Posted on 04/28/2005 10:33:09 AM PDT by kingattax
Head teachers have banned children from using video phones to stop them slapping other pupils in the face and recording the attacks on their mobiles.
The violent new craze among teenagers – dubbed “happy slapping” – has been plaguing commuters on trains and buses in London.
Now schools have been forced to take action to stop the violence spreading into playground bullying.
London’s Evening Standard reported that teachers at Crofton School in Lewisham, south London, had confiscated mobile phones after pupils were caught recording the attacks.
A number of other schools are thought to have taken similar action.
A spokesman for Lewisham Council said: “Schools take the misuse of mobile and video phones by young people very seriously.
“This is a London-wide problem. Lewisham Council is actively supporting its schools and the police, who have alerted parents to the issue and will investigate any potentially criminal material.
“Head teachers in the borough have taken swift and effective action to deal with the problem.”
The craze has involved groups of teenagers slapping strangers in the face while filming their reactions on mobile phones.
The gangs have targeted people on trains, the Underground and buses in the capital.
Superintendent Mark Newton, of British Transport Police, said: “It is a cowardly form of attack – childish but also criminal.
“These people who think it is all a bit of a jape could end up in jail.”
How about punishing the slappers and leave the innocent cell phones alone?
WTF is the world coming to? Although I hate to blame media, in my experience this stuff started when the show Jacka$$ became popular.
I worked at Office Depot back in the day and we had a serious problem with a group of kids harassing people in the parking lot and filming it. It started with someone dressing up in something "crazy" and them filming bystander's reactions. It then escalated to them shooting people, including an elderly woman, in the face with water guns.
They always managed to disappear by the time the cops showed up. One time me and three other stockers went out there and politely told them that we were about to drag them into the stockroom and beat their highschool a@@es into a bloody pulp if they didn't stop harassing innocent women.
'Someone needs to start a fad called "happy studying"'
lol
Yep. Happy Homework.
Road Rage doesn't appear to apply, but I think I'd be a
li-ttle concerned about Mass Transit Rage...
Your anger is better directed at Allen Funt.
Any kid who walks up to me with a "Happy Slap" had better know a good Proctologist.
So his pals can have a fun time watching him get his Phone-Cam back.
Football Hooligans
rofl
OK, that was poorly worded. What I meant is that I think it started with Allen Funt. Your handling of the punks was very nice, more gemerous than I would have been.
Other than the lack of moral guidence, cell phones will be a big factor in this country's and others' undoing.
'nuff said.
Cell phones don't slap people, people slap people!
Thank you! They are using the same philosphy that if you take away guns, people won't want to kill each other.
One fine evening young Hattori tried this stunt on a total stranger, on said total stranger's front porch. The late Mr. Hattori learned that while his Banzai Charge was only a game, the homeowner's .44 Magnum was very real.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Yea, I know kids will be kids and all, and it was midly amusing when they would just dress up and act like morons, but some of those ladies were genuinely afraid of the water gun. A lot of them didn't know it was a water gun until they were wet. not cool at all.
Wouldn't last long here!
Expulsion works too.
Shades of "Clockwork Orange" anyone...lets go break into someones house, mess them up and take pictures of their reactions with the phone came...
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