Brotherly Hate
I had a 10-year-old in my class crying and wishing for her life to end. Her older brothers at home were being awful to her, tormenting and hitting her all the time. She was saying that I should just let her go so she could take her own life, and then she wouldn’t be a bother to us or her brothers anymore. I sat her down with another teacher, a cup of tea, and some cookies.
We talked with her throughout the afternoon. There was not much we could do about the brothers, but she left with a smile and came back to school the next day with a smile as well. Now, I’m just keeping my eye on her in case things go bad again, but so far so good. Apparently, talking to us encouraged her to tell her mother about everything that happened, so at least someone at home is also keeping an eye out for her now.