Sweden edition

Swedish boy, 6, stabbed for 'wearing pink'

Published: 11 Feb 11 11:00 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31978/20110211/

A 6-year-old boy was stabbed in the neck at a preschool in Jönköping in central Sweden after having been the target of bullies for an extended period of time, reported the local Jönköpings-Posten daily.

Schools board slams anti-bullying plans (28 Jan 11)
Schoolboy compensated for racial bullying (18 Nov 10)
Teacher sacked for schoolgirl rape Tweet (6 Oct 10)

The newspaper names the boy as Oskar and reports how his liking for pink clothing, ballet and nail polish left him exposed to regular bullying from other boys in his playgroup.

The newspaper reported that he had also complained to his parents that he had been subjected to taunts that he was "gay" and "a girl". He had furthermore complained of being excluded from the group, and having been dragged from a climbing-frame.

The incident last week in which the 6-year-old sustained a noticeable injury to his neck after having been stabbed with a blunt knife was the last straw for the parents, who have now moved their son and reported the matter to the Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen).

The parents were reportedly further angered by the fact that they heard of the incident from their son and not from the staff at the preschool, who described the clash as a "small incident".

"I don't want to have my child at a school which considers a stab with a knife to be a 'small incident'," the boy's mother told Jönköpings-Posten.

The Local/pvs (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

12:07 February 11, 2011 by Luckystrike

Stupid parents....nuff said.

Report abuse »

12:18 February 11, 2011 by dammen

These kind of incidences are very common in dagis irrespective of whether a boy wears pink - and it is always the child that reports it - dagis staff appear not to notice anything! just look at all the recent reports of kids being left or forgotten somewhere or not even noticed as missing when they walk home alone.

All boys go through this kind of phase if they have older sisters or a mother that wear feminine clothes and make up - perhaps it is a reflection that gender stereotyping and discrimination is rife in Sweden and being propagated through our very small vulnerable members of society via their own parents who campaign for less discrimination

Report abuse »

12:37 February 11, 2011 by JulieLou40

@ luckystrike & dammen: I don't particularly agree with either of you. Why should the parents be considered stupid? Because they let their son dress up in that stuff? Granted, most of us wouldn't let our kids do that because of the bullying that could happen-but that doesn't make parents who DO let their kids, stupid. Rather it makes the perpetrators of the bullying the ones at fault. In this day & age we should live and let live, and it's OTHER people's problem (i.e the bullies) if it's not what they like to look at.

dammen, the reason I don't agree with you is that you say it's just a phase. Sorry, but it's pretty conclusive to me-sounds like the kid is gay. I've NEVER known a small boy have pink painted nails. Oh, I tell a lie. I met a young boy who was into that stuff. And you know what? He WAS gay, his parents knew that too.

Report abuse »

12:38 February 11, 2011 by Already in use

Poor boy. Destined to become a famous fashion designer. In 50 years we'll read this incident in his best-selling biography.

Report abuse »

12:51 February 11, 2011 by Horace

pink is fashionable

Report abuse »

12:54 February 11, 2011 by Tedacuen

First of all. Every parents love there kids, but sometimes they dont realize that o"society" hates them.

Second . You have two options a) Or let him her be handled by "society"...and go to Iphones,Eat Mc Nuggets, watch Mtv (The Sick of American Obess Life ruled by Private Money take Companies)( Please dont fall so low as imitate them), get a job, marry, pay taxes, die....or B) Do the manouvers you have to do to "Cheat" on " Society" but make them think you are under there rules.That means , for example,make the kid happy and "society happy"......by now. Of course to do this last and more intelligent thing, the parents have to be in the same wave, if not, its difficult. I hope that this an incident to be put in that biography in 50 years

Report abuse »

13:17 February 11, 2011 by procrustes

Time for one my outrageous thoughts:

If parents were truly responsible* for their children, all measures of what constitutes a healthy society would sky-rocket.

*Responsible; If your child under a certain age (eighteen?) commits a crime, the parent does the time while the child does mandatory psychological treatment.

In this system potential parents would think long and hard before having a child, and they might even (gasp) avail themselves of special training on child rearing. Also, one could be reasonably assured that underage little demons would not be out prowling the streets at all hours defacing public property.

The bullies in this story are really just reflecting attitudes and social responses they've picked up at home.

Report abuse »

13:18 February 11, 2011 by mir81

_{Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.}

Report abuse »

13:30 February 11, 2011 by Nemesis

A six year old being stabbed, is not a small incident.

There needs to be an appropiate anti-bullying campaign in that school, immediately.

The police should be dealing with this.

Those teachers should be fired immediately for not taking this seriously. They clearly are not fit to be in charge of looking after children and may even be a danger to children.

Any child that stabs someone when that age, is going to grow up to be a monster, unless something is done about it now.

As for the kid wearing pink. Half the adult men in Sweden wear pink shirts. It is cearly obvious that kid is not going to grow up to be a grunting GI Joe and so what.

Most goth boys-men, paint there nails black with nail polish. I don't see a rush to stab them or anyone justifiying an attack on them.

Most kids grow up to be straight and a minority don't. That is no excuse to stab a six year old.

There is no justification for stabbing a six year, turning a blind eye to it, indirectly encouraging it or directly encouraging it.

Report abuse »

#10

13:35 February 11, 2011 by Rishonim

The staff at the school should be fired and investigated. How can a stab in the neck could be described as a small matter? Are these people frockling NUTS? I have to agree with procrustes. Go after their bullies parents. At it been my child I would go to the school and raggedy ann bitch slap every one of the staff for their irresponsible attitude.

Report abuse »

#11

13:43 February 11, 2011 by HYBRED

@mir81

Your statements are at best, ignorant.

Report abuse »

#12

13:51 February 11, 2011 by karex

I agree that parents should take responsibility for their children's actions and for teaching them right from wrong.

But don't forget that in Sweden they're not allowed to do much by law... how can you even try to discipline a child if you can get reported for practically even disagreeing with them? For ex., on the grounds that by disagreeing you may cause them irreparable psychological damage which can affect their self esteem?

No wonder the new generation is turning into a new edition of a mafia gang. Instead of spending so much time and effort into worrying if a little boy will/will not be gay because he likes pink, maybe we should start worrying what will happen when the most of the country's youth become gang members or similar types of people...

Report abuse »

#13

14:14 February 11, 2011 by HYBRED

It seems they should go to school to learn, not make social statements. Dress them all in orange coveralls like convicts and maybe it will stop some of these incidents.

Report abuse »

#14

15:12 February 11, 2011 by Swedesmith

School uniforms could solve this problem.

Incidently, I'm wearing a little, pink, strapless number right now. Anyone want to comment?

Report abuse »

#15

15:15 February 11, 2011 by HYBRED

@Swedesmith

Be carefull, someone might stab you.

Report abuse »

#16

15:50 February 11, 2011 by GLO

Parents were at fault, they should raise boys as boys, thats the big problem today. Dress your little Tommy like a little girl, boys will be attracted like blood in the water. Thats how you get more ASSange likes.

Report abuse »

#17

15:54 February 11, 2011 by HYBRED

Everyone knows that wearing pink on a climbing frame is not very chic. It is more of a Canary yellow moment.

Report abuse »

#18

15:57 February 11, 2011 by calebian22

I think Swedesmith is looking for a different kind of stabbin'. ;-)

Report abuse »

#19

16:21 February 11, 2011 by KatherineLorraine

There's nothing wrong with a boy wearing pink. His parents are good for not forcing him to dress a way he doesn't want to. A lot of young boys experiment and go through these kinds of situations. I played with dolls and liked dressing up. In the future, he may - as tends to happen - switch off to wearing traditional boys' clothes and changing his hobbies to reflect what boys tend to like, but then again he may not, and may express the desire to live life as a different gender. My family never let that happen to me and now at nearly 30 I'm finally realizing my gender identity problems way too late.

What's more important is trying to foster a kind of environment where a young boy can wear pink and not be harrassed for it. If we treat these things as normal, no one will be disturbed by it, and no one will be harmed because of it.

Report abuse »

#20

16:22 February 11, 2011 by Syftfel

My question is where did theese under aged bullies who attacked the boy get their values? Isn't it their parents who should be declared unfit, and have their toddler gang bangers with knives, taken away from them? While, politically, many of us are conservative in the extreme, even SD-voters, this does not mean we can not accept a man in nailpolish, false eye lashes, black fishnet panty hose, mascara, high heels, free flowing dresses, ruby red liptick and serious mascara. We beleive in more freedoms,less government, less socialism. I'm all for expressions of individuality, provided it is not forced upon the populace in the way that the Swedish, failed, disastrous, multicuturalism contuinues to be(as created by the party of Palme). By the way, the story does not reveal the cultural background of the parents of these, future, prison inmates. For the sake of completion of the picture, it would be interesting to know this.

Report abuse »

#21

16:50 February 11, 2011 by mir81

@HYBRED

who cares huh

Report abuse »

#22

17:01 February 11, 2011 by MichaelZWilliamson

They're just jealous because he gets more attention from the girls.

Report abuse »

#23

17:22 February 11, 2011 by bcterry

13:18 February 11, 2011 by mir81

So when u guys are going to blame immigrants :S

I think guys stabbed him must be Muslims or immigrants :D "

And of course we all know that muslim children are not taught to hate.

Report abuse »

#24

17:57 February 11, 2011 by stillwatersrd

Bullying a six year old, for any reason - unbelievable!

@Swedesmith

...and I bet you look fetching in that number.

Report abuse »

#25

18:13 February 11, 2011 by Nemesis

@ bcterry

In Jönköping, they will most likely be blond haired, blue eyed and extremely christian.

Report abuse »

#26

18:17 February 11, 2011 by TwoToTango

[quote]And of course we all know that muslim children are not taught to hate. [/quote]Don't take the bait damnit!

Anyway. I hate to be that guy but bullying is going to happen. Kids are the cruelest bastards on this planet seeing as they don't have a fully developed sense of right and wrong. I think pulling the boy from the preschool was the right decision for the parents as the staff was clearly incompetent however.

As for the bullies, their parents should be notified and they need to be punished in a way that they will feel it. Not spanking. But take away something they like so they make the connection that when you do bad things to other people bad things happen to you. You can't expect too much of a couple of six year olds.

Report abuse »

#27

18:21 February 11, 2011 by Archie1954

I never considered Sweden to have a violent society. You expect this kind of problem in the US which is an extremely violent society but not in Sweden. The Swedes to me, at least, are one of the most civilized societies on earth.

Report abuse »

#28

18:25 February 11, 2011 by Bettyinsweden

Dress the bullies in pink for a week!

Report abuse »

#29

18:50 February 11, 2011 by KatherineLorraine

@Bettyinsweden:

They might end up liking it ~_^

Report abuse »

#30

18:54 February 11, 2011 by Nemesis

@ Bettyinsweden,

Good idea. See how they like it.

Report abuse »

#31

19:05 February 11, 2011 by bcterry

18:13 February 11, 2011 by Nemesis

@ bcterry

In Jönköping, they will most likely be blond haired, blue eyed and extremely christian. "

So your saying that muslim children are not taught to hate?

Report abuse »

#32

19:12 February 11, 2011 by Baroness_Fredericks

Yes, make them wear pink. For a month! This is something you suggested that Gandhi may have said. However, he may have said this too: Don't forget though, that in doing such a thing, it may make them more hateful against those who are different in any way. In life there's two or even multiple sides to everything. One approach is to educate them to their wrongs by singularly teaching each person who may have these feelings and then bring them together for more teachings on the subject. Then gradually introduce into their class several students having whatever dilemma was so harshly dealt with by ignorance. A learned person becomes more tolerable when they see the reasons why things are the way they are and not led by an ignorant gang mentality.

Report abuse »

#33

19:50 February 11, 2011 by loudasthunder

This is no surprise that dagis has failed in every aspect of child care, You get what You pay for... Nothing.

Parents need to take more control of situations, ie; sending the 6 year old boy to school in pink and painted nails is asking for trouble.

The students that stabed the kid should be sent to a child psycologist.

The parents of the offending children need parenting classes.

The teachers lose their jobs,

Oh, and the victim will now need counseling.

That about covers it.

Report abuse »

#34

22:22 February 11, 2011 by dan_sparrow

anyway how the other kid managed to get a knife in the building?

@ loudasthunder: WORD!

Report abuse »

#35

01:11 February 12, 2011 by Acroyear

I've never understood why Swedes think it's such a good idea to send kids to really crappy nursery schools. Oh I know, there are some good nurseries but they're mostly crap.

Something weird's happening in society in Sweden and the UK. Nurses are getting more skilled but less caring, and so are nursery staff and people in other caring professions. I don't think it's about pay. It's something deeper and more sinister. Or maybe I'm just getting old...

Ah well, revenge is a dish best served cold, and I hope the kids who've been bullying him make amends before little Oskar grows up and becomes the Count of Monte Cristo.

Report abuse »

#36

02:13 February 12, 2011 by munched

Being Canadian, we're not all that impressed by bullies. I learned early on by my dad how to deal with them. You punch them very hard in the face. Not very swedish or politcally correct but they tend to leave you alone. And when the start to bully someone else instead, you walk over to the bully again and punch them very hard in the face again until the get the point.

Report abuse »

#37

03:09 February 12, 2011 by GLO

We let women vote, that gave them equal power in decissions, men dont like making child raising decissions, they dont even like talking to you know.

Then Sweden, men are not men, just look how they dress. Wow, walk down the street, guys wear chick clothes. Guys like ASSange get laid. The gene pool is not good.

Sooo, dress your little boy like a girl, you know what they will be.....At least you will feel good. Sorry for the kid. Parents set the course for every child. OH! no dad in the house boy or girl not good future.

Dads be a man, good father, show leadership. Kiss your wife goodnight.

Report abuse »

#38

08:01 February 12, 2011 by taloolaa

Poor child ! i hope someone does something about this abuse of the child! All children should be free to express theirselves whether it is wearing pink or boys playing with dolls and prams. What is going on in Sweden ! there is enough predujice in Sweden on foreign teenagers in gynasiums let alone poor litttle children. I agree Swedish dagis let kids run wild and not enough discipline. I have seen this for myself. Thank god for International schools. I would never put my kids in Swedish dagis and now this incident confirms my worries!! what are these kids being taught about life and society clearly a lot of predujice!!

Report abuse »

#39

10:53 February 12, 2011 by thatsjustme

taloolaa

International schools are the solution? We have been there, many years in different countries - as long as you are cool and rich and always have the latest gadgets - your kids are fine. Not the real world though, just full of spoiled brats. They might not stab you, but bully you differently. And they get away with it, as their dads/mums are the embassador of whatever country. Some kids don't even like being dropped off by the parents in front of the school - they don't want to be bullied about their cars or how old their mum looks like. Good luck!

I feel very sorry for the little chap and for his parents. No matter what he wears, like ballet or whatever; he has the right to be treated fairly and respectfully.

I am shocked how narrow minded many comments here are. You nag about the Swedish and their society and that they have no clue- read your own comments again and feel ashamed. You are no better.

Report abuse »

#40

13:32 February 12, 2011 by logi

what are schools turning to? in a pre-nursery school, this is out of control.teachers should be more vigilant

Report abuse »

#41

13:52 February 12, 2011 by nolikegohome

Jönköping is the Swedish little Jeruselem. Uniforms in school should be the order of the day. Its unfair to let the kids of poor parents watch the children of the rich kids wearing designer clothes to school. Probably best to avoid pink uniforms just in case. lol

Report abuse »

#42

16:46 February 12, 2011 by VicTaulic

I bet Elton John would fly in and do a benefit concert for this six year old, who is obviously struggling to deal with his gayness.

Report abuse »

#43

19:23 February 12, 2011 by pia johanson

Wow. I remember Sweden differently-I've been to Sweden about ten different times over the years with my wife, who was born in the North.I'm typing this on her(pink) Sony computer.

I'm shocked and saddened, but I saw this coming YEARS ago.

Sweden has changed significantly since I first visited,and I warned our Swedish friends the last time I was there; "If you insist on having NO penalties for bad behavior- for ANYONE--expect it to GET WORSE."I'm all for a free, open society--but the survival gene seems to be getting very attenuated in one of my favorite countries--don't let this happen without a fight,PLEASE.If this kind of activity is allowed to stand, It'll come to THIS:

"Morlocks,meet Eloi--Welcome to Sweden."

Report abuse »

#44

23:14 February 12, 2011 by taloolaa

Sweden should not allow any predudices even in its dagis. Why the kids were not being supervised is beyond me! training of staff should be carried out and the staff responsible for so called monitoring these kids should be sacked. Sweden should have more discipline with its kids and maybe bad things like this would never happen!!

Report abuse »

#45

00:06 February 13, 2011 by Zala Russe

The kid victim (and his parents) should be honoured for making a stand on this, and pointing up the duplicity in perceived ''Swedish values''. Child is father to the man. This needs to go beyond finger-pointing and retribution however. Sweden should be grateful that it has taken a bunch of six-year olds to point out that all is NOT 'rosy in the garden'. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Don't give out the 'soft'option of punishment. Address the homophobic concerns of the perpetrators, make them confront the consequences of their behaviour, and acknowledge that their actions are unacceptable.

Report abuse »

#46

00:50 February 13, 2011 by wenddiver

BS, like a six year old bought his own fingernail polish and pink clothes. I regularly schedule Male activities for my little nepphew Timmy and his friend Max (adopted from Russia). We go to the US Marine Corps Air Show, tour the Alamo, visit the Battleship USS Texas, go watch the men and boys fight at the Mixed Martial Arts gymn, practice on the Punching Bag in the back yard, etc, etc. Guess what, when shown what a vital and exciting thing being a Man is boys won't want to be little girls. Pretty soon normal little boys will be more than capable of handling any bully if given positive role models. The World's Freedom will be defended by these boys when they are 18, let's hope they know something other than fingernail painting when they come up against the Jihadis one day, we are all depending on them.

Report abuse »

#47

05:17 February 13, 2011 by NoVaseline

natural as well as social selection are going on! we can do little to stop bullying in preschools. There's no such vaseline!

Report abuse »

#48

19:08 February 13, 2011 by farnoxo

Just imagine if we let the violent "anti-pink" brigade loose in a Swedish bank - there would be mayhem as they slashed left and right at the sea of tailored pink shirts!

Report abuse »

#49

20:53 February 13, 2011 by wenddiver

I have offered Max and Timmy , $10.00 each, to wash my Sister's Siamese cat. Who says it isn't fun being a Guy?? Timmy and Max are armorred up as if they were going after a dragon, lot's of intense 1st grader planning going on. Girls don't have moments like this. Think of the pride and accomplishment they will feel when they get paid. You can't get that kind of happines painting your fingernails. Pink clothing and Ballet, give me a break, this boy is being cheated. Somebody should offer to take him along on your Wolf Hunt. or buy him a machette.

Report abuse »

#50

14:57 February 23, 2011 by buschmann

I guess only swedish moms train their little boys for a live of desgusting buggery.

Report abuse »

#51

13:51 March 7, 2011 by waybackwhen

The bigotry shown here (including mr buschmann, who acts up to his name) in the form of homophobia and racism among other things is reason enough to disable the comments function on this site. Why is it that all these Neanderthals come out of the woodwork at an English speaking site ? Is it because said apes are limited to this news site because they are unable to learn Swedish and be part of the Swedish community ? Is it because everyone else is sick of listening to their moaning and groaning about Sweden and the Swedes ? Isn't it time to wake up and move the f*ck away from Sweden and let the civilised people get on in peace ?

Report abuse »

COMMENTS CURRENTLY CLOSED

Today's headlines

Unrest in Stockholm

Stockholm riots: a view from the street in Husby

Following three nights of violence that left cars smouldering in several Stockholm suburbs, The Local travelled to the northwest district of Husby where the disturbances began to see how the riots have affected local residents. READ () »

Bergman auction canned after suspected theft

An auction of memorabilia belonging to Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Berman has been scrapped by authorities after claims the items were stolen from the family. READ () »

Stockholm man lay dead in flat for two years

Workmen in southern Stockholm found the body of man who may have lain dead in his flat for over two years, with the police blaming the belated discovery on society's broken social networks. READ () »

Fashion prize turns Rookies into players

Swedish designers who fight for brand-name recognition in the notoriously hard-to-crack fashion business tell The Local's Victoria Hussey about the importance of the Swedish Rookies Award. READ () »

Four jailed for drugging internet date victims

Four thieves who used internet dating sites to find victims who they then robbed after drugging them with a concoction of sedatives and psychosis drugs were sentenced to prison on Wednesday by a Swedish court. READ () »

19/03 Women drugged and robbed their online dates »

Doc went on holiday as Swede's cancer spread

A Swedish man has been left facing death after his doctor went on holiday, leaving a cancer diagnosis stranded in the computer system while the increasingly desperate patient fought for help elsewhere. READ () »

Unrest in Stockholm

Thirty fires in third night of Stockholm riots

Police arrested eight people on Tuesday night as thirty cars were torched across southern and western Stockholm, in what was the third consecutive night of unrest in the Swedish capital. READ () »

Swedish 'serial killer' cleared of two murders

A man long referred to as Sweden's most notorious serial killer after being convicted of eight murders has been cleared of two more of the killings, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. READ () »

More Society

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS

Today's most read Today's most commented

In cooperation with DoToday

Jobs available: 1080

Show all jobs in Sweden

Blog Update: Stripes News

21 May 21:34

WEEK 21 »

"A week full to the brim with LFC football…. Div 5 LFC match against Nåjdens FK has been moved. This is due to the Svenska Cupen final: 26 May, 17.00 kick off, Nationalarenan Friends Arena, Solna. Next match is on Tuesday (see below). ………………………………………………………… Friday: Div5 Ladies: Rotebro IS FF – Långholmen FC (Skinnaråsens IP) KO: 16.15 ………………………………………………………… Saturday: Vets: Långholmen FC – IFK..." READ »

20/5 15:25 Hockey. Hockey. Hockey. (Boston Blatte)
16/5 08:32 Be British, be sincere and be bold (Brits Mean Business)
19/4 15:47 UK and Sweden sign Defence MOU (The Diplomatic Dispatch)

Jobs available: 1080

Show all jobs in Sweden

Noticeboard

19/05 Rosetta Stone Swedish 1-3 for Sale
19/05 A lot of Chinese story books on sale
19/05 Chest of drawers
18/05 Driving License Book(s) in English
18/05 looking for room/apt
18/05 Looking for accommodation

SHOW ALL NOTICES »

Discuss

02:19 Husby Riots and violence against the police...
01:05 An alternative on the menu
00:56 What has happened to TL?
00:15 Living costs in London
23:17 International school in Lund
22:39 Restaurant Inspection Scores
19:57 Investment market in Sweden
19:46 I need a dentist, in Malmö?
18:50 Where do I find out if my massage qualifications
17:49 Moving from Canada to Sweden

FULL INDEX »
JUST THE NEWS »
LATEST TOPICS »

Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE

Holiday Luxury Villa in Portugal
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com

The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS

Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now

Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com