Susie, I think someone to beat the tar out of him and put him in his place? Would probably do him some good. My concern is kids now have knives and guns and all kinds of nasty stuff, and I would not want to see several kids gang up on him. My other concern in high school? Is that he would manage to hurt someone seriously and get assault charges. I am sure if he was in a "normal" jr high? He would have already had contact with the juvenile dept.
For sure this is a huge scary thing. Even without weapons here is what happened to another teacher's kid where I worked...He is diagnosis as bipolar and is a difficult child for sure! Anyway, he was in a hall, a group of kids (happened to be of a specific ethnic group) jumped him. He fought back hard and some of them got hurt. The noise attracted attention and one staff insisted he was attacking them aand the kids insisted that her difficult child started it with racial remarks. He never had a history of that and he insisted that no, he was just walking by. he was charged AND it was in the newspapers and he was branded a racist. The ethnic community these kids were from were out for blood. They were livid (and if it had been true well, then they should have been upset, but also would have needed to realize this is a very disabled child in many ways). WELLLLLL, what do you know, there were video tapes! Why they didn't get released right away??? Defense for my friend is still helping them work through that huge issue. The teacher may not have lied, she may have just been panicked but the tapes showed those boys had clearly gathered and hidden. He was just walking by with books and did not notice them or even glance their way. He DID fight back and our zero tolerance policies have gone amuck around here and he was still told he was fighting voluntarily so no apology for suspensions etc. Makes me sick. Fortunately charges were dropped but only after huge legal bills and tons of emotional hardship for the kiddo, parents, everyone.
A difficult child who has been in (and out) of school with my son for years (she is autistic-not aspergers but medium high functioning in terms of functional skills, aggressive, high iq....) Little squirt sometimes makes mine look tame. I personally love her and have worked with her privately (she was never a student of mine). She had a pbip (positive behavior intervention plan). One day in 6th grade the kids got some little trinkets at a class party before the end of the day. she brought one of those pop up jumpie things into her mainstream class and the popping sound bugged people. She was told to stop but of course didn't/couldnt whatever, and so the ed aid just grabbed it! NOT in the plan! EA started walking out with it and she went after her and bit her. EA charged her with assult. Now, of course biting is NOT okay. BUT I get furious when people do things that predictably will trigger aggression and her physical intevention was not necessary as it was not a dangerous situation. The kiddo would have left the room with appropriate visual cues. Nothing was even tried. Another time she threw a "stapler" across the class and got suspended. Now, given her issues, her parent had only sent the little foam paper "stapler" that kind of punches the papers through. It is like a nerf bullet...really small and light. That kind of thing scares me because some of those same people work with my son and to be so clueless....
When my son has been attacked by anyone (like when he barges in a line because he has no clue about that kind of thing....getting better) he just escalates things and goes into fight or flight. If he doesn't run away,h e swears, fights etc. and it will then affect him for days or weeks after. There is no lesson learning for sure with him. I wish it would be that easy sometimes. Not that I want him hurt but I really wish a logical consequence would work. I would ask them to suspend him if that would have ever worked. Not only hasn't over the years, just makes him stress more and act out more. Physical stuff does't work for him at all. Luckily other things do work, people just have to make sure they follow he plan because it is not typical discipline and that is hard for people who think...he is a kid and should just be respectful and do what the adult says. period.
I had a high school English teacher who would always say...."Ain't no easy answers to nothin' ."