Here's a tip that I will also employ when appropriate - get your kids involved in martial arts. Not only does it build discipline, self-esteem, and respect for others, it teaches them how to deal with bullies. I had no idea what a huge problem bullying was until I started paying more attention to it. I never had to deal with a bully, but it seems I'm the exception. Many martial arts schools have kids programs that deal with "bully-busting."

That's good advice, and I do agree that learning martial arts is a great anti-bullying strategy. But this poor kid with his ankle braces, outnumbered by four kids who presumably don't need braces to walk, didn't really stand a chance.

It makes you wonder what is going on in the perpetrators' homes. I wonder whether they themselves were victims of sexual abuse. Kids that young do not usually exhibit such sexual behavior.

Some of these kids are NO angels. It all depends on the school you send them to. My kids have been going to public school for 4 years without incident. I sent them to a YMCA camp for 2 weeks and they came back swearing like sailors. Good thing those kids don't go to their school. No you know why parents are psycho about getting their kids into certain schools.

How the hell, at ages 6 & 7, do these kids know to do something like this? It's horrible and very disturbing. Is it just plain curiosity? I mean, to stick things into holes or could it really possibly be sexually motivated? I may not have been so eloquent in explaining my thoughts here, but I'm sure you all get the point.

Why on earth is this mother on the front page of the Daily News? Doesn't this kid deserve some privacy? She's already given away the detail about his braces, now her photo's on the cover and you can see the back of his head. He had something horrible happen to him and she's potentially making it worse.

Yeah I thought the same thing. Why is she basically giving up this child's anonymity and privacy? Poor kid.

This is what happens when you let the TV babysit your kids.

How is this possible??!?

City kids learn things early (either by watching or by having something happen to them) and the bathrooms aren't usually monitored. I could tell you stories that would make your stomach churn.

Most likely nothing will ever really happen to the perpetrators. I was sexually abused by other kids in my middle school and the administrators decided it was easier to punish the victim. It's much easier for them to say "Well, she must have done something to deserve it" and get rid of one kid than to deal with all the problem kids and their parents. Some teachers and administrators care about kids, but most of them, like most people in general, only care about themselves and making their jobs as easy for them as possible.

Oh yeah, and when I finally fought back and injured one of my abusers, I got suspended. And people wonder why tweens and teens are so suicidally depressed.

Nicemarmot, what a seriously horrible experience. I am seriously disgusted that adults were allowed to treat you in such an appalling manner. What a gross abuse of power and extremely negligent behavior.

It was horrible, but my point is more that this sort of thing, and reaction by administrators, is not uncommon. Kids can be cruel to the point of psychopathy, and kids who are being abused at home will take that out on other kids at school too. It's hard for administrators to deal with these things - so they often try not to, as hard as they can.

sorry that happened to you nicemarmot, people just like to blame the victim or someone other than the person who did it.

my nephew went to the ER when a bully squeezed his testicles so hard they turned blue, the ER doctor kept insinuating that another child could not have done that, it may have been abuse by the parent. yeah, all kids are sweet angels.

it's not just the ER doctor but recently he was examined by a regular md and he questioned how he got that injury. still insinuating it couldn't have been down by another child.

yeah, he changed after that incident, he used to be friendly to everyone, now he's slightly withdrawn.

if true, this is horrible. I mean for pete's sake the kid has ankle braces!

Sad to say it, but that's probably why they targeted him in the first place. Empathy is a trait not many children have.

Unless you teach it. Not all of us are teaching our kids to be insensitive, violent and aggressive.

There are plenty of empathetic kids. And there are plenty of kids who don't take advantage of, exploit and sodomize their classmates.

that's true. we could enter into a nature vs. nurture debate but I still say there is something deeply wrong with a child if they don't know that they did was wrong even at a young age.

free will and all.

Kids these days, too much exposure to NYPD stories. Whatever happened to the good old wedgie?