However, I did want to weigh in a bit more on this because I think it brings up some important issues. Obviously, the boys did something completely inappropriate and need to be made aware of the consequences of their behavior. A crime was committed and it will be up to LE and their parents to decide what that consequence is.

I know my opinion on this will probably be unpopular, but I think maybe the more important question here is why these boys did this instead what their punishment will be.

Often when children act out in a way that causes panic and/or upset in adults it is because they are very frightened of something and are trying to deal with it in a way where they are in a position of control. I often have to remind parents, even absolutely great parents, about keeping tabs on what their children are exposed to. We all know that children cannot process things the way adults can, and the line between real and imaginary are often blurred. This is why most parents have the good sense not to let their young children watch horror movies, etc. However, one area that parents are infamous for not regulating is a child’s exposure to news. They watch it while the kids are playing in the same room or listen to it on the radio on the way home from school but unfortunately we live in a world were the current news is horrific, at best.

I do not mean to say that we should let our children live in a bubble and leave them completely ignorant of the real world, but news shared with children has to be presented in a way that is age appropriate. I think the majority of the time the parent should be the one to give a child news, especially in instances where they can use the stories to highlight safety or teach valuable lessons, etc.

This is just my $0.02 but if I had to take a guess about these boys we heard about today, it would be that they are scared to death of the highly publicized cases such as Caylee, Somer and Shaniya. And if they are acting out by making up stories then that needs to be dealt with at the source, IMO.

Personally, the age of these boys matters not to me. I would hope at the very least, they would get a complimentary tour of the courthouse, followed by some community service.

This one did have a “whew” at the end, and that is a good day.