Level heads need to prevail

When a young child commits an adult crime, families, friends, teachers--even detectives who have "seen it all"--are shocked. The case of the two 8-year-old boys at Lupin Hill Elementary School who were ticketed by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department for alleged sexual abuse of their classmates in school bathrooms leaves many questions unanswered.

Words such as sexual assault and sodomy hardly seem appropriate when talking about the behavior of prepubescent children. Is it physically possible for a male child to commit sodomy and, if they can, is coercion involved? Should the school district be expected to anticipate this type of behavior? And aren't children who are accused of these crimes actually victims themselves?

Such behavior is often seen as a cry for help.

According to child psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Sears in this week's follow-up article about the case, an 8-year-old child can physically perform a sexual act but, developmentally speaking, they cannot be sexually aroused. Does this mean the children involved are only playing a game?

Schools in our area are generally safe, and realistically cannot be expected to head off every incident. All a school can be expected to do is act quickly to inform parents and ensure the safety of students when the need arises, which Lupin Hill apparently did. It's now imperative that those lines of communication remain open.

The boys who have been accused of the crime must appear in court and will be expelled from the school district. But hysteria over the incident could further victimize the children, according to Sears. Cautious steps must be taken.

Answers may not be found in a courtroom, either. It takes teams of psychologists and much loving care to treat both the victims and the perpetrators. All the children involved in the incident need guidance from calm professionals and loving families.

For the children of Lupin Hill and those who have been pulled from their school, we hope the necessary help is on the way.