COMMENT ON THIS STORY
(WBBM) - There are consequences and lessons to be learned in this, the YouTube age. One group of young people in Northwest Indiana is finding that out.
WBBM's Bernie Tafoya reports on how a fight between two teenage middle school girls Friday evening in South Haven, Ind. in Porter County ended up on the Internet.
The Northwest Indiana Times reports the girls were apparently settling their differences and other teens stood around cheering them on, all the while someone else, unbeknownst to them, videorecorded it and then posted it on YouTube, www.youtube.com.
The video clearly showed two girls rolling around in a parking lot. Other teens can be seen and heard encouraging the girls to fight, one heard to say "Smash her face onto the concrete".
Neither of the girls appeared to be injured and Porter County police have yet to determine any legal consequences.
The 49-second video has since been removed from YouTube by the girl who posted it.
Her mother tells the paper she believes her daughter was just trying to fit in and be one of the cool kids. That girl is a student at Portage High School, the Northwest Indiana Times reports.
Now, the computer the girl received as a Christmas present has been taken from her by her mom as punishment.
The students involved in the fight were from Willowcreek Middle School in Portage. Their principal has had a talk with them.
"It is disturbing that students choose to participate in this type of aggression," Portage Township Schools Superintendent Mike Berta told the Northwest Indiana Times.
Fights between students is norhing new. But, he said the there are new concerns because of the thrill young people apparently get from taping fights and posting them online.
E-Mail Story
Print Story