Poo, what have I done?

[MrsSnape]

I posted on here a few days ago about a video on youtube of a horrible girl beating some other girl up. My sister goes to the same school.

I had 3 choices, report to school, report to police or report to newspaper and try and get her in as much trouble as possible.

Anyway I did all 3 (like some of you suggested). School and police were not interested. Newspaper was and emailed me back asking for more info. By this point I'd regretted involving them so I emailed back and said I had no more info and didn't know any of the kids involved. I thought that would be the end of it but I've just had an email back saying they're running 'the story' tomorow in the paper! what story??? they had no info ... ? What could they possibly be reporting on?

I really regret getting involved.

Nonsense.

YANBU, it takes courage to stand up and be counted. You followed your heart because you felt it might bring someone to justice and help put it place more protection for local kids in the future, that can't be wrong.

Are we suppose to just sit and take our country's slide in to mindless violence being the norm?

My sister is a paramedic who's job it often is to try and saves the lives of kids who have got in to fights that started out small like this one, then often explain to parents why their child is dead. She also does some work for a charity educating kids about violence and knife crimes etc., whilst it's questionable to get directly involved in a fight like that for fear of also getting hurt, if someone was stupid enough to film it and try to glamourise it on the internet then they deserve all they get.

I fail to see how it is nonsense. The girl who does the punching will probably see the paper and know she is likely to get into (more) trouble. She may well blame her victim for this and seek revenge.

Do you seriously suggest that letting things go would be Ok wotulookingat? I do think that showing that action is taken when such a thing happens might actually act as a deterrent for someone else to do the same. IMO the culture nowadays that if it is not our business we should not react to it is responsable for a lot of the situations (similar to this one) when offenders do so because they now there will probably be no consequences.

I think it would have been up to the victim to report it.

I mean nonsense to OP, to doubt herself getting involved.

But having read your post, if we didn't report anyone for fear of them getting annoyed and seeking revenge, we'd never lock up any criminals, or bring anyone to bear and all live in fear.

She is a child and need to be punished and corrected so she doesn't go in to adulthood thinking this is the way to behave.

The victim was another child, it's up to an adult to do something. (Although admittedly their own parents knowing what the hell they're up to would have been more preferable) The OP'r is an adult who's attention was drawn to it. She acted responsibly IMO.

That's a whole different debate about the uselessness of the police force at times!

So that's your solution Wotulookin at. We should just allow society to degenerate around us and never take a stand because we live in fear of the retaliation of a 14 year old girl? What absolute and utter crap. Are you actually a grown up?

Grow a pair.

Erm, I don't believe that I ever suggested that as a solution, did I?
Yes I am a 'grown-up' - although, as a 'grown-up', I refer to them as 'adults'.

Perhaps not as a solution, but you absolutely said you felt the OP had acted wrongly in taking action - preferring to allow a 14 year old bully and a 14 year old victim to sort it out among themselves.

Not very "adult" imo.

I never suggested they should sort it out themselves - I just don't think that an unrelated party should have taken the action of going to the newspaper. The school felt they had dealt with the girl and she was no longer with them. The police said they were unable to help - but changed their mind when the paper ran the story (to avoid bad publicity, IMO). I expressed concern over how the publicity could affect those directly concerned: the girl who punched the other person is not of rational mind and may act irrationally again.

Well, she didn't only go to the newspaper, she went to school and police and only the newspaper has "acted". I don't think I would have gone to a newspaper, but OP only did so after half of bloody MN said do it - and she regretted it almost instantly. I am referring to the taking of action full stop - so perhaps that is where our wires are crossed?

Clearly the victim did not report it, probably because it would completely obvious to her attacker if she did - much more reason for the attacker to seek her out for revenge.

At least this way, it's clear someone anonymous has seen the footage on youtube and reported it.

And FWIW, girls who beat up other girls in in a culture of doing that, and they won't stop unless some serious intervention or repercussions happen. They are trying to gain social "status" among their peers by any means necessary. You could pretty much guarantee this victim would be revisited for another beating unless something as big as this got in the way of her.

Let's all hope that this results in the girl seeing the error in her ways.

Another update:

After it was in the paper yesterday, the police and the paper received loads of calls identifying the attacker and the victim AND the victims family contacted the police after seeing it in the paper.

Both of them are going to be spoken to by police within the next few days.

I'm glad I reported it, I just hope the victim doesn't end up with more problems as a result.

The same attacker also threatened to beat up my aspergers sister at school so it does have a kind of personal connection.