacks about it/what could have potentially happened etc...thing is when you’re a lot younger, you often don’t feel the same sense of danger or caution...I don’t think that my actions would be the same now...

I remember years ago, myself and Gav were in town after a night out and this couple were arguing, they were on some steps and he pushed her so hard she almost flew up in the air and off the steps straight on to the back of her head, I was terrified, thankfully there was lots of people around at the time to get her help but i still think about it to this day, i hope she was OK

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I remember years ago, myself and Gav were in town after a night out and this couple were arguing, they were on some steps and he pushed her so hard she almost flew up in the air and off the steps straight on to the back of her head, I was terrified, thankfully there was lots of people around at the time to get her help but i still think about it to this day, i hope she was OK

...that’s kind of a thought that would be hard to leave you...wondering if she was ok as she fell onto the back of her head...that’s so terrifying to have witnessed...

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I remember years ago, myself and Gav were in town after a night out and this couple were arguing, they were on some steps and he pushed her so hard she almost flew up in the air and off the steps straight on to the back of her head, I was terrified, thankfully there was lots of people around at the time to get her help but i still think about it to this day, i hope she was OK

I think the worst I've seen was outside my (old) workplace, group of guys were beating up a young guy. They had started to walk off but the guy got up and started taunting them again and they all rounded on him, kicked him to the ground right outside our door and were basically jumping on his head... the girl I was working with was on the phone to 999 in a panic and a couple of the guys had picked up a bottle and a brick and were turning back towards the guy, a group of my customers (who all had their noses pressed to the window watching) ran out the door and grabbed them thankfully, think I basically came seconds from witnessing a murder :/.

[edit] Should say my shop wasn't even down some dodgy back-alley or anything - this was right in the centre of town, in the middle of a sunny afternoon

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I think the worst I've seen was outside my (old) workplace, group of guys were beating up a young guy. They had started to walk off but the guy got up and started taunting them again and they all rounded on him, kicked him to the ground right outside our door and were basically jumping on his head... the girl I was working with was on the phone to 999 in a panic and a couple of the guys had picked up a bottle and a brick and were turning back towards the guy, a group of my customers (who all had their noses pressed to the window watching) ran out the door and grabbed them thankfully, think I basically came seconds from witnessing a murder :/.

[edit] Should say my shop wasn't even down some dodgy back-alley or anything - this was right in the centre of town, in the middle of a sunny afternoon

omg that sounds horrific.

Oh I was thinking about your comment yesterday about self defense classes and how effective they would be in a real situation and my first thought was about this guy in my son's gym, now granted he's a 2 time world champion heavy weight amateur MMA fighter and has just signed a contract with Bellator to become professional. I have no idea what the guy was thinking when he went for him, I can only put it down to the fact that even though he's a big guy, he looks like he might be quiet, he doesn't look like a tough guy if that makes sense? Anyway, he was in a pub with his g/f and this guy just walks up to him and head butts him, he barely flinched because he's used to getting hit, he just grabbed the guys face and smacked him into a wall. The Police arrive and ask him if he wants to press charges and he just laughs and says Nah look at the state of him

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

omg that sounds horrific.

Oh I was thinking about your comment yesterday about self defense classes and how effective they would be in a real situation and my first thought was about this guy in my son's gym, now granted he's a 2 time world champion heavy weight amateur MMA fighter and has just signed a contract with Bellator to become professional. I have no idea what the guy was thinking when he went for him, I can only put it down to the fact that even though he's a big guy, he looks like he might be quiet, he doesn't look like a tough guy if that makes sense? Anyway, he was in a pub with his g/f and this guy just walks up to him and head butts him, he barely flinched because he's used to getting hit, he just grabbed the guys face and smacked him into a wall. The Police arrive and ask him if he wants to press charges and he just laughs and says Nah look at the state of him

People do it to prove something to themselves I think. I sprouted early and was over 6' at 13 and I swear, up until about 15 the number of kids who picked fights at school (not real fights, just "wrastling"/play-fighting but those scraps can get pretty rough ) with me just because I was the biggest was ridiculous! I remember one particularly short kid literally jumping up and down trying to slap me once and I caught him in mid air and carried him like a baby, he was so mad . We ended up more or less the same hight by the end of school, too... there's just those weird couple of years in the middle where some kids shoot up to be a foot taller than others.

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

People do it to prove something to themselves I think. I sprouted early and was over 6' at 13 and I swear, up until about 15 the number of kids who picked fights at school (not real fights, just "wrastling"/play-fighting but those scraps can get pretty rough ) with me just because I was the biggest was ridiculous! I remember one particularly short kid literally jumping up and down trying to slap me once and I caught him in mid air and carried him like a baby, he was so mad . We ended up more or less the same hight by the end of school, too... there's just those weird couple of years in the middle where some kids shoot up to be a foot taller than others.

Yeah maybe that's it, you usually think of these guys as people who try to bully weaker people though I guess

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...if a felt a child was in danger, I could never not intervene...with little James, that was such a disturbing part...but some have had to live with that throughout these years...

I think a lot of it will have been because of the age of the boys. If it had been two adult men, or even two older teens, I think people would have been more immediately concerned. They might even be more concerned now BECAUSE of this case. But basically before it happened... I would guess people just could never have imagined that two children could do something so violent. It really was unprecedented, both before and since. I guess people would assume it was brothers and have thought "that's terrible" but not that he was at any real risk, let alone his life being in danger.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I think a lot of it will have been because of the age of the boys. If it had been two adult men, or even two older teens, I think people would have been more immediately concerned. They might even be more concerned now BECAUSE of this case. But basically before it happened... I would guess people just could never have imagined that two children could do something so violent. It really was unprecedented, both before and since. I guess people would assume it was brothers and have thought "that's terrible" but not that he was at any real risk, let alone his life being in danger.

...yeah, the level of ‘intent and evil’ in what they did was something that was unimaginable...I mean, difficult to imagine in adults, but these were children...although I have to say in the many years of working and being involved with safeguarding and social care etc...?...the majority of cases have been child on child abuse...