12-year-old to take anger management classes following young boy’s death

A 12-year-old boy pleaded guilty to a simple assault charge on Wednesday, July 10, after a school fight with another boy that ultimately preceded the victim’s death.

The Daily Times, a news outlet that serves Delaware County, Pennsylvania, reported that the unidentified 12-year-old had been charged as a minor in Delaware County Juvenile Court for an incident earlier in the year that made national headlines. On January 10, the boy engaged in a fight with then-11-year-old Bailey O’Neill at Darby Township School. The incident saw him attack O’Neill, punching him repeatedly in the face and causing the young victim to fall to his knees. Although he did try to protect himself, O’Neill did not fight back. The fight lasted for 30 seconds before school supervisors stopped it.

O’Neill complained to the school nurse about pain in his left eye and cheek. While he was dismissed, two weeks later, he began experiencing seizures and had to undergo a medically induced coma at a Wilmington, Delaware, hospital. When a prognosis showed no signs of improvement, O’Neill’s parents made the decision to take him off life support just a day after his 12th birthday.

While the family’s attorney did not pursue homicide charges against the 12-year-old assailant and an autopsy ruled out a connection between the beating and the seizures that followed, O’Neill’s parents blamed the attack for playing a role in their son’s death.

As part of his plea agreement, the 12-year-old will perform 24 hours of community service and attend victim awareness counseling and anger management classes.

Even children are capable of succumbing to temper issues and consequently performing violent acts. For kids required to enroll in teen anger management programs, consider the online anger management classes of Conflict Coaching & Consulting.

Carlos-Todd-PhD-LCMHC
Carlos Todd PhD LCMHC

Dr. Carlos Todd PhD LCMHC specializes in anger management, family conflict resolution, marital and premarital conflict resolution. His extensive knowledge in the field of anger management may enable you to use his tested methods to deal with your anger issues.

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