Discipline awaits the cameraman responsible for the online posting of a video showing a vicious fight that took place in the schoolyard of Tauranga Boys' College.
The footage was posted on Facebook following the March 3 fight between two Year 10 boys during the school's lunch hour.
The video shows a student punching another up to 20 times in the head and chest with a crowd of about 30 other students looking on.
It also shows a teacher breaking up the fight.
Principal Robert Mangan says he is disappointed by the video and its contents.
The student who filmed the incident and then posted it on Facebook will be dealt with after an investigation by Robert's assistant principal.
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| A screenshot of the fight from the video posted to Facebook. |
'It's glamorising a behaviour that's totally inappropriate,” says Robert.
'We do certainly have consequences in place for boys that are doing that.”
The identity of the perpetrator is yet to be known by the school, which is unable to see whose Facebook page it is on because of privacy restrictions on the website.
The school is investigating.
'I don't know whose site it was on to start off with – how do you find it if it hasn't been shared with the school?”
The school was only alerted to the video's presence on Facebook after a parent sent it to the Dominion Post newspaper.
Robert says he is disappointed the parent chose to air the matter publicly and would have preferred for it to have just been discussed with the school.
He will not say whether or not any of the students were stood down, but the parent who sent the video says the main protagonist was not.
'Both boys were disciplined. One was disciplined more severely than the other,” says Robert.
He says he would like to speak to the parent who sent the video to the Dominion Post to discuss his concerns.
'I like to think we are responsible where parents have concerns,” says Robert.
He says the parents of the boys involved were informed and the matter resolved following the fight.
Robert says in the past he has 'tried to explain” to students that posting violent videos on the internet was inappropriate and wrong and felt support was needed from the school and homes of the boys in order to stop the behaviour.
It is not the first time Tauranga Boys' College has been in the spotlight for video taped violence.
In 2006 a YouTube clip showing a student being restrained while another punched him was released.
Principal at the time, Graham Young, criticised the posting of the video, describing it as inappropriate and bizarre, but not unusual.
10 comments
come down hard
Posted on 29-03-2011 12:48 | By morepork
Boys have always fought. They did it at TBC when I was there (a long time ago...) and there will always be occasions when adolescent youths want to hit each other. It can be channelled. I remember being challenged to a boxing match by a kid I was always at loggerheads with and a teacher who hated both of us was very happy to referee. It was decided that 5 3 minute rounds would do it and classmates could attend. It meant that both of us got into training and learned something about boxing. When the bout finally came off it lasted 2 and a half rounds when there was a pause to attend to a bleeding nose and a split lip. I felt honour was satisfied and saw no need to inflict further damage so I offered to stop, but my opponent, to his credit, said he was fine and would continue. The teacher stopped it and the two of us became firm friends for years afterwards, having learned mutual respect. Obviously, it is not practical to set up supervised fighting for every kid who wants/needs it, and many parents would object because the "noble art of self defence" has suffered a bad image through the likes of Don King. Nevertheless, sometimes boys need to get it out of their systems and there are positive ways to do that. Bullying is a whole different ball game and requires a more fundamental approach to ensure that it is seen as anti-social and cowardly. Bullying is eradicated by changing kids attitudes to it; personal antagonism and grudges are a fact of life and kids need to learn how to deal with them without making videos for Facebook. How a Principal can claim it is not unusual as if it is OK, is beyond me. It SHOULD be unusual and the Principal's job is to see that it is. I would come down very hard on kids who indulged in this kind of behaviour.
Making it harder...
Posted on 29-03-2011 14:43 | By Tauranga Advocacy
It would indeed make it very difficult to deal with the problem when parents themselves refer the violent videos to the media instead of to the appropriate authority, in this case the school. The parent then becomes a part of the problem instead of helping to find a solution. Most disappointing.
Social media problems!!!!
Posted on 29-03-2011 14:54 | By esquire
IT is really bad how easy it is for teenagers to engage with the internet. Cyber bullying and doing stuff online to belittle others is a really really bad problem... Facebook should be restricted to R18. I have no idea how this could be made possible... but... really, how appropriate is social media for teens enraged with the world and rebelling like crazy!!!!
smokescreens
Posted on 29-03-2011 16:05 | By moove
The colleges hide behind a smokescreen and dont deal with the issues. Boys college, girls college, it doesnt matter, the kids are assaulted police wont do anything and the school does nothing of note about it. Those doing it never really get punished but our kids getting beaten sure do. Tbc knew it happened, the teacher broke it up. Not the first time beatings have happened at TBC but this time they couldnt hush it up like they have in the past.
i was there.
Posted on 29-03-2011 16:57 | By cryce
i am a student that was there. The thing is that he was getting bulled by the guy who didn't fight back.. as the guy fighting is my best friend.. he did it to just defend himself. the guy also got in two hits as my best mate got about 25.
copout
Posted on 29-03-2011 17:22 | By milo
The response of Tauranga Boys College is one of we should have been told.But if they had what would they have done about it? Very little I suspect The concern would have been to safeguard the "human rights" of the perpetrator never mind the victim
Stop being so damn PC
Posted on 29-03-2011 17:52 | By Lostzone
It is a simple problem to deal with. The real problem is the school boards adopting and enforcing "NO phones during school hours" The children (they don't deserve the title of teenager)can take the phone onto school grounds but it must be left in a safe deposit box during schools hours. And yes of course there would be a daily rental charge.Parents can leave a message during school hours for the child at the office. The caller will be advised that the message will be passed on at the next break. And yes of course there is a charge ~ maybe a $1 for non urgent & $2 for urgent. User pays just as some one has to pay for the phone and use of. The "WOW FACTORS" of all this would be : the children would be more involved with school work : less disruption in class : learn some one on one,face to face communication skills. Thats just for starters. Some of the more astute will have learnt & practice the K.I.S.S. system. To Easy?? Plenty of can not, will not work,but by son blah blah blah. You bet there will be!! N Barker
answer is
Posted on 29-03-2011 23:05 | By Capt_Kaveman
.
answer is
Posted on 29-03-2011 23:08 | By Capt_Kaveman
for the basher explelled for the vid = warning victim = $1,000 paid by the bashers parents
I could bring down at least three teachers...
Posted on 30-03-2011 09:33 | By SpeakUp
...by divulging things they had done in their youth. They would not have a job now. Gee, all you PC-mad sticky-beaks, look at yourself. Have you never failed when you were young? Ah, maybe not. Well, that makes you exactly the righteous sorry ar*e that you are nowadays.
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