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under par
20th-May-2005, 01:01 PM
I was watching BBC News 24 just now where an article was shown about a 16 year old girl at school who was knocked unconscious by other children whilst it was videoed by another child on a mobile phone.

Totally disgraceful assault, the girl was hospitalised and will be off school for a while.

It was a relevant article about a nasty assault with the aggravating factor of the assailants videoing the assault and showing it to there friends as entertainment.

what is the headline describing this nasty incident...................


Happy Slapping


"Happy slapping!!! Happy slapping!" what bit of being knocked unconscious made this victim HAPPY. :angry:


I have sent the following e-mail to the BBC:


"Can the news readers please stop referring to serious assaults on children which is videoed on mobile phones as "slapping"
Knocking someone unconscious is a serious assault and certainly not a slap.
You trivialise the trauma of the victims by referring to the tabloid "slapping" tag.
Just as "shoplifting" is theft and "road rage" is serious assault and damage normally."


Your thoughts please and your support to stop this tabloid rubbish on our national news. :flower:

Jazz_Shoes (Ash)
20th-May-2005, 01:12 PM
Happy Slapping

"Happy slapping!!! Happy slapping!" what bit of being knocked unconscious made this victim HAPPY. :angry:

I agree with you 100%, it's as if they have tried to make it seem comical or something-that poor girl, I hope she is ok :hug: Honestly when will the news channels and tabloids learn-I for one would be less likely to buy a paper with that headline, it's like they are making fun of her! I'm sure she must have been left deeply traumatised by the event :sad: and I wish her well.

Ashx

DianaS
20th-May-2005, 01:49 PM
I was watching BBC News 24 just now where an article was shown about a 16 year old girl at school who was knocked unconscious by other children whilst it was videoed by another child on a mobile phone.

Totally disgraceful assault, the girl was hospitalised and will be off school for a while.

It was a relevant article about a nasty assault with the aggravating factor of the assailants videoing the assault and showing it to there friends as entertainment.

what is the headline describing this nasty incident...................
:


Happy Slapping

Hi Under Par,
it happened to my son a few months ago. "Happy slapps" The headmaster failed to inform me didn't complete an incident report and despite having seen the phone evidence with many other incidents recorded didn't report it to the police although it had happened in school premises in school time.
he tried to laugh it off as just another school craze...
It seems as though young people aren't protected within school.
If it had a happened to a member of staff perhaps their would have been a different reaponse. I was disgusted by the degree of acceptance of unprovoked assault by the school.

it tuns out that the young woman was also due up in court for assaulting a police officer just two weeks later. I reported it to the police who did an incident report visited the girl took a statement and gave her a verbal warning which goes on her record.

Must admit it felt petty at the time but I felt strongly enough that it was not alright for kids to be hit on and adults to laugh it off

Gadget
20th-May-2005, 03:00 PM
what is the headline describing this nasty incident...................
Happy Slapping
To be fair to the beeb, it was not them that coined the term - they just picked up on it and called it what the "participants" call it.

I agree that it's stupid, violent, anti-social, disgracefull, shocking, bullying, and probably the most frightening "trend" I have seen leak into reality. I wonder what social manners these kids will grow up to assume? They are the ones that will be our doctors, police, politicians, chefs, pilots, builders, nurses, shop keepers, ... when we are old(er) and grey(er). :sick::tears:

Tessalicious
20th-May-2005, 03:04 PM
I agree that the name 'Happy slapping' sounds like it trivialises what they're doing, but I believe the reason is because this is what the kids that do it are themselves calling it - there was a programme about it the other day and it seems that the kids, and I quote (ish) 'are bored cos there's nuffink to do, so what do they expect us to do, innit' - hence the obvious solution of phone-videoing violent attacks on random strangers :what:
I dunno, kids these days...

Dance Demon
20th-May-2005, 04:00 PM
This is just one of many reports about violent assault by teenagers. This county has to act NOW to curb this trend. Every day in the newspapers we hear of another unprovoked attack by crowds of teenage thugs, some not even teenage
It's time to stop pandering to the whims of namby pamby doogooders. There is currently no deterrent to this kind of behaviour. We have created a monster by enabling kids to control us. The anti spanking brigade and the banning of the belt in schools was just the start of it. I think we seriously need to consider bringing back the birch for crimes of violence. Maybe once a few of these yobs, who think it's fun to inflict pain on others, have had a taste of a bit pain themselves, they and others like them will think twice about doing some of the sick, twisted things they do.

ElaineB
20th-May-2005, 05:06 PM
I was watching BBC News 24 just now where an article was shown about a 16 year old girl at school who was knocked unconscious by other children whilst it was videoed by another child on a mobile phone.

Totally disgraceful assault, the girl was hospitalised and will be off school for a while.

It was a relevant article about a nasty assault with the aggravating factor of the assailants videoing the assault and showing it to there friends as entertainment.

what is the headline describing this nasty incident...................


Happy Slapping


"Happy slapping!!! Happy slapping!" what bit of being knocked unconscious made this victim HAPPY. :angry:


I have sent the following e-mail to the BBC:




Your thoughts please and your support to stop this tabloid rubbish on our national news. :flower:

I am with Mr Parr on this one. Whilst the idiots who indulge in this type of behaviour may refer to their nasty little game as 'Happy Slapping' - there is no need to headline it as such. A reference to it somewhere in the main body of the article would of course be required. It is not what is said, but how it is said..........


Elaine

Gadget
20th-May-2005, 05:22 PM
I think we seriously need to consider bringing back the birch for crimes of violence.A spanking! A spanking! {sorry, couldn't resist :blush:}

I think that subscription... erm... enlisting... erm... that thing where you have to go into the army for a couple of years... National Service (?) would only be a good thing and resolve a lot of the "problems" of delinquent youths.

But it's only a theory - need to wait untill Britian/America go to war again... probably with someone bigger.

Barry Shnikov
20th-May-2005, 07:55 PM
A spanking! A spanking! {sorry, couldn't resist :blush:}

I think that subscription... erm... enlisting... erm... that thing where you have to go into the army for a couple of years... National Service (?) would only be a good thing and resolve a lot of the "problems" of delinquent youths.

But it's only a theory - need to wait untill Britian/America go to war again... probably with someone bigger.

The society we had in which National Service provided a grounding for young men has gone forever. Try it now and you're likely to end up with dead and injured sergeant majors.

Likewise the birch is not going to reduce crime.

We need to learn, as a nation, as a planet, and particularly as people who elect politicians, that you don't solve the problem of lawlessness with a law and order policy; you deal with crime that way, and possibly you manage it.

You solve the problem with social policy and with education policy. Oh, and one more thing. Decriminalising all drugs will reduce associated crimes in no time at all. It'll also release £billions of resources to deal with all the other crimes.

ducasi
21st-May-2005, 11:45 AM
This is just one of many reports about violent assault by teenagers. This county has to act NOW to curb this trend. Young folks today, huh?

Can someone explain how what we have today is really any different from the "football casuals" of the 80's/90's, the punks of the 70's/80s, the mods & rockers of the 60's/70's and the teddy boys of the 50's/60's? (And so-on back through history I expect.)

I think we have to accept that some portion of humanity, especially young males, get off on violence.

Answering violence with violence (e.g. birching, public flogging, any other ritualistic humiliation) isn't going to change anything. Flogging this year's delinquents isn't going do a thing for next year's. "An eye for an eye leaves the entire world blind."

In with Barry here, it's more about social and education policy. If you can show kids that respect, co-operation and hard work can lead to a worthwhile life, then maybe they'll be less likely to turn to anti-social ways.

Then we can try to do the same for the politicians. :wink:

RogerR
21st-May-2005, 02:41 PM
Having been attacked myself, in the ambulance I drive for my day job, by a group of bored? malicous? school children near a local school, I have a very jaded view of today's youth, and they have a VOTE at 18! The military has no use for such scum except for target practice, which may attract adverse comment. The problem lies entirely within the now disfunctional family, If you bring a child into the world you have a responsibility to look after the personal development of that child, til they mature and become self sufficient. The Children's Act should be so vastly revised to make children arrestable at the age of 10 and not the present untouchable regardless or the crime situation. Unruly children should be forced to spend their day within one metre of their responsible parent.

philsmove
21st-May-2005, 04:34 PM
........Can someone explain how what we have today is really any different from the ........... the mods & rockers of the 60's/70's and the teddy boys of the 50's/60's? .......
:

I grew up with mod and rockers
May be its my age but I think something has changed
And changed for the worst
This may seem odd, but I think mods and rockers did have a degree of respect for authority

As I kid, if I got caught causing mischief, I could expect a clip round the ear from the local bobby

Today if the local bobby was to clip a kid round the ear, it’s the bobby who is going to end up in trouble not the kid

Things will only change when politicians realise making something illegal does not stop it happening

They seem to have forgotten the lessons learnt during prohibition

under par
22nd-May-2005, 06:06 AM
I think you are mostly all missing the point of this thread.

It is not the acts of the criminals that offends mein this instance. There has always been and always will be criminality by both young and old and the criminality now is not much different now to that in victorian times or during the war years or in the fifties.

My gripe is with the BBC in this instance and other serious news organisations, using inappropriate tabloid expressions which demean the savagery or seriousness of the offences committed. Which aslo leaves the victim feeling even more offended by.

"happy slapping" "Joy riding" "shoplifting" and others give the impression that these crimes give joy and make you happy.

These should be professionally described as asssaults,stealing and damaging cars, and theft from shops. Other examples are of this obsession with tabloidism are "road rage" and "air rage"and any other ragethey can think of .

Trevor Mcdonald thrives of these types of headlines for his ITV news show and I now refuse to watch him.

Under Par :angry:

David Bailey
22nd-May-2005, 08:17 AM
My gripe is with the BBC in this instance and other serious news organisations, using inappropriate tabloid expressions which demean the savagery or seriousness of the offences committed. Which aslo leaves the victim feeling even more offended by.

"happy slapping" "Joy riding" "shoplifting" and others give the impression that these crimes give joy and make you happy.

These should be professionally described as asssaults,stealing and damaging cars, and theft from shops. Other examples are of this obsession with tabloidism are "road rage" and "air rage"and any other ragethey can think of .
:yeah: Excellent and well-argued point, Mr Par :worthy:

It seems that sometimes people at the Beeb want to just catch the latest catchphrase - which, as a public broadcaster, is unprofessional. And the use of these terms by the Beeb itself promotes such terms, brings them to a wider audience, and makes them more acceptable. If the BBC uses the term, it must be official, yes?

And this can be dangerous. For example, look at the way the Met (rightly) fights against the use of the phrase "honour killing", correctly stating that these are murders, plain and simple, and should be treated as such - there's no "honour" in the process. But a jury might be swayed by the term, and might conceivably consider this to be a mitigating circumstance.

under par
22nd-May-2005, 08:44 AM
:for example, look at the way the Met (rightly) fights against the use of the phrase "honour killing", correctly stating that these are murders, plain and simple, and should be treated as such - there's no "honour" in the process. But a jury might be swayed by the term, and might conceivably consider this to be a mitigating circumstance.

thankyou for reminding me of this other awful phrase to cover up for MURDER :angry:

Bangers & Mash
22nd-May-2005, 09:56 AM
I think that there is much that the government, the press and the mobile phone operators could do to nip this in the bud...

1. Introduce a "Social Responsibility" bill that forces press and media to stop trivializing social "crazes" with playground names and rather introduce the appropriate name - so instead of "girl attacked by Happy Slappers" we get "Happy Slapping thugs jailed for premeditated aggravated assault"

2. Make it a criminal offence to transmit such assaults

3. Force the mobile operators to monitor all video mobile transmissions - they're making so much money out of it, they could afford to put in place a monitoring team - and hand over all such material to the police

4. Force a very high profile and severe penalty on a group for doing this - life jail sentence, or something similar

--

As for educating people not to do something rather than punish them for doing it. I'm sorry, but I think that may have worked a generation or two ago - but now society is beginning to reap the rewards of the seeds the do-gooders sowed years ago!

David Bailey
22nd-May-2005, 05:08 PM
I think that there is much that the government, the press and the mobile phone operators could do to nip this in the bud...

1. Introduce a "Social Responsibility" bill that forces press and media to stop trivializing social "crazes" with playground names and rather introduce the appropriate name - so instead of "girl attacked by Happy Slappers" we get "Happy Slapping thugs jailed for premeditated aggravated assault"

I don't want legislation, I just want the BBC to raise themselves above the tabloid soundbite level...

2. Make it a criminal offence to transmit such assaults
Is it not already? I'm not sure, but you could probably charge someone under some abettment law, any lawyer-type people out there?


3. Force the mobile operators to monitor all video mobile transmissions
:eek: No, I definitely don't support that - the government monitor more than enough already for my liking. To me, definitely a cure that's worse than the disease...

4. Force a very high profile and severe penalty on a group for doing this - life jail sentence, or something similar
Ditto.

I'm actually amazed that people are dumb enough to take and transmit credible digital evidence of their crimes - it's doing the work of the police for them. It's then just a case of looking at mobile phone records to then trace the signal back to the originator, and there's your chain of evidence all collected for you.

Any new communications mechanism is neither good nor bad; it depends on the use to which it's put. For example, the recent Met racism case (where the officer was recorded spouting a stream of abuse at a Kurdish kid he'd arrested) shows that mobile recording technology can help crime victims, not just harm them. (Although, reading the transcript (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4561773.stm), you can tell the kid is playing to the gallery somewhat - not that this excuses the incredible stuff the officer says).

ducasi
22nd-May-2005, 05:17 PM
I think that there is much that the government, the press and the mobile phone operators could do to nip this in the bud... Some interesting ideas...


3. Force the mobile operators to monitor all video mobile transmissions - they're making so much money out of it, they could afford to put in place a monitoring team - and hand over all such material to the police No way. We don't have the post office opening our letters to check for criminal activity, our phone calls (we hope) aren't actively monitored. There's no way I'd stand to have videos sent from my phone examined.

If my girl friend (I wish!) wanted to send me a "cute" video of herself (I double wish!) shouldn't we expect a bit of privacy?

Anyway, there's no good way to do it that would scale to the number of video messages that will be transmitted in, say, 5 years time. There's millions of text messages sent every hour at the moment. I don't know how many video messages are sent, but it'll reach these numbers soon enough.

Barry Shnikov
23rd-May-2005, 12:04 AM
I think that there is much that the government, the press and the mobile phone operators could do to nip this in the bud...

1. Introduce a "Social Responsibility" bill that forces press and media to stop trivializing social "crazes" with playground names and rather introduce the appropriate name - so instead of "girl attacked by Happy Slappers" we get "Happy Slapping thugs jailed for premeditated aggravated assault"

2. Make it a criminal offence to transmit such assaults

3. Force the mobile operators to monitor all video mobile transmissions - they're making so much money out of it, they could afford to put in place a monitoring team - and hand over all such material to the police

4. Force a very high profile and severe penalty on a group for doing this - life jail sentence, or something similar

--

As for educating people not to do something rather than punish them for doing it. I'm sorry, but I think that may have worked a generation or two ago - but now society is beginning to reap the rewards of the seeds the do-gooders sowed years ago!


I'm sure your heart is in the right place, B&M, but you can't rush off making new legislation every time there's a new blat of publicity for something putrid like this.

Your public responsibility bill sounds like a recipe for confusion. Who's going to decide whether the label a newspaper uses is 'responsible' or not?

And you suggest that the phone operators should be given a legal responsibility to monitor transmissions - have you any idea how much that would cost? Millions. All the transmissions would have to be stored, as they may be needed as evidence. That's enormous quantities of data that the providers will need to keep for - how long? 10 years?

Finally, a bit of a rant. You are completely stupid if you believe that you can beat bad behaviour out of people. What on earth have you ever come across that leads you to conclude that such techniques work? Let's suppose you're in charge of a misbehaving child - what are you going to do? Beat it until it is senseless? Or try to work out what is wrong and address the problem? If you have a misbehaving 20 year old, somebody involved in 'happy clapping', you think that 20 strokes of the birch is going to make him a well behaved citizen? (Agreed, it's too late to educate him out of what he's doing - though you can pretty much guarantee he won't be doing it when he's 30.)

Lasly, please define 'do gooders', and what are the 'seeds' they sowed?

Bangers & Mash
23rd-May-2005, 12:08 AM
Barry, there is now a separate thread dedicated to this topic where we have all be hammering out our thoughts and opinions in a much more amicable and less antagonistic manner.

David Bailey
23rd-May-2005, 08:43 AM
{ rant }
I agree with your sentiments, Barry, but let's try to keep it relatively civilised :innocent:


Barry, there is now a separate thread dedicated to this topic where we have all be hammering out our thoughts and opinions in a much more amicable and less antagonistic manner.
Heh, we hope.

B&M, I disagree with what you're saying, but I've got no problems with the way you're saying it :D

stewart38
23rd-May-2005, 03:25 PM
Finally, a bit of a rant. You are completely stupid if you believe that you can beat bad behaviour out of people. What on earth have you ever come across that leads you to conclude that such techniques work? Let's suppose you're in charge of a misbehaving child - what are you going to do? Beat it until it is senseless? Or try to work out what is wrong and address the problem? If you have a misbehaving 20 year old, somebody involved in 'happy clapping', you think that 20 strokes of the birch is going to make him a well behaved citizen? (Agreed, it's too late to educate him out of what he's doing - though you can pretty much guarantee he won't be doing it when he's 30.)

Lasly, please define 'do gooders', and what are the 'seeds' they sowed?

Its called Iraq

DianaS
3rd-August-2005, 11:42 AM
This might cheer you up a bit!

Teachers have called for the phrase "happy slappy" not to be used for attacks recorded on mobile phones. They condemned such assaults and urged parents not to buy children video mobile phones.

Link to full story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4724977.stm

Tessalicious
3rd-January-2006, 08:39 PM
Sorry to drag this old thread up guys, but I have a real need to destress right now. I have just, for the first time since I moved back to London over 3 years ago, been in the position of actually being frightened.

The problem is that the publicity that the 'happy slapping' phenomenon has had has given the kids and teenagers even more power.

I'll set a scene for you - five teenagers on a bus, two inflicting (different) really loud rap music from their phones on everyone, and the others mouthing off about how hard they are and the videos they've got on their phones from previous 'slaps' - everyone is ignoring it and keeping their heads down because they don't want to be next. So, muggins here, being tired and pissed off anyway, turns and vaguely meekly glares at them briefly - and for the next four stops can hear:

"What about that girl next? Give her a f***ing happy slapping, teach her to look at me like that."
"Yeah, she looks at us again, we gonna take her down, and no-one'll even care"
"F**k yeah man, you such a m***af***a they don't dare do a thing bout it"
and so on. They didn't actually do it, but got off a few stops later with jaunts of
"remember her face, I think I seen her in Camden, we'll get her next time"

How common is this, teenagers manipulating people into letting them get away with anything and everything? Have I just been lucky (or unobservant) not to come into contact with this until now?

Bangers & Mash
3rd-January-2006, 09:46 PM
Dilemma.

I would be inclined to tell this story to the bus company and ask them what they think you should have done. Obviously this is now a recognised problem and I imagine that all transport companies are having to deal with this.

Remember when gangs started travelling through tubes robbing everyone on them?

My thoughts covered the following options and I'm not certain that any was the proper solution:

1 - Ignore it. Suffer afterwards from feeling completely vulnerable. Send a message to these guys that they can get away with it. What happens next time? or to the next person?
2 - Phone the police where you are and risk being attacked
3 - Go and tell the bus driver and see if the police can be contacted to board the bus.
could be overkill? bus driver might not care? police might be too busy? you may get attacked?
4 - Get off. You might be followed.
5 - Say something? hmm

My experience is that he who stands up, stands up on his own.

Doesn't the bus have cameras fitted? might be worth pursuing?

What happens if you bump into them again? Was this your regular bus home? and regular time?

Tessalicious
3rd-January-2006, 11:09 PM
I would be inclined to tell this story to the bus company and ask them what they think you should have done. Obviously this is now a recognised problem and I imagine that all transport companies are having to deal with this. Yes, someone else has said that - I'll see how I feel in the morning, but it might be a good idea - if only to go down as another statistic.
1 - Ignore it. Suffer afterwards from feeling completely vulnerable. Send a message to these guys that they can get away with it. What happens next time? or to the next person?
2 - Phone the police where you are and risk being attacked
3 - Go and tell the bus driver and see if the police can be contacted to board the bus.
could be overkill? bus driver might not care? police might be too busy? you may get attacked?
4 - Get off. You might be followed.
5 - Say something? hmm
...
Doesn't the bus have cameras fitted? might be worth pursuing?There would have been no chance for police who were anywhere other than on board to do anything - that's exactly why these kids, who may be messed up but they're not dumb, choose buses as their dojo. And as there was no actual violence committed, a camera would probably not have picked up any obvious signs of threatening behaviour without a good microphone - although I'm not certain, because I made sure I wasn't looking at them again!

IMHO, the last thing anyone in this situation should do is to get off the bus - even if they're at their home stop - if the perpetrators are still on board. After all, what's to stop them following you home, and then robbing your house for extra kicks, for example?
Was this your regular bus home? and regular time?Regular-ish, yes - and they didn't get off long before me either.

However, now that I'm over the initial shock, I'm not particularly worried about their specifically targeting me in the future - just very concerned that if they can stand on a bus and talk like that in hearing of a bus-full of people, they're obviously not worried about there being any consequences. Of course, on this occasion there won't be, because I didn't do anything at the time, so that reinforces that message.
he who stands up, stands up on his own.Don't I know it :rolleyes:

Bangers & Mash
3rd-January-2006, 11:45 PM
You could always call the police and tell them that you overheard one of them talking about a bomb! :whistle:

I remember getting attacked in a road rage. I phoned the police and told them that I thought I saw the barrel of a gun. They found him, stripped his car and found "a bar that could have been mistaken for a gun barrel". :blush:

He got into a lot of sh*t!

Rebecca
3rd-January-2006, 11:54 PM
there was no actual violence committed

There was Tess. The definition of violence held by criminal justice agencies and violence risk assessment procedures these days includes actual or threatened physical harm. You were publically threatened. It must have been horrible and I hope you're feeling less frightened now hon :hug:

The seemingly bizarre thing is that the more people that are around you the less likely you are to be assisted.

Take care petal. Hug from Dan too.

R x

DangerousCurves
4th-January-2006, 12:26 AM
The seemingly bizarre thing is that the more people that are around you the less likely you are to be assisted.

A horrid experience - my sincere sympathies to you.

Sadly, there have been many recorded instances of crowds failing to come to people's assistance under attack. There was one very famous case in America where a woman was actually murdered in a residential square in a large city. Over 50 people heard her calling for help over the course of 90 minutes - not one did anything practical about it. One man even told police that he had gone to his window and seen two men "beating at something", but simply shouted "keep the noise down" and shut his window.

I experienced a similar crowd reaction - though in much less serious circumstances - when I lived in London. I was waiting at Tottenham Court Road tube station in rush hour for my brother when a "down and out" decided he wanted a kiss. I declined, and he grabbed me. Literally dozens of commuters were going past in their business suits - many of whom looked over and saw me trying to push him off - and no-one said a word. We struggled for several minutes and he was shouting loudly what he wanted - no-one gave a damn. Fortunately adreneline stepped in and I discovered a huge fury (It was my bloody Birthday to add to the insult!) and an even larger set of lungs. I just started bellowing at him that I was going to call the police, I'd make more trouble for him than he'd ever had in his life etc etc. Fortunately, he backed down and shuffled off. By now a few interested parties had stopped to watch the show, and my brother arrived to find me berating the crowd for doing sod all to help me. A few at least had the decency to look shamefaced.

Apparently, should anyone find themselves in a similar situation, the best thing to do is appeal directly to one person. Whilst everyone is part of the crowd, its not anyone's responsibility and people shy away from getting involved. If you look one person in the eye, and ask them to help you make it their individual responsibilty - and you are much more likely to get a positive response.

Occasionally, I'm glad to say, people suprise you - and one of the good guys (or gals) steps up out of the crowd and helps you out completely voluntarily. I've also experienced that (and you know who you are :flower: ).

El Salsero Gringo
4th-January-2006, 12:27 AM
..as there was no actual violence committed...From a legal point of view, there doesn't need to be.

A "common assault" is committed when "a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend the immediate infliction of unlawful force", and I'd guess your situation qualifies. Common assault is an arrestable offence (since the Domestic Violence, Crimes and Victims Act 2004 made it so) and punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine. (Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988)

If they had touched you, that would be a battery, and the offence would be "assault by beating". Anything more than superficial injuries and then we are talking about "assault occasioning actual bodily harm", an offence under section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Just thought you'd like to know; you can go to a police station tomorrow, and ask to make a complaint of common assault.

Dirty D
4th-January-2006, 02:13 AM
I was watching BBC News 24 just now where an article was shown about a 16 year old girl at school who was knocked unconscious by other children whilst it was videoed by another child on a mobile phone.

Totally disgraceful assault, the girl was hospitalised and will be off school for a while.

It was a relevant article about a nasty assault with the aggravating factor of the assailants videoing the assault and showing it to there friends as entertainment.

what is the headline describing this nasty incident...................


Happy Slapping


"Happy slapping!!! Happy slapping!" what bit of being knocked unconscious made this victim HAPPY. :angry:


I have sent the following e-mail to the BBC:




Your thoughts please and your support to stop this tabloid rubbish on our national news. :flower:
As I work in the news media, I’d thought I have to have a say . If I have read the main issue correctly, you deem the BBC as glamorising the term “Happy Slapping” or de-glamorising a serious assault by referring to it as”Slapping”. The term “happy Slapping” was not started by the BBC or any other News Organisation, but by the adolescents who commits such acts. In my opinion the BBC is highlighting a menace which is real and happening. Its duty is to report on the News and if there’s a craze called “happy Slapping” Why not say it? This also relates to “Car Jacking” and “identity theft” and “joy riding”.

The terminology, or the name “happy” or "slapping" may not be to your or my liking, but the bottom line is, that’s what it called! How would you suggest you refer to it?

Universal use of "happy Slapping" in all news media, makes the general public aware of the extent of the problem and It defines the motive of the attack. Once mentioned the general public will know that it was an unprovoked attack, for no other reason than enjoyment for the sick few. With enough awareness, it is then for the police authorities to prevent or stop such behaviour.

I do agree that highlighting "happy slapping" in such a way, may encourage others to ‘copy cat’ such a craze, but I do believe for the few who may join in, it is better to protect, or at least make aware, the other thousands of innocent people that won’t.

under par
4th-January-2006, 07:18 AM
As I work in the news media, I’d thought I have to have a say . If I have read the main issue correctly, you deem the BBC as glamorising the term “Happy Slapping” or de-glamorising a serious assault by referring to it as”Slapping”. The term “happy Slapping” was not started by the BBC or any other News Organisation, but by the adolescents who commits such acts. In my opinion the BBC is highlighting a menace which is real and happening. Its duty is to report on the News and if there’s a craze called “happy Slapping” Why not say it? This also relates to “Car Jacking” and “identity theft” and “joy riding”.

The terminology, or the name “happy” or "slapping" may not be to your or my liking, but the bottom line is, that’s what it called! How would you suggest you refer to it?

Universal use of "happy Slapping" in all news media, makes the general public aware of the extent of the problem and It defines the motive of the attack. Once mentioned the general public will know that it was an unprovoked attack, for no other reason than enjoyment for the sick few. With enough awareness, it is then for the police authorities to prevent or stop such behaviour.

I do agree that highlighting "happy slapping" in such a way, may encourage others to ‘copy cat’ such a craze, but I do believe for the few who may join in, it is better to protect, or at least make aware, the other thousands of innocent people that won’t.

I am not referring just the BBC but the media in general, 24 hour news channels and newspapers all glamourise the term "Happy Slapping" (as well as "Joy Riding"
and "Car Jacking")

All these terms are probably started on the street but are continuously glamourised in headlines and so called "NEWS" articles.

What we are discussing are assaults ie: common assault,actual bodily harm and sometimes grevious bodily harm in the case of "Happy Slapping", with the aggravating factor of someone videoing/recording the incident.
It is taking a vehicle without consent or theft of a car which is hilariously described as "Joy riding". I cannot recall seeing the JOY in the victims face ever in 23 years of being a policeman when their stolen car is smashed to bits.
"Car jacking" can only ever be described as robbery.

If someone is robbed of £100 at knifepoint its robbery yet someone is relieved of their car at knifepoint worth £20,000 suddenly it is IMHO demeaned in todays media with the term "CAR JACKING" as if it is less serious than robbery. IT IS ROBBERY! Call it robbery.

I am for newscasters to report news, not grab on to trashy street names for serious crimes.

Would the report of a common assault or actual bodily harm ever normally make it to a national newscast or national newspaper?

Not a chance! The poor victims of most of these crimes do not benefit from the national media attention. So in my opinion the national media are glamourisng Scandalously inappropriate tabloid headlines as I titled the thread, when they pick up only on the crimes with scandalously inappropriate tabloid names to run on their news reports. AND THEY THEN CALL IT NEWS!

The press and all media should report the events for what they are and describe crimes as the crimes they are instead of perpetuating the credibilty urban street crime.

The fact that the media continually refer to these trashy street descriptions of these types of crime makes most of them appear to be sinking to TABLOID/GUTTER style journalism.

Although TABLOID style journalism has its place somewhere out there I believe the BBC and other main news organisations should stick to reporting "NEWS" not trash.

There are so many crimes occurring out there some bad some not so bad why is it that only crimes with silly street names make the national NEWS.

My answer is because the jounalists of today have forgotten how to go out and do any real research and report real news without the gimmicks!

Give us news! news! and if you are the editor of 24 hour news channel can you tell how it is that we see the same 15 minutes of "NEWS " regurgitated every 15 minutes. Maybe they should be called 15 Minute News Channels in this climate of trash tabloid silly names.

Sorry for long rant

bigdjiver
4th-January-2006, 11:09 AM
:devil: You forgot to mention "mugging".

Dreadful Scathe
4th-January-2006, 11:22 AM
Well said Mr.Par. I agree with you. Whatever the perps call the crime is not relevent, "Happy Slapping" is simply "assault" and should not be glamourised. The news companies have a responsibility to report the news not make the latest craze sound cool to deranged teenagers.

picture these 2 scenarios

"Have you heard about the new happy slapping craze on TV"
"Yeah funny. Theres that guy we dont like lets get him"

or

"Have you heard there is a rise in common assault"
"Yes. Nothing new about that its not a cool craze we can copy. Lets play playstation 2"

The BBC have no excuse, we pay money to them whether we watch them or not.

El Salsero Gringo
4th-January-2006, 11:38 AM
Well said Mr.Par. I agree with you. Whatever the perps call the crime is not relevent, "Happy Slapping" is simply "assault" and should not be glamourised. The news companies have a responsibility to report the news not make the latest craze sound cool to deranged teenagers.

picture these 2 scenarios

"Have you heard about the new happy slapping craze on TV"
"Yeah funny. Theres that guy we dont like lets get him"

or

"Have you heard there is a rise in common assault"
"Yes. Nothing new about that its not a cool craze we can copy. Lets play playstation 2"

The BBC have no excuse, we pay money to them whether we watch them or not.I think to assume that 'cool' teenagers learn what is cool from BBC news is to put the cart well before the horse.

The problem is that when people who should know better talk about it in "cool" terms, it makes it sound more significant than it is.

I have to ask though, what's new about groups of yobs being threatening on public transport? It's very unpleasant, but not recent. My brother had his nose broken by being kicked in the face by a skinhead's jackboot on the tube twenty five years ago, when the media were making a big fuss about (and supposedly, therefore popularising) skinhead violence.

Dreadful Scathe
4th-January-2006, 11:46 AM
I think to assume that 'cool' teenagers learn what is cool from BBC news is to put the cart well before the horse.

But its all the media whores, not just the BBC :)



I have to ask though, what's new about groups of yobs being threatening on public transport? It's very unpleasant, but not recent. My brother had his nose broken by being kicked in the face by a skinhead's jackboot on the tube twenty five years ago, when the media were making a big fuss about (and supposedly, therefore popularising) skinhead violence.

Theres nothing new of course but popularising IS unfortunately the case. How many teenagers thought skinheads were hard but cool and copied them because of it? Maybe not even hundreds but at least a few - some people find influence from the worst of sources.
My point is that glamourising violent acts does not help when some members of society are so easily influenced already.

bigdjiver
4th-January-2006, 12:05 PM
Let us not just pick on the BBC. The commercial channels have shown characters dressed as oranges slapping people in ads.

Dreadful Scathe
4th-January-2006, 12:11 PM
er..are you referring to the Tango adverts from a decade ago. Those ads were quickly banned because of their dubious nature as children were copying it, showing that children do copy things they say on the TV that are portrayed as "cool" e.g. "Happy Slapping".

Anyway the BBC are quite happy to advertise BBC products so they ARE a commercial channel. And they are crap at it too, Im not the only one who thought the advert with the giant disembodied head made up of thousands of normal sized severed heads was quite disturbing.


BBC boo hiss :)

Dreadful Scathe
4th-January-2006, 12:15 PM
just checked and found a mention of that Tango advert in 1992 so a mere 14 years ago then ;)

Lynn
4th-January-2006, 12:21 PM
Anyway the BBC are quite happy to advertise BBC products so they ARE a commercial channel. And they are crap at it too, Im not the only one who thought the advert with the giant disembodied head made up of thousands of normal sized severed heads was quite disturbing. Yes, I hated that. I immediately changed channels everytime it was on.

El Salsero Gringo
4th-January-2006, 12:24 PM
Theres nothing new of course but popularising IS unfortunately the case.Of course nothing is likely to popularise something faster among younger people than older people's official disapproval. The "media" of the time tried to ban Rock'n'Roll, and look where that got them.

I honestly don't think it makes any difference what the BBC, or others, say about it or call it - there will always be idiotic violence among some young people.

There's no doubt in my mind that the UK is a safer, happier, more tolerant and healthy place to live in now than it has ever been in the past.

TiggsTours
4th-January-2006, 12:34 PM
I saw one just before Christmas:

"Police hunt Santa Claus killer!"

It was a story about a man who'd murdered someone whilst dressed in a santa outfit, but I just had visions of a nation of distraut 6 year olds thinking there'd be no presents this year.

Dreadful Scathe
4th-January-2006, 01:02 PM
I saw one just before Christmas:

"Police hunt Santa Claus killer!"

It was a story about a man who'd murdered someone whilst dressed in a santa outfit, but I just had visions of a nation of distraut 6 year olds thinking there'd be no presents this year.
They missed the opportunity for a sub heading of "No Presents this year". Tasteless but funny.

changing the subject to very appropraite headlines. The best tabloid heading Ive ever seen was years ago when Inverness Caley Thistle beat Celtic in a cup game, big surprise win.

The heading

'Super Caley Fabulous but Celtic are atrocious' (or near enough anway)

:)

under par
4th-January-2006, 01:10 PM
I honestly don't think it makes any difference what the BBC, or others, say about it or call it - there will always be idiotic violence among some young people. .

I agree that there will always be idiotic violence.

My complaint is that we do not get proper news from our media. We get tabloid yeuk purporting to be news.

My request is that in the case of 24 news channels on TV that they try and live up to their name and provide more in depth news and analysis rather than re running a 14 - 15 minute clip with the same videopictures all the time.

They should call the crimes what the crimes are , not some street/gutter tabloid name which IMHO always demeans victims.

the media should refrain from days and days of their reporters reporting from to piles of flowers and teddy ears after each and every "disaster" whilst asking for the thoughts of passing grocers or bakers on the way to work.

I want news. pure and simple NEWS please!



There are still enough other victims of other crimes out there who would like the support and assistance that could be given by the media getting them in the news to trace offenders.
.

There's no doubt in my mind that the UK is a safer, happier, more tolerant and healthy place to live in now than it has ever been in the past.

Totally concur with you ESG.:clap: Great place to live GREAT BRITAIN and NI

LMC
4th-January-2006, 03:57 PM
I totally agree that media reporting is totally out of proportion to the frequency and sometimes the severity of the event.

Don't even get me started on the flowers... I said all that back in July :blush:

I would certainly rather be living here now than 100 years ago (e.g. I'm sure paedophilia is no more prevalant than it was "back then" - it's just that now it's more frequently and rightly recognised, reported and the perpetrators caught). So the media has played an important role in raising the profile of some crimes. But their irresponsible frequent hysteria and "emotion whipping" deadens people to consequences to individuals.

Barry Shnikov
5th-January-2006, 01:19 AM
There was Tess. The definition of violence held by criminal justice agencies and violence risk assessment procedures these days includes actual or threatened physical harm.

Quite right.

The definition of 'assault' is putting somebody in fear of immediate physical harm. Threaten to punch somebody who's standing in front of you and that is assault. If you actually hit them, it's battery. Hence 'assault and battery' because the former nearly always precedes the latter unless the blow comes from behind.

Then there is 'threatening behaviour', though I'm a bit vague on the definition there.

Their behaviour may well have been an offence under the Protection From Harrassment Act as well.

It sounds like a perfectly horrible and very scary situation and I'm sorry you were ever in a situation like that on your own - indeed, nobody should ever be in such a situation like that.

Barry Shnikov
5th-January-2006, 01:25 AM
What we are discussing are assaults ie: common assault,actual bodily harm and sometimes grevious bodily harm in the case of "Happy Slapping", with the aggravating factor of someone videoing/recording the incident.
It is taking a vehicle without consent or theft of a car which is hilariously described as "Joy riding". I cannot recall seeing the JOY in the victims face ever in 23 years of being a policeman when their stolen car is smashed to bits.
"Car jacking" can only ever be described as robbery.

If someone is robbed of £100 at knifepoint its robbery yet someone is relieved of their car at knifepoint worth £20,000 suddenly it is IMHO demeaned in todays media with the term "CAR JACKING" as if it is less serious than robbery. IT IS ROBBERY! Call it robbery.


Well, technically robbery is theft with threats and/or violence. The difficulty with theft of vehicles is that the majority of people take cars in order to drive about and then abandon them. It's not theft because it lacks the 'intention permanently to deprive'; this is why we used to have an offence called 'Taking and driving away' ('TDA') and now 'taking without consent' (TWOCing).

Of course, if the miscreants are found with a container full of flash cars trying to board a cross channel ferry it should be possible to charge them with one of the theft offences.

Oops! Just read the rest of your post and see you are a copper - perhaps I can teach you to suck eggs as well? :blush:

Can't agree with your main thesis, however. Don't see that any news reporting - or one label rather than another - makes crime more likely. Might have more sympathy for the argument that the general dumbing down of television - Big Brother, X factor, IACGMOOH - is partially responsible. Generally encouraging viewers to treat other people without dignity and ordinary civility. I really do believe there are no redeeming features of so-called 'reality TV'.

Next stop, Circus Maximus.

Barry Shnikov
5th-January-2006, 01:33 AM
reporters reporting from to piles of flowers and teddy ears

OMIGOD!!


People are even dismembering the teddy bears? That's terrible...

RogerR
5th-January-2006, 01:52 AM
Tessalicious, Really kick ass at the bus company/ TfL They take your money to transport you safely they have a duty of care towards you. Collar your MP and/or councillors. Do it Soon so that the video from the bus is still on file Security viseo should be kept for a few days before being wiped for re-use.

David Bailey
5th-January-2006, 10:55 AM
Don't even get me started on the flowers... I said all that back in July :blush:

I said it on August 31st 1997. Not here of course :)

(Worms, can of, open...)

ToeTrampler
5th-January-2006, 11:15 AM
... My complaint is that we do not get proper news from our media. We get tabloid yeuk purporting to be news...
I remember when "Drop the Dead Donkey" was just a comedy programme; now it just seems to the current model for reporting the news.:(

Dance Demon
5th-January-2006, 06:47 PM
'Super Caley Fabulous but Celtic are atrocious' (or near enough anway):)

" Supercaley Go Ballistic, Celtic are atrocious"..

Fantastic headline, to go with an even more fantastic result:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: