Editorial
She was kicked, punched, beaten and knocked unconscious while her peers stood by and did nothing except record her humiliation and post it online.
It makes one wonder what type of youth society is raising today. Certainly not one you’d want to admit categorizes your son or daughter.
The swarming against the 13-year-old girl took place in Kelowna recently and has sparked outrage. In fact, a parent has started a petition calling for amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act (which is long overdue).
Youth have come a long way since stealing apples from their neighbourhood farmer or throwing rocks at store windows downtown. They have transitioned to violent attacks, the kind you see on nature shows where hyenas swarm injured wildebeests.
Some youth have a wild animal mentality that seems to thrive off the vulnerable, weak and the sick. Others are content to merely stand there and watch while a fellow youth is beaten. Their only reaction is to take out their phones and record the atrocity and post it for everyone to see. There are no thought bubbles saying “this is wrong,” or if there is, these bystanders don’t have the courage to speak up.
Luckily, incidents of youth violence is low in the Columbia Valley, according to the RCMP. But it can happen anywhere, anytime. Even your children could be involved, which is why it is so important to talk to your sons and daughters about the problem and how easy it is to become entangled in it. Parents need to explain how devastating these incidents are to the victim and how wrong it is to stand there and do nothing. Especially how abhorrent it is to film the assaults for entertainment purposes.
The petition is heading in the right direction by calling for a rehabilitation centre to focus on repeat offenders dealing with violence, bullying, and mental health.It also calls for parents of repeat offenders to bear some accountability for these assaults through the payment of fines.
And finally, make it compulsory for social media platforms such as Snapchat to share information about violent behaviour with parents and police.
There are people who believe that authorities should release the names of these young offenders instead of protecting them with legal hugs and kisses. But society cannot expose youth to such high risk, even if many people think they deserve it. Addressing violence with violence is not the answer.
Lawmakers must finally take heed that people are getting fed up with the system protecting the perpetrator and doing little to help the victim suffering long-lasting effects. This 13-year-old girl has been in seclusion, scared to go anywhere and contemplating moving away. That is not the solution or the justice that she and many other victims deserve.
Lyonel Doherty, editor
