Happy slapping is the wrong description for an assault in which the attack is filmed. There's nothing happy about it, it's a bit like calling someone who steals a car and kills someone a 'joyrider'.
Bullying UK started to get complaints about happy slapping in November 2004. The first incidents took place in the London area, often on buses and trains, and quickly spread to the school playground and street.
What is happy slapping?The assault usually involves a stranger being hit over the head while other members of the
gang take photographs/video on their camera phones. The pictures are then circulated by mobile phone or put on the internet. In recent months happy slapping has become an unpleasant and dangerous craze. There have been a number of high profile cases in which attackers have been jailed for killing people in this way.
Where happy slapping attacks have happened in school playgrounds pupils have been afraid to return to school. Anyone who thinks this is just a bit of harmless fun should think about the consequences.
Anyone assaulted in this way should tell their parents who should make a complaint to the police.
Happy slapping is a criminal offenceThere are a number of offences involved. The first is assault, the second is harassment if the pictures are shown around and uploaded to the internet and it may also be against telecommunications law.
Bullying UK has had numerous complaints about abusive videos uploaded to websites like YouTube. If you or your friends are the victim of a filmed assault let us know on
help@bullying.co.uk and we'll advise you how to get the material removed.
Some schools have
already banned mobile phones from being used during the day to prevent
pupils sending abusive text messages. We're now hearing of others
banning them after happy slapping incidents. It's unfortunate that the
bad behaviour of a tiny minority of pupils inconveniences everyone but
if head teachers think there is a risk of assaults on the premises then
they need to protect pupils and a ban on phones on the premises is
probably the best way to do thatOther pages in this sectionSchool projects
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National Bullying Survey 2006
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Happy slapping
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