It's such a big craze, happens at my school a lot. Poor sad little children with nothing to do but amuse themselves by hitting other people.

In the good old days they had a reason to beat you up at least: overweight - red hair - glasses or something similar. But this seems pretty random. Which I guess increases the chances of being left alone for the overweight, red haired, 4 eyed people under us

But it is totally disgraceful! Not to mention the behaviour of the school! No sorry, we can't do anything as althought it could very well be students that go to school here it happened after school so not our problem. Is it too much to ask to try to persuade pupils to come forward if they have any information?

Young people and "group think" in combination with a mobile camera phone isn't a good combination it seems

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by Chambler
In the good old days they had a reason to beat you up at least: overweight - red hair - glasses or something similar. (

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Oi that was me on all three counts when I was a kid!

And If someone slaps me, I'll slap the buggers back.

With a plank of wood

With a nail in it




(Edited by thelostsailor 26/05/2005 23:38)

This happened to someone I work with the other week. Really horrible. Scum is the only word I could probably get away with describing them as.

They had a report about it on ITV last week, I was and still am totaly disgusted .... it had come to the stage that two boys actually set fire to a man sleeping (off the beer I think) and filming it!

i think its so scary, i really do worry a lot about the people in the world today, it just seems to be getting more violent and out of control by the day...its just horrible! i get really scared when im walking past gangs now, and i've beceome very careful about where and when i go out

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by Spitefulangel
i think its so scary, i really do worry a lot about the people in the world today, it just seems to be getting more violent and out of control by the day...

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Beg to differ, there's always been mindless little toerags picking fights for the hell of it. All that's new are camera phones and the media giving them the publicity they crave. Hopefully they won't be so keen after a couple of convictions for common assault are similarly publicised.

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by Byron
(quotes)
Beg to differ, there's always been mindless little toerags picking fights for the hell of it. All that's new are camera phones and the media giving them the publicity they crave. Hopefully they won't be so keen after a couple of convictions for common assault are similarly publicised.

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Beg to differ with your differ

Yes there have always been mindless toerags, but this latest is part of a trend that I see goes hand in hand with a growing division among the social classes, failing discipline in education, the dissolution of the family unit, the lack of accountability so prevalent in our society, and a media obsession with pain and suffering being made into entertainment. To name a few.

I've noticed in many of your arguments (and its not just yours, but a general stance to take) the proposal that these things just go in cycles and that there is nothing new under the sun. That's wrong in my opinion. For one, there is not enough data to support looking at trends in the last century because so much has changed so fast, and is continuing to change at a dizzying pace.

Yes, it probaly is a fad, and yes, a few people going to prison might put the dampers on the enthusiasm for this particular fad, but the existance of such a fad in itself paints a sad picture of our current society.

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by Funky Monkey
ooops T21 broke and i posted twice

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So delete one of them.......Edit/delete post

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by Teresa
(quotes)

So delete one of them.......Edit/delete post

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Cool, i didnt notice you could do that. Thanks.

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by Funky Monkey
(quotes)

Beg to differ with your differ

Yes there have always been mindless toerags, but this latest is part of a trend that I see goes hand in hand with a growing division among the social classes, failing discipline in education, the dissolution of the family unit, the lack of accountability so prevalent in our society, and a media obsession with pain and suffering being made into entertainment. To name a few.

I've noticed in many of your arguments (and its not just yours, but a general stance to take) the proposal that these things just go in cycles and that there is nothing new under the sun. That's wrong in my opinion. For one, there is not enough data to support looking at trends in the last century because so much has changed so fast, and is continuing to change at a dizzying pace.

Yes, it probaly is a fad, and yes, a few people going to prison might put the dampers on the enthusiasm for this particular fad, but the existance of such a fad in itself paints a sad picture of our current society.

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Allow me to differ from your differing of my original differation. *Head explodes*

*Crams the paltry contents back in for the reply*

You're right, I do hold with the cycles argument. Where we are now is a consequence of Thatcher's social wrecking ball. True, we're limited by our perspective, but to date I don't see anything radically new. Certainly not dizzying change. Disintergration of established communities and changing working practises pales compared to the industrial revolution, and our yuppie, me-first ethic is a dead match for the greedy Georgian society that followed it. Progress changes the way our instincts manifest themselves; but I've yet to be convinced it changes the instincts themselves.

Things might be worse than they were a couple of decades back -- the High Bitch Queen gleefully turned back the clock -- but they ain't got a candle on the destitution and class gaps of the past. The welfare state was the response to that, and the closer the uber yuppies drag us back to what went before, the more likely they make a revival of Attlee and Bevin.

(That was surprisingly optimistic for me, better check I got everything back in the right order.)

To differ with the differ offered by Byron to Monkey's rather different differ... (Does that work? Yeah, I know it's probably taking it a tad too far, but I digress... )

Never mind the ramifications of UK political history, IMHO they're all idiotic ****holes who ought to know a damn sight better - does anyone else remember the North West Tonight report last week (I think) on the girl who was paralysed for a few days after being 'happy slapped' and now goes to school under the protection of a personal bodyguard?

[/differingdiffer]

EDIT: Extra * added to satisfy Byron's grammatically correct patriotic pedantry...

(Edited by Alan 03/06/2005 13:37)

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by Alan
Never mind the ramifications of UK political history, IMHO they're all idiotic ***holes who ought to know a damn sight better ...

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Oh no question about that: we were just arguing if there's always been idiotic ****holes* who ought to know better.

*Tut tut, four asterisks old bean, we're British here what what.

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by Alan
does anyone else remember the North West Tonight report last week (I think) on the girl who was paralysed for a few days after being 'happy slapped' and now goes to school under the protection of a personal bodyguard?

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Alan - that was what the article I posted was about - the girl lives in my area! Says a lot about where I live I suppose. (And even then it's nicer than Darwen)

Oh well, the link didn't work first time I read this thread (crappy library PCs, can't wait until I have money to subscribe to ze broadband goodness) so that's probably why I don't remember reading it...