In some ways, there is nothing new in all of this. There have always been bullies and the bullied. There have always been assaults in public space. What is new is the technology that permits both the recording of these events and their broader dissemination. This, in turn, means that the humiliation of the victim is not just a passing horrible moment but an ongoing film clip for the wider world to watch. Moreover, it is wrapped up in the completely misleading description 'happy slapping'.
How has it come about? What should be done about it? There are the usual pat responses: that these kids need a clip round the ear or something more draconian by way of punishment. The issue is, of course, more complex than that.
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