Happy slapping increasingly slap-happy?

So apparently it's all the rage in the UK for groups of teens to run amok slapping unsuspecting kids or passersby, documenting the whole charade on cameraphones and sending it around via 3G (the article actually nonchalantly says "slap or mug" which seem to us quite different practices not lending themselves to being lumped together so willy-nilly). "Happy slapping" has apparently spread from the UK garage music scene to school playgrounds (as most fads do) and is now taking the nation by storm. The Guardian reports attacks are growing more violent as perps take on adult victims in parks and public places. Let's pause for a reality check and remember how the media loves to sensationalize this stuff, so it may be happening and it may be growing, but you can probably still walk out of your home and make it to the corner market without getting happy slapped. We hope.

[Via picturephoning]

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I go to a selective private school in south london, and there used to be a group (im not being racsist here) of black boys going round happy slapping people, this was in a selective PRIVATE school, its those boys who want to appear "ghetto", when actually some of them live in sloane square, stop preteding to be what you're not. A few weeks ago we managed to get two of them expelled, so these guys haave stopped doing it, but instead they are downloading videos of people having their heads cut off. jeeze, its totally sick.

[aelso @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It more likely came from the UK Grime scene than the UK Garage scene, but not that music has ANYTHING to do with this....

[Pat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hi , iv lived in newyork for 2 years been living in london for 5 years. You NYC people can say that these happyslappers will not get 2 far in the US. Well the thing is people here are alot more rough. Cause you got your consealed weapons isn't going to help, that weapon would probably be taken off you and used against you. The worst happyslap iv seen was a vid i got off the net where a group knocked on some1's door and the person who answered got a smack in the face. Oh ye, in America that person would answer the door with a revolver right??
Well im worried for my family more than anything else, im a martial-artist so i'll be ok.

[Jeroen (the Netherlands) @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

When I hear of things like this happening in the UK it reminds me of Anthony Burgess`'A Clockwork Orange'. Guess he was quite right about the future.

[Benni @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I know some 9yr olds who do this, I thinks its ridiculous that this is what they spend thier time doing. Apparently its 'Oh so funny'. If it happened to me I think Id react with more than jus a slap.

[Ernst Mulder (The Netherlands) @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It reminds me of what happened to James Bulger (2). And more recently to a group of kids trying to hang Anthony Brown (5). Did these kids also video their act? It makes me wonder what is happening to this world. Or has it always been like this and now we hear about it all the tome cos of modern communication and such? Sooner or later this might well end with someone dying. It's also happening over here in The Netherlands, the latest craze is throwing bricks off viaducts to hit and crash cars. One life lost so far.

[Jo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

i think it is wrong and affensive and should be made against the law!!!!!

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

The US has the highest murder and violent crime rates in the western world. Last year NY was the safest large US city at 6.9 murders per 100,000 people (its lowest for 40 years). London has 2.4 murders per 100,000 (its worst yet).

Maybe being 3 times less likely to be killed is worth an occasional slap.

[Si @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I live in Nottingham UK, last night the babysitters friend got 'happy slapped', no sorry ASSULTED! Kicked in the head, punched in the head , kicked a tooth out, 15 people FFS.

The group was nor more the 18 he is 16 what the hell is going on here!
Howlong till some one is killed for this crazy.

[Tammy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I am an A-level student and i am about to create a campaign to help combat 'happy slapping' for my graphics project. As everyone will be the target audience, what would you like to see for this sort of campaign? e.g. shock tactics to make the culprits realise how serious and dangerous this assult can be? info for the public (help contacts) etc?
please post your comments.

[Barry @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This stupid crazy, if you can call it that happened to two of my mates on Friday, night. 1 has a broken jaw the other is unreckonisable from the punches he got on his face. They were at the bus stop with their girlfriends after the pub and got set upon by 14 kids.

Retribution is the way, find these little shits and give them the taste of their own medicine. Beat them with in an inch of their lives, break their arms and legs. You can stick your political correctness up your arse, they need to be taugh a lesson. By beating the living daylights out of them they will never do it again.

It is time that we took the streets back for ourselves.

[orro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

well heres a group whos very much against those punks!

slapstare team is a group of people devoted to bring
back slapstick(as in the original slapstick!) humor into the 21st century so we started a website
where we are posting videos of people faking silly slaps and other kinds of slapstick behavior .
We think it's important to educate the youngsters about this form of
humor which in away may reduce real appreciation toward real violence.
I would like to hear your opinion about it if you wouldn't mind
sparring some minutes to reply.
All the best
Hoping we can somehow collaborate

http://www.slapstare.com

Cheers
The slapstare team

[Education @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Sorry I have just gotten to this conversation.
I am not meaning to be rude, simply correcting.


#5 and 17. That would be battery not assault. Assault is just the treat to do something. Battery is the person actually physicaly doing something (that is the US law anyway, I don't know how the UK words their crimes)

#12. Anyone with a CCP(Concealed carry permit) would know not to shot someone in this situation. We are probibly some of the most level headed individuals in a situation like this simply because we have been educated about the law.

#20. Violent crimes have gone down in every single state that has enacted a CCP. Not saying it would really help with the slapping issue going down, but just food for thought.

#30. 37 states have made it law sayaing the state must issue you a permit(As long as you pass criminal background check, provide proof of training, are of the proper age, ect.), 9 states say the state "may issue" permit to people. Only 4 states make it totally illegal, 2 of which passed laws that were vetoed by the states govenor, and motions are in the works in Nebraska and Kansas and Wisconsin .

#51. That would not be concidered a true "threat". You would be prosecuted .

#62. It is very rare that a person actually removes their concealed weapon and it is taken from them. I would like to see any type of statistic you have to back-up you claim that it would be taken from them.

#64. If you spare the rod, you spoil the child.

#69. It is. We call it battery.

This is just pathetic. If this is the best thing UK teens can find to do on a weekend (Or weekday for all I know) night, then they have lost their mind. But it does say something about the parents of these children to allow such behavior. It simply does not come from out of nowhere. If either of my kids ever attempted to show any type of behavior even resembling any action in this matter they would not do it a second time. And I am not some redneck that goes around waving his gun in everyone�s face and beating my children. People that have their CCP act in a manner (And this is a generalization, there is an odd ball out there everywhere) that is befitting a civil person. And I am not saying that every child in the UK is not receiving proper parenting, simply the ones that are doing such actions. But there are simple ways to stop this threat, just like any treat. Deterrence. The kids as mentioned about that were doing it until their friends got expelled stopped. Why??? Because they saw what was going to happen if they didn't. Make a great enough penalty and the action stops, or is deterred to only the truly vicious.

"An armed society is a polite society".
Robert A. Heinlein

[TheZodiac @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is why I carry a happy 500,000 volt stun gun.

[EdZ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Several people have shoved their phones in my face, expecting me to laugh. My response has been to hit them, and say 'whoops, forgot my phone doesn't have a video camera'.

Doing my best to curtail the spread of stupid and destructive memes.

[Yet another matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

im in north london, ive never seen or heard of it happening, fortunatly its never happened to me.
my little brother got a group letter from school by the police notifying them it was a criminal offence.
my opinion, you have a right to defend yourself, someone does it to me, ill beat the s*** out of them!

[TheZodiac @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is why I carry a happy 500,000 volt stun gun.

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I can't wait for this to come to America. The first person that gets slapped will sue for assault, but only after they beat the sh1t out of the person that slapped them (in self-defense of course).

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Another example of sloppy journalism in regards the UK Garage scene. wtf has this happy slapping got to do with music!!

[slobby @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

is this really gadget news? c'mon you geeks... drink your coffee and wake up... if I wanted "real" news, I'd be at the drudge report instead of engadget

[Bubi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This would make a great Chris Rock show skit.

Oh wait, it already has.

[nova @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I live in london and can confirm this - I've seen this happen a couple times. Its sad but true. They generally "attack" in groups and think its really funny. But I've seen some people really messed up and scared by it.

[Ed_NYC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

We're headed for lowest recorded number of murders in NYC this year... If this ever comes to the city you can kiss that record good-bye, the subway stations will be littered with the bodies of dumb-asses that tried to be funny!

[Nice myth @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

@#7: Yeah, the good ol' American concealed weapon culture will put a stop to this in no time, just like it did with muggings, robberies, murders... Either the happyslappers will pick targets who obviously have no weapons, or one of their gang will carry a not-so-concealed weapon pointed at you just in case you want to defend yourself.

[David @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#11 see #10

[furtim @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I'm really supposed to believe this, after the whole "toothing" thing?

[-G- @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

"im in north london, ive never seen or heard of it happening, fortunatly its never happened to me.
my little brother got a group letter from school by the police notifying them it was a criminal offence.
my opinion, you have a right to defend yourself, someone does it to me, ill beat the s*** out of them!"

Whoa! Do you live in Barnet?!?, I do!

[LoneSniper @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I work as an IT Technician in a large London school and a number of times a student has had their phone confiscated and the Head Teacher has seen these violent videos and got us to remove them via BT normally and put on CD so they have evidence to expel the student and hand over to the police. Violence towards others is seen as a game in the UK and our once happy society is being destroyed. It will take a strong political party to make us safe again. Here�s hoping for change on May 5th.

[Joe Maller @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

While we're (rightfully) slamming the media, I noted their choice of words to describe this were "craze", "fad", "craze" and "phenomenon". Would it have been too much to call a video'd assault a "problem"?

[Geoff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Yeah, I don't think you'd want to try that in this country, slapped here is capped here.

[Yet another matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

a strong political party? here? maybe may 5th 2015

[Nice myth @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

David, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to see in #10. Are there less murders in NYC simply because people carry concealed weapons? I doubt it. Do you think there won't be any happyslapping in subways because of concealed weapons? Maybe, but they can still slap people outside the subway... Or do you all New Yorkers spend their entire lives in subways, covering each other with concealed weapons?

[? @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This has been around for quite long now, last year we where told by the head of year anyone else found doing this would be suspended. This was after the many slaps from up behind where recorded on our phones. West London

[Ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I live out near Oxford and have never seen it. Then again, I am afraid of sunlight.

[Ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Anyone else notice the dude getting slapped in the picture got a handful of that girl's boob?

[jzderf @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I just really do not see it catching on here in the states or at the very least in NY. Quite frankly the type of kids here in NYC who would have the gumption or the inclination to do something like this would just outright mug you rather than just slap you and run away. If anything, these kids would think its mostly lame to just go around slapping people without even bothering to take their money.

And yes, also, if kids slapped random people on the train here, they would get the shit kicked out of them if not outright literally killed. New Yorkers don't mess around.

Also, nice myth, it's illegal to carry concealed weapons in NY. As far as I know, only Texas has a provision which allows you to have a concealed weapon.

[kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

i cant help but imagine napoleon slapping kip

[Dario @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

List of states that allow concealed carry of weapons:
http://www.packing.org/state/report_basic.jsp?search=shall_issue

Also please note that if you have a concealed weapons permit in the US you CANNOT shoot someone for slapping you. You would be charged with murder.

[christopher wanko @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#22... New Yorkers mess around. It's not Spiderman2 where subway riders band together to fight evil. It's a lot more like "I hope they don't slap me next, let me just look at my shoes".

You're confusing NYC with any town in Alabama or South Carolina, where you *will* get your teeth knocked loose.

-C

[jfb3 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I think all the states allow concealed carry. Some, like Alaska and Vermont, don't require a permit for concealment.
see: http://www.packing.org/states.jsp

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

What did the five fingers say to the face?

SLAP! - Rick James


'Marcus' beat me to it. I was going to say

"Try this in america and you'll soon get happy shot."

Or stabbed or clubbed or maced or zapped (all of course the 'happy' variant).

I dunno, if the right person smacked me for no reason I might let it go. A cop, a stunningly beautiful girl...

Actually I was slapped by a pretty girl before...oh wait...I remember now, it wasn't random, I totally deserved it. Nevermind...

To be honest, I would be kinda surprised if this actually did become widespread in the UK. Not necessarily because I think they are an especially genteel people. Quite the opposite actually, they have a very old and rich heritage true, but they can be pretty hot tempered themselves. I've seen brits and scots (no offense is meant with the use of those terms) get it on...and like anyone else, if you provoke them sufficiently the consequences can be dire...

And in any country/culture, afaik a random SLAP IN THE FACE is an open invitation to receive an a$$ whompin'. Heck in a lot a places it's historically a challenge to a death duel...

What would the legality of a reprisal be here in the US ? If someone slaps/hits you, turns around and runs away, can you in fact pursue and mangle them in the name of self defense and have a leg left to stand on in court?

Shadetree lawyers are welcome to comment...

To: jzdrf

" nice myth, it's illegal to carry concealed weapons in NY. As far as I know, only Texas has a provision which allows you to have a concealed weapon."

Yep, it's illegal alright. Just like speeding, pot smoking, murder and well...happy slapping. In spite of the law, lots of people carry weapons. Intentionaly and unintentionally.

An iPod or PDA upside the head is actually a very effective weapon (particularly if the glass plastic/glass shatters in the process) but I doubt the police could make it stick as a violation.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

To: 'Dario'

Re: "You would be charged with murder."

Only if they die :)

You seem to actually be knowledgable on the subject, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but if you intentionally shoot someone below the waist doesn't that automatically reduce the charge to assault w/ deadly weapon (perhaps even murderous intent) instead of murder/attempted muder ?

[Jamie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

" Posted Apr 26, 2005, 11:43 AM ET by Nice myth
@#7: Yeah, the good ol' American concealed weapon culture will put a stop to this in no time, just like it did with muggings, robberies, murders..."

Actually, where that happens, it's illegal to carry self-defence--like where you live.

-citizen, not subject thankyouverymuch

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This screams "Clockwork Orange."

[Finishing.Law.School @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It'll be great when kids start getting shot, tazered and beat down for stupid rubbish like this.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hey Sam (and all you other whiners screaming "this isn't gadget news"), did you happen to miss the part where they relayed the slapfest over their 3G cellphones? Quit whining.

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hey #31, if Engadget becomes the "fox" of the net, it'd mean their traffic was more than double that of any other tech site out there. I'm sure they want to avoid that!

ps, for #29, if you shoot at someone it doesn't matter what part of the body you aim for, it'll be charged with the same crime.

I spent 6 months in London a few years back and the level of street violence that was accepted just blew me away! Passers-by would simply pass on by apparently unconcerned (so would I, so I guess I'm a schmuck too). Maybe Guiliani could do a quick stint over there and clean the place up.

[LoneSniper @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Most London people would like a 'Guiliani style' Zero Tolerance Campaign but our country is ridiculously politically correct and the minority groups (now becoming major groups) would complain that their people were being unfairly targeted by law enforcement, even though they commit most of the crime. Oh wait can�t call it �law enforcement� as the government would say that is politically incorrect and they don�t �enforce� anything anyway. How about �Social Integration and Community Support Individuals of Varying Backgrounds and Belief�s Wasting Money on Vague Task Forces, Action Plans and Not Doing Traditional Police Work Agency�.

I don't know how they will get all that on the side of their patrol cars.

[Eric Lampi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Yeah seriously, this is engadget.com, not fark.com

Incidentally fark has tons of this stuff, I highly recommend it for slow work days

[Sam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#33 The relevance of this "news" bit is like CNN headline news broadcasting a story about athletes foot because it includes a 2 minute segment about how US soldiers in Iraq deal with athlete's foot and blisters.

#34 You said, "...it'd mean their traffic was more than double that of any other tech site out there."

Do you have any sources to back up that claim?