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Sunday, April 20

OUR LAST POST FOR THIS SEMESTER



Suspects in video beating could get life in prison




(CNN) -- Eight Florida teenagers -- six of them girls -- will be tried as adults and could be sentenced to life in prison for their alleged roles in the videotaped beating of another teen, the state attorney's office said Thursday.

You may read the whole story at







Do you think girls' violent behavior is on the rise? And what are your thoughts on teens being tried as adults?

139 comments:

heather said...

This story ties into out last blog. Some people had mentioned bullying being one of the reasons students drop out of highschool. If I felt threatened to the point of physical pain, I'd probably want to drop out to.

This story of the teenage girls beating up and humiliating this other girl for probably some very petty reason is absolutely disgusting. Whats worse is the girls were using this video as public entertainment like they had done something "cool". I dont necessarily think that violence amongst teenage girls is on the rise. I do think that compared to boys, girls have much more vicious thoughts and actions. From what I've observed these retaliations usually stem from things such as jealousy and gossiping about one another, which is very immature to get so worked up over something so irrelevant. The end of the article, where it explains that the girls really weren't taking the whole situation seriously, even after being arrested, amazes me. How the girls said remarks such as, "i guess this means we wont get to go to the beach over spring break" and "can i still go to cheerleading practice" is truely pathetic. This makes me think trying them as adults is necessary, especially those that are 18. If something so serious can still remain such a big joke to them, then why even give them an opportunity to wipe the slate clean. These girls dont deserve the benefit of the doubt. What they did was wrong, but the fact that after being arrested for what they did, they STILL think its funny..well I think they deserve a huge wake up call.

Theres only so much that schools can do to try and keep it a safe environment. They make rules and restrictions for our own good, but whether or not we agree to follow them is up to us. This also goes for internet sites such as Myspace, Youtube, etc. There are restirctions as to what you can and can not post, and there are guidelines, but again whether or not we follow them lies in our own hands. Its a shame that people like these girls take advantage of these sources and use them as their own public broadcast system, which in turn makes these sources look bad.

Ashley Marie said...

This story really upsets me. I feel what these girls did was entirely pointless and says too much about high school students as well as the up-and-coming generations ongoing dependance of the internet. This kind of dependancy is evident in the reason the girls give for why the beating occured, myspace. Also, the fact that they thought it would be cool to post the video online, onto youtube.

I feel as though these teens should be tried as adults for many reasons I feel as though they planned this attack and they also caused long term damage to the victem over something that shouldnt have caused a fight to begin with. This form of vengance over a post online is rediculous. Just because these teens are in highschool and are not 18 is not good enough of a reason to have them tried as children.As for the hypothesis that violence among teen girls is on the rise becuase of this one insidence.

JamesCowan said...

I think that if someone does a crime that is particularly violent, they should be tried as an adult since it requires somewhat of an adult mindset to commit such crimes. There is not a shred of innocence or conscience that i can see in these girls, they are quite adult in their lifestyles and guiding principles. In regards to female violence, it is hard for me to have an opinion about this since i've never witnessed girls fighting ever in my life.

the fear said...

I myself have noticed a rise in violence with teenage girls. I work with my parents at a skating rink, and our base crowd is between 11 and 16. The majority of the problems, including fights or simple name calling, happen between two girls in that age group. For some reason that is beyond me these girls just seem to want to start trouble and revolve around being in the middle of all of it. The worst part of all these problems is when you finally get the kid one on one and try to talk to her. Some of them have the WORST mouths and have absolutely no respect for authority.

As for teens being tried as adults… I’m for it. If kids make plans and carry out a violent or destructive crime they should feel the full extent of the law. In the case of these girls I feel there is should be no question about how they should be tried. They defiantly had a premeditated idea and had no shame in putting it into action. If they can make adult decisions than they can be treated like adults.

Matt Leedy said...

I feel that what these girls did is worth life in prison but they are still to young to be put in jail for life. They made a huge mistake i think they should be put in jail for some time but not for life. You can murder somebody and not be put in jail for life. And girl violence i dont think is on the rise i just think that when girls do something like this it gets more attention than when guys do it. Because girls are suppose to be sweet and innocent most of the time. When i think of a girl i do not picture them being mean and vicious. And since these girls did this it got blown up which it should have because what they did was horrible. But i dont believe girl violence is on the rise.

RoxyChic0529 said...

I agree with heather, what these girls did is absolutely disgusting. I don't really think violence among teenage girls is on the rise, i do think that the thoughts and actions can be much more severe than with young boys at times. The majority of the time, these fights among teen girls are over something extremely petty. What did this girl (the victim) do that made her deserving of this beat-down? I'm sure whatever she did was not deserving of what she got. What did beating this girl senseless solve anyhow? Look what it got these trashy girls.... JAILTIME! Violence solves nothing. The fact that they put it on youtube as if they were proud of what they had "accomplished" by beating the crap out of this girl is sickening to me. I am fully supportive of these girls and boys being tried as adults, even though their behavior was repulsive and childlike. Maybe it will teach them to think twice before making another STUPID decision.

mledoux said...

I don't think that there is a significant rise of teen-on-teen violence, I feel that it is more noticed just because of the availability of inexpensive video mediums like cell phones, web cams, and camcorders. Other than videotaping such gnarly acts, these teens should most definitely be charged as adults. I personally do not fear anything more than someone under 18 solely because of the fact that there is someone that lives 3 houses from me and has had at least 2 cases of aggravated assault within the last 18 months and is not in jail….Why, because he is only 17. There are more and more premeditated acts that end up with a victim injured, in a coma, or dead, but since the assailant is only 17 years old (or less) they are deemed as a child and only responsible to serve months instead of years. The girls that beat up the other girl need to be made an example of and be put in jail as adults just to other impressionable teens that crude acts are not acceptable and do not go unpunished.

Avon said...

I think that crime in the school is pretty much the same. The case in Lakeland was a little different because they film it. In this case we still don't have all the facts. I have witness many school yard fights and no teens were charged as adult. This kinda mess reminds me of the case in Jena. If feel that they should not charge these kids as adult for this crime. Why take these kids life away them for a teen fight. I think what they did was wrong but the system should punish them in another way. Why put these kids in prison for life with real criminal.

mmariem25 said...

I do think violent behavior perpetrated by teenage girls is on the rise and the misguided satisfaction that young ladies derive from posting it on internet sights is extremely disturbing. I think that the girls do need to be tried as adults because although their level of accountability may be an issue for discussion and consideration, they must have some idea by this age of the basic concepts of right and wrong. If law enforcement, district attorneys and judges do not make a tough stand now on issues such as this, they will only continue and possibly accelerate. I think some charge ought to be possible if such attacks are videotaped and placed on the internet. Just where should the line be drawn? The girls obviously pre-planned the attack, and their lack of remorse on arrest should be a matter of great concern to their parents and their peers. It seems like society keeps giving poorly behaved teenagers a pass, They committed a real life crime and should have to face real life consequences for their actions. This might give other thrill seeking teenagers pause before they imitate such behavior.

Girl_in_the_Front said...

yes i do think that violence is on the rise because growing up when i used to get into fights we would fight day and we were friends the next, but nowaday when females fight they try to bring guns and tske it into the next level... i saw the video about the teen girls a week ago. i was so mad and angry that people would do that type of stuff. i do belive that teen should be trialed as adult that away they can set the example for other teen. before i didn't even thing like this, every time i heard that a teen was being trailed as an adult i would be like that's rediculous but being tha i saw it with my own eyes MAN teens are getting out of controll

Unknown said...

I believe girls have always been aggresive, Sometimes much more aggresive than males. I have seen this happen before when I was living in New York , but a video was never recorded, in that particular situation it also involved girls. In this instance I think its only right to try these teenagers as adults for various reasons. The first reason would be to show an example to the indivduals that think they can commit crimes like these and get away scotch free. The second reason is because of the nature of the beating it was pretty harsh, and last bust not least was because there is no remorse.

MelissaSpeaks said...

I think behavior in both gender's are on the rise. Back in middle and high school, I would see a fight at least once a week, and it scared me to think that this is what our society has become; a school of violence. What those girls did to that victim on the video infuriated me! Not only did I have thoughts about beating those girls for doing that to her, but I caught myself in thought as I realized I wanted to go and "beat" them just as they were beating her. That wasn’t the answer, and I commend her for not fighting back, because if that were me, that wouldn't have been the case just because I believe in self-defense. But one thing I don't believe in is creating drama, and that's where most of the violence in teenagers comes from. One person says something to someone about another person, and it goes all the way around back to you from the person whom you were talking about. Then the controversy emerges. On the theory about teens getting tried as adults, I’m all for it. I think the punishment just depends on the action, this case for example; if they are "adult" enough to beat some girl so luridly that the girl now has hearing and seeing problems, then they are "adult" enough to face their punishment.

Ro-twin said...

Yes, I think girl violence is on the rise because I remember growing up if a girl got into a fight their punishment was seldom to what a boy punishment would be. I do not believe in fighting but sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to protect yourself when you are not around your parents or insight of parent figure. I am glad they are starting to take these type of issues serious now. Because I remember I use to get picked on all the time in elementary and middle school. My brothers always had to defend me. I could not figure out why girls wanted to fight me because I was a very quiet individual. I was always afraid of going to school. But, I remember my parents telling me if someone tries to fight me and I know I could not beat them pick up something and knock them out with it. I wish that victim had did that because now she is suffering from blurred vision and hearing loss.
Yes, those teenagers that was involved should get tried as an adult because they are at that age were they should know right from wrong plus they had the boldness to record it also. I believe in the law. If you committed a crime then you should pay as the consequence. I also believe the system is probably using them as an example.

Megan said...

Violence is on the rise whether it is male or female. There is the old saying two wrongs don’t make a right. Getting upset over a comment is ridiculous. Words are just words, only you can decide if you will let them upset you. Not everyone is going to love and accept everyone. You have to believe in yourself and ignore those comments. Beating someone up accomplishes nothing. Yes it gives them bruises but they go away. All violence does it give a temporary fix, but in the long run the problem gets worse. There is no reason to use your fists. The fact that more than one student attacked the girl really upset me. This was an act of revenge, an unfair act. To add insult to injury they attackers video taped the beating. Why would you video tape and illegal act? To show off? To prove that you are "cool"? As for trying a child there are certain situations that yes they should be. A fourteen or fifteen year old knows that beating someone is wrong, they know that it is not the way to deal with things. They are an adult in this form. They have the mentally capability to think things through and know what is right and wrong. These teenagers knew that they should not have touched the girl for any reason. A two year old does not understand that hitting someone is wrong, they do not fully understand this yet. So no we should not charge them as an adult. The older children who are close to the age of eighteen and understand their actions and the legal consequences must live with their decisions.

Anonymous said...

In response to matt leedy’s comment: Are you kidding me?! You don’t think that those teens should be punished for life in prison just because they made a “mistake”? Ganging up on one girl and beat her up to the point where she has to go to the hospital is NOT a mistake. Everyone involved in beating her up and the guys who were standing on the lookout knew what they were doing. That is why they filmed the whole attack and planned to post it on YouTube. The fact that that they showed no remorse when being arrested showed that they didn’t care about victim and that they thought nothing could happen to them. Those teenagers ruined that girl’s life. She will never forget what those teens did. The attackers deserve life in prison. If it were your child who got beaten up like some animal, you would want the same justice.

michelleL said...

I am not shocked by this article at all. I have seen so many in school and out of school. Female violence was always just as common as guys fighting at my high school and throughout my life. I think a girl fight is equally anticipated by peers because it has always seemed to me that everyone wants to watch. With people taking sides and predicting who will kick whose butt, a high school fight is quite the event. Everyone around seems to promote violence and instigate in these situations. I have always felt like an outcast because I have never encouraged such behavior. I agree with what heather was saying about girls fighting over petty B.S. that is immature. I also don’t think there is any increase in female violence just that it is more recognized now. I think this horrible act of the girls beating the one girl on tape is repulsive. It makes me sick that they were so proud of what they had done to the point hey wanted to broadcast it on you tube. People, especially those in high school are so concerned with what everyone else thinks and are always trying to prove something or show off. Its really awful that’s the way things are and people can so easily harm others and then they want to brag about it. I have never been a victim my self but I have witnessed others being harmed and I have not helped. Looking back I feel disgusted that I just stood by and watched people hurt others and get hurt. IT’S NOT COOL TO FIGHT AND HURT PEOPLE….ITS DISGUSTING!

Anonymous said...

I think that girl violence is on the rise, and I definitely think that society plays the main role in it. I think that society puts pressure on girls that aren't as fortunate as some other girls in terms of looks and brains to find another way to gain popularity. Fighting is becoming a much more common strategy for girls to gain popularity. However, when six girls beat up one girl I don't see how these girls would think that people would be impressed by that, it personally makes me sick to my stomach. Teens being tried as adults is something that should be necessary in very few situations. This is a situation where I think it is necessary, expecially because the girls had no remorse for their actions when they were being arrested. I'm sure they'll have plenty of time to gain remorse when they're sitting in jail.

araya said...

I think this whole story is amazing. I can not believe these girls were capable of such a violent act. Again, kids these days are being treated and raised as mini adults. Parents are treating their children as accessories instead of young, impressionable beings. Parents are more like part time friends and less like parents. We live in such an adult rated society where sex, language, and violence are penetrating every media outlet and even the Disney channel can sometimes be questionable. I do think YouTube and MySpace are probably not the most respectable and best websites for viewers under 18 (or any viewer for that matter). I think every single person involved in this case should be tried as an adult. The whole situation was premeditated and the fact that they had the guts to go through with it is reason enough. This was a brutal attack all for entertainment. What else would the girls do to get attention? They held this girl against her will and even had look outs. Where were the parents? I think the parents should be punished too. It is obvious that these kids have never had any real consequences for their actions. I think they totally deserve jail time for this. If they are not punished to fullest extent of the law then this case will definitely have copycats.

bklynblog said...

I have to say that I have been seeing more female than male "beatings" on the news lately. There are alot of videos posted on you tube relating to the search "girl fights". Whether it was "beef" on myspace or he say she say on the street, this is unjustifiable. To me they should be tried as adults in order to set an example. It's just another case of people not letting things go. Boredom could also be a spark for these crimes. Someone sitting at home with to much fre time on their hands, spreading rumors about people they don't like. It's sad but, that is just one of the causes to the video posted fights. The list will continue to go on and on if the people committng the crimes aren't being punished.

EUrban said...

I believe that the crime rate is still the same when I attended high school there was a horrible fight that occurred with a student who was beaten by another student and actually died from being kicked in the head. This is a horrible thing that these six teenagers did to this girl and I do believe that they should be tried as adults however I do not believe that they should get life in prison. It was an extremely ruthless crime that these teenagers did and I feel horrible for the girl who had this happen to her. This should definitely not be tolerated and I believe these teenagers should get a severe punishment so that they will hopefully deter others from doing horrible crimes as this to other individuals.

tennispro said...

I think todays society is growing more violent in general. So when someone asks me are females getting more violent i have to agree. Well i think they have been violent for ever just like men, but now i think they are opening up to it more freely and not trying to hide there anger like they used to. I think that teens should be charged as adults to some extent. In some cases i think teens just get caught up in the moment and do something stupid that they would usually not do. But then there are some cases where they do things so violent, that i think something in their mind is evil, and they will always be like that so they should be tried as an adult.

dwtc said...

I do believe that girls violence is on the rise. I think this is because of a decrease in feminism over the past few decades. Ever since women began fighting for a right to vote, a right to fight in wars, and basically a right to do whatever a man can do in this country, I think women are more and more acquiring traits of men. These traits sadly may include violence. In a world where a woman may feel not as defended by most men and where a woman has to compete with a mans standards and requirements, I think that the urge and seeming obligation to fight is prevalent. As far as teens being tried as adults; I believe this is a good idea for the most part. I think each individual situation has to be considered and analized wisely. If a 13 year old commits murder should he spend life in prision? I'm unfortunatly not so sure. Maybe not life, but a good amount of time for sure.

figlio della lupa said...

Absolutely.
I think if a child commits an adult crime they should be trailed as one.The mistake excuse is nothing but a load of crap. If someone has the capacity to come up with an attack so vicious that one is capable of physically handicapping someone, then they are capable of knowing what they were in for.
To top it off..those kids were not the brightest crayons in the box. If I was to beat someone up, why would I tape it? so the cops can find it and trial me? pathetic fools. I hope the hammer of the law comes crashing down on them and they get what they deserve.

msjessi said...

This story is a shame! It is so ridiculous how some teenagers act nowadays. I do think it is an uprising situation because honestly it hasn't gotten any better. The very few times I've actually been on YouTube I see very disturbing videos. I don't understand why people think it's amusing to beat someone up on tape and then post it online. When it comes to a circumstance like this I think it's good they got tried as adults. They thought they were so big and bad when they were violently hitting and beating that girl so I think they should pay the consequences. It's time people stopped "babying" their kids and teens because it's time to face reality. The United States is growing faster, not only in population but culture and society itself. Things people didn't know back then in their teen years are things children are experiencing in middle school. Kids know exactly what they're doing and always try to get away with it by playing the "I'm an angel" role. People keep downplaying the situation but it's actually more serious than it appears. I say if you did the crime than you can pay the time.

J_Rambo said...

Yes, I believe violence is on the rise for boys AND girls; only now, in today's age, its normal for girls to be into more sports, and be more aggressive. Kids are being exposed to the "nasty" acts in society at younger and younger ages, and they have more and more pressure placed on them with rising expectations. You can only put so much weight on them; they're kids. Now with all the crazy movies out there, and laughing at other people's expense has become "just another day in the neighborhood." Kids get bored very easy when they're raised to constantly multi-task, and they're are hard to satisfy; they want bigger and better. It's no surprise that they are turning to violent acts, combined with public humiliation to get their "kicks." It's sad, really. I hope we can find a way to regulate what gets put on the internet, and discriminate against the thought of video-taping EVERYTHING. I see some ridiculous stuff on the internet now days that makes me go, "why would anyone care?" It's out of control.

Tara Johnson said...

The rise of violent behavior in the world today is growing at an alarming rate. This video that these inhuman vicious screwed up teens made is just horrible. Some of my friends came over one night and the story came up, we all watched the video and were in complete shock that teens are becoming so hazardous to one another over absolutely nothing! That poor girl now will never have an ordinary life style. I really anticipate that all eight teens get treated as adults, they were old enough to know better and, I believe that other youth will realize it’s just inappropriate and that there are serious consequences.

SocialButterfly said...

Girls have always been violent. I believe this violence is on the rise. I think most girls think its cool because its what they see on TV. Shows like Laguna Beach, Bad Girls Club, The inferno, all feed into this mind set of a girl shoul be tough and sweet, and know how to kick ass. The suspect girls in this video didnt think they were going to get caught because violent things like this are on TV and in movies. I like movies and most of those shows but I have noticed that if a guy insults a girl (on TV) then the girl pretends to be all sexy and then kicks his butt. It is a illusion of "if I can fight, then I am appealing."So if one girl insults another then they think it is sexy for them to look cool and have the attetion they want. The look of being cool and wanting to be popular is in our culture and in everyday life.

This may come back to bite me, but I am glad they are being tried as adults. The show of no remorse, even human compassion of beating a girl to a pulp, shows there is something wrong with them and they should be tried as adults. I think this because I hope it prevents other copycats, and the fact that the girls should now know where right and wrong is. Well, actually I think they knew. They just didnt care. And the fact that we are discussiong it is what they wanted but it is also necessary since I hope others learn from their mistakes. When I went to CNN.com, and watched the video of the girls being tried in court, the were only upset and looked remorseful when they were trying to get an easier sentence. Then after the judge said "No.", they just stared off or looked to the ground. Im not sure that they were remorseful anymore or just wanted to get it over with. I think they should have been tried a little harder. They only sting from their sentence was how much money their parents have to pay for this. I totalled at least forty-thousand dollars in all but not including the lawyer fees. And it is sad that their parents will pay for this when it was the girls' doing.

max said...

I agree with teens being tried as an adult. If the teen had time to think about there crime and then go through it then they had time to think about the punishment. I think there is an age where you really don’t understand the punishment but I think once you become a teen your generally full aware of the punishment. I do see a rise of female fights. I think that females always fought each other but it was through words and spreading rumors, but now they seem to be taking it up a notch to fist. What I find disturbing is the fact that it’s a large group taking on one person and then taping the fight.

phillyfan said...

I think that first of all these teens should be tried as adults. They, in their normal everyday lives act like adults, in this aspect they should face the consiquences like one. This behavior was dreadful and the kind of people to commit a crime like this is a low life person. I dont care what had happen for them to want to do something like this they need to remember that they are adults and need to start acting like one. Everyone once in a while has a bad thought but the kind of person to carry out one of those thoughts is a threat to society and should be delt like one. Im not sure if a female crime rate is going up but i think in general it is. I have only seen this kind of violence once before and it appauled me.Girls fighting i think is worse than guys because they are so much more vicious, for example they bite and pull hair, guys just know you dont do that. Teen crime is a problem and we should fix this problem so that we dont have this problem in the future, sort of nip it in the bud. Overall i think that the actions of these girls were adult like and because of that they should be tried like them.

Jenna said...

I think that a violent nature in girls could be on the rise. I know several girls, whose attitudes I can not believe. One specifically stands out. If we go out somewhere and I ride with her, I get to see her insanity behind the wheel. If someone in front of her is going the legal speed limit, she screams and cusses them out for going "so ******* slow". She is angry at everything, using curse and violent words as her main vocabulary, and is a manipulative and sometimes heartless person, and her comments remind me of those made by these girls. Of course she has not beaten anyone up, but if she had been raised in different situations, I wouldn't put it past her. Also, I think if an able-minded person of any age, even if they are only 12 or 14 commit a crime, they should be charged just the same as an adult.

gjones17 said...

This story was extremely upsetting. I don't think that violent behavior among teenage is on the rise; however, it is becoming more noticed. I think girls' actions are usually targeted on humiliating someone because teenage girls have more vicious thoughts than guys. I think these girls should be tried as adults. They were still laughing at the situation when being taken to jail and locked up; they still didn't register how serious their act really was. This showed how immature there girls were; however, at 14 years old to 18, they know what they did was extremely wrong, and they still did it because they were seeking popularity. They thought what they did was "cool;" therefore, they need to take responsibility for what they did and suffer the consequences as adults.

1004 said...

I believe the violence of teenage girls are rising. I try to watch the news daily and when I do, I always see teenage girls being violent and beating people. What I think is worse is that people actually record these scenes and uploading them online. What kind of person in the right mind would actually upload a video so violent? No one in their right mind would.

Teenagers should be tried as adults depending on the situation. Of course, situations, such as this particular one, the teenage girl should be tried as adults. Girls or teenagers in general should have some sort of mature mind set that they could be considered as adults.

Athena Smith said...

The main danger with trying them as adults is that they may prove incompetent to understand the proceedings and may be ruled incompetent to go to court. Read the article Study: Many teens tried as adults can't understand proceedings

wanttobefit said...

I think that today's pre-teen to teenage youth has gone completely berserk! I mean, how sick is it when a simple slip of gossip leads to what could of been a fatal beat down? If I had my way I would have them all be tried as adults in order to serve as an example to other brainless youths out there. I think that ever since the government made it a law to not be able to punish a child by force and therefore make parents "soft" it has had an effect on the youths today in which they feel that they can do whatever they wat. So, if they feel that they are so big and bad, try them as adults!

DaisyDown23 said...

I believe that females are the most vicious people on earth. I have personally been victimized by a group of females back in high school. I do think that this abuse is on the rise. Girls hold such high standards for each other that it is impossible to be accepted as an equal in their eyes. A group of girls at the high school I graduated from had a list of girls that they though should commit suicide. It is absolutely immature and extremely hurtful even if it was just a "pretend list" They just had know grasp of the severity of it. I do think that these girls deserve to be charged as adults. They want to act all grown up in every aspect of their life but bring up legal matters and they expect to be protected by the fact that they're under 18. They're entirely responsible for the cruel beating they gave this girl. Each and every one of them have hatred and malice in their hearts and they deserve to be charged accordingly.

frankthetank said...

I think there is a rise in violence with young girls, mainly because of lack of discipline from the parents. A lot of parents today just don’t take the time to teach there kids good morals and just what is right and wrong. Another problem with these girls is imitating the things they see on TV and on the internet. I do not think these girls should get life in prison just because they are so young and nobody was killed. I do think they should be tried as adults and do a couple of years in prison with counseling and many more years of probation after that.

Lucretia said...

Yes, teenage violence is on the rise, as well as videotaping. Obviously.
This is what’s in our high schools these days. It’s really pathetic and foolish. It’s also not the first time this has happened, its just becoming more popular, and this is the most brutal one yet. I don’t understand why they think they need to be so extreme in getting their point across, or why they even need to tape it. Some kids have too much time on their hands.
In certain situations, I do feel it’s appropriate to try teens as adults. These children need to be adequately punished for the crimes they committed. That’s the way the real world works, no matter what age you are. The act was premeditated, and they could have killed that girl. Life in prison is a big sentence, but hey, if they know how to ‘behave’ then maybe they could get off for good behavior. Ha.
I hope they sit in prison and rot with all the other criminals, maybe they’ll learn some self composure and respect.


“A smack on the wrist is the words from the mouth
of the outsiders, lawyers, police
A small price to pay for the dope and the guns
and the rape, it should all be O.K.
Your father is rich, he's the judge, he's the man,
he's the God that got your sentence reduced
But in the back of his mind, he well knows what
he'd find if he looked a little deeper in you…”

In with it, out with it.

Athena Smith said...

Lawyers for a teenager charged in a fatal stabbing in Maryland are challenging the constitutionality of a state law that requires juvenile murder suspects aged 14-17 be tried as adults. Their motion is based on the following argument:
"Recent advances in neuroscience explain that a juvenile's lack of impulse control, inability to consider consequences of actions or foresee alternative courses of action and propensity to take risks that an adult would not take are products of the juvenile's incomplete cognitive development."


Lucretia, this blog will miss your lyrics! :))

AlyssaBeene said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AlyssaBeene said...

I think that if these kids can come up with a plan to kidnap a girl and have thought through it enough to have lookouts and a video camera ready...then OF COURSE they should be tried as adults. Their minds were developed enough to have these awful thoughts and ideas so they should have to pay for them. I do not see violence on the rise for teenage girls, in my high school there were rarely any "girl fights" especially as we progressed through high school. I think it is trashy and immature and those who partake in it should be punished.

hrad said...

I think these girls should be punished but not life in prison. There is a big problem in teenage girls lives having to be the best and have the best. I don’t agree at all with what these girls have done but life in prison will not solve it. They will learn and realize what they have done and as they grow older, girls will realize that there are more important things to care about than who is more popular. Boys get in fights all the time but don’t get life, this was just documented and whoever apart of the documentation and didn’t help should be punished as well.

Rashera88 said...

I feel bad about that poor helpless teen who got beaten up and my prayers go to her family and her for her recovery.

I find it shocking that girls are becoming more violent for I thought girls were a little bit of spice and everything nice but boy maybe I am wrong. I have seen some reality t.v. shows where girls are cussing,yelling at each other,and fighting each other too. I stopped watching those shows since I couldn't seeing things like that and maybe its because I've never been in a fight and trust me I never will want to be in one. The fact that the girl teens are being trialed as adults has no affect on me. What they did is beyond bullying they literally beaten up a young teenage girl and posted the actual beating on youtube would you let those teenage girls get away being trialed as juveniles? I wouldn't! If that was my daughter who got beaten up I would what to see some actual justice being done and if I was the parents of those teenage girls who done the beating I would want my child to be trialed as an adult for she has disappointed me. So I hope those girls get what they deserve.

BucFan1984 said...

When it comes to the crimes of girls being on the rise it is possible or now it is just being brought to the forefront with incidents like the one in Lakeland. Now people are going back to see past incidents and taking a look at the figures to figures there is a more likely hood of girls getting into fights. As for the teens being tried as adults it all depends on the nature of the crime if it is something that causes serious injury to the victim. The punishment should be as equivalent to the crime as possible without being too unusual of cruel.

APhilibert said...

This article makes me sick. I read a lot about this story when it first came out, and even now it still makes me sick. I just watched all the video clips from the news link that was attached, and it said that one of the mothers actually said that the victim shouldn’t have posted what she had if she did not intend to back it up. This is what is wrong with teenagers today. It’s not that girls are getting in more fights. The problem is teens who do no have a positive role model. The daughter of that mother was living with her grandparents, who could not have possibly been worse than the mother. I watched the reading of the charges to watch the girls’ faces. I could not tell which one was only fourteen years old, but only one seemed particularly terrified. I have a hard time stomaching that a fourteen year old girl could spend life in prison, but then again I feel the same way about what they did to the victim. I believe that the 17 year olds and the 18 year old should be tried as adult after some serious psychological evaluation, but I’m not really sure how I feel about the fourteen year old.

JC_Lims said...

I do agree with heather which I think this story is upsetting to be known in public.
The teenage's violance is increasing rapidly nowadays not only in USA but also other countries too. In Japan, the new generation is getting worse because they do not concern to be obedient anymore, or at least some of them is still have respect with elderly.
For the rest of my time, I have never know or see the girls beating up or humiliating others in my school. I would say I am lucky enough that my parents send me in private school so I never know that kind of behave in the school.
I do not know how the school atmosphere over here,how the teenage make relation each others,and how the school give control to the students. But at least, I know some from the comments in this blog and my classmate.
Being honest, I am kind of scare to make a friend with other girls now, but I do learn how to behave and think positively because that is the key to not make such immature action.

Pamber said...

I personally feel society as a whole or at least in Florida is becoming meaner. People are more heartless. Selfish and down right mean these days. I’m not sure if its video games, a lack of over all love, or simply a side effect of a fast pass society. In this particular case I feel the teens really don’t understand the seriousness of what they did; especially, if they were asking foolish questions about spring break and making comments as they did while being arrested. I also heard a few of them giggled in trial as they were given their bonds. I hope that the parents don’t protect them & allow them to think what they did is alright, because it’s not. In regards to weather they should be charged as adults, I feel the ones who through several punishes and were the ring leaders should be. There were a few who through a punch or two, which I feel was more so a result of peer pressure. Maybe being charged as adults will show them the seriousness of their crime.

mdowd said...

how long is it going to be until the desire to post an internet video costs someone their life? what baffles me about stories like this is that these people were responding to comments made on myspace by the girl who ended up getting beaten. is the self esteem of teenagers today really that tied to such an insignificant place? perhaps i'm just missing something with this, but i cant understand the level of importance that seems to be placed on these social networking websites.
I tend to agree with Frank Green in that I dont really know whether the violent behavior is on the rise or not. it certainly could be, but then again it could be that it is getting more attention recently, and that makes it seem more prevalent.
As for trying these folks as adults, I don't see why not. This was a group action, planned and executed. The victim was beaten unconscious, and the girls left her there until she woke up, and began beating her again. there is no way to dispute that they knew exactly what they were doing. as for the argument that they would be incompetent to stand trial and not understand the proceedings... frankly, thats what lawyers are for. i am quite sure that there have been many adults who went through the system without fully understanding everything that they were seeing and hearing. the lawyer is there to explain it to them. Honestly, for these people to be tried as less than adults downplays the seriousness of their actions, at least in my mind. What these people need to understand is not necessarily the ins and outs of the process, but rather that serious actions come with serious consequences. i can't think of a better way to get that point across than to have them experience the consequences that their actions dictate.

tampa250 said...

THIS MATTER HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, But finally some one said enof is enof.Yes violence is on the rise and it is here to stay as long as parents are not talking with there children, finding out who there friends are, and where they say they are going to be. Everything starts at home with family values, knowing how to act in public, home, school, etc. Many young children and teens are learning alot of violence from there parents when there's violence in the house hold, video games, and television. Sometimes teens react in this matter because they were once bullied by someone in there younger years and may use this advantage to release their emotional feelings on someone else that is unlikely to be a bully. But these kind of things has always been around but not published on you tube and myspace for others to see so now when you got people making web sites for nonsence reasons you will see silly things on the internet that will make others join in to behave in the same matter and the rest goes on.

ofelia vazquez said...

When I first heard about this story I was really upset. I couldn't belive that these girls did this just to get attention on YouTube.I know these websites have guidlines about the material that is posted but it's not being enforced.I think that teen violence and school bullying is on the rise .There are kids at school that feel so unsafe that they dont want to go to school anymore or they seek revenge by shooting classmates.I do agree with these girls being tried as adults because they knew this was wrong by having a look out person but they didn't care.They had no remorse and obviously were proud to post it on YouTube for entertainment.

Shirley said...

Fighting, anger issues among growing teens, has been going on a long time here in the U.S. Are you shocked? Back in the 1980's kids got a slap on the wrist for there day in court for this allegation.
These outbreaks of anger become more intense in poverty situations: revengance is handled by shooting.
These girls should live in a young girls youth home for one year and if they reveal remorse for the crime, they too, need to complete high school and college at least two years as a punishment, then they will be reformed. Let's face it colleagues, school changes an individual, no matter what!

diana25 said...

Yes I think girls are becoming less conservative and more violent then they use to be in the past. Girls in high school, or just girls and women in general, in this day and age do not take pride in trying to act like a lady; it is apparent in their actions, what they say, how they talk and what they chose to wear. They will fight over boys over what they heard a girl has been saying about them or just to try and show off or prove how tuff they are or that they can win in a fight. In my high school there were a lot of girl fights. Girls would just plan to meet each other at certain places after school to fight. One girl was like the main bully she had knocked girls’ teeth out by kicking them in the face every one was scared of her. I do not think girls should be aloud to get away with this type of behavior. There needs be serious consequences for their actions. Yes I do believe the girls in the Lakeland attack should be tried as adults.

arlaince said...

Yes I do believe that girl violent behavior is on the rise because of a lack of communication and a big lack of bad judgment. Now a day I’ve witnessed violence as a source of a solution.The ways that teen try to deal with their everyday issues simply needs guidance. I my opinion I do believe that they should be trails as adult for the simple fact that they planned the assault. They planned to beat one of their peers with no fears. They wanted to hurt her in anyway hat was possible. They got to learn that it is not ok to hit someone.

FDLE:OnlyPlace4Me said...

Yes I beleive that girl violence is definetly on the rise; aswell as males however. This story is very disturbing and disgusting what these kids have done to this girl; i dont care what she has done no one deserves that. I have no problem sending these kids to prison. However depending on their outlook on it and if they actually understand how mortifying what they have done then i would let them off early. These kids are disgusting and im scared what the next generation will be like. We have been getting more accepting of disobediance, drugs, and criminal behavior. Send them to Prison!

tabi said...

i Have seen this on the news and youtube ironically. I feel sympathetic for the girl,she got more than she deserved.I fully agree with those girls being tried as adults, they tried to act like adults so they should be tried as one. They knew exactly what they were doing, their not little children, they watch the news, see fights at school, and obvioudly they were smart enough to know who to put it on the web to humilliate the kid.Fights have always been around especialy among teens, violence is nothing new when it comes to high school. when i was still in highschool, fighting was on all the boys minds and even the girls they would call it 'cat fights" but it goes far beyond cat fights now a days. Females uses blades and even bats to seriously hurt the other female, this is nothing new, the public just happend to see a fight for once istead of normal fights being fought at night so no one can see or far away where there is no one watching including cops. The sad fact about it even though the right thing to do is tell the cops, it is a social rule that you will be known as a snitch if you tell the cops, and sadely you will be treated worse if you tell the cops, and even if these girls go to jail, the friends of these fighters will most likely torment the girl. This is just a reality of life today, violence is at the back of everyones mind as revendge.

Unknown said...

I definately think girl's violent behavior is on the rise. In todays society peerpressure seems to be alot stronger than ever before. Kids do the the unthinkable just to look cool or to make a name for themselves. Teens today are under alot of pressure especially girls, to look a certain way, act a certain way, because if they don't they won't be accepted by their peers. It's sad that sometimes it ends up like it did in this case here in FL. I find it dispicable what these girls did here in florida I also feel that they should be tried as adults, but I also feel that life in prison is to harsh for the crime. What ever the outcome of this tragic event is, one thing is for certain we as parents need to

Anonymous said...

I don't think that girls' violent behavior is on the rise. I think we hear far less about girls and violence than actually takes place. I do, however believe that children should be charged as adults depending on what the crime is. In this case, yes. Not only were the girls immature enough to beat someone up, but they actually filmed it. That makes it worse. They knew what they were doing, and therefore have no argument to support themselves in a court. Even if the children didn't have the best parents, they know that doing things like beating someone up, or killing someone, is an extreme crime. Crime is an ugly thing. Especially when the criminals are children.

Like the video we watched in class about the kids beating up a homeless man. I believe one of them was 8. That just goes to show that anyone is capable of anything these days. People should know better.

shallowhal said...

I think that girls in this day in age are becoming a little more violent. Possibly because they might feel the need to prove something because they might think that today’s women needs to be assertive and strong and she needs to fight for what she thinks is right. Also I think it might have to do with poor communication skills, you see these kids these days and when they have a problem with someone instead of talking it out they would rather beat the crap out of someone so that person will be afraid and possibly never be the same. Now I do agree with teens being tried as adults to an extent in this case I agree with what they are doing with these girls because they knew exactly what they were doing and they were dumb enough to post it on the internet what did they expect to happen also because they cornered the girl and took turns beating on her. So if a teen knows what they are doing and they know the consequences and they have to be close to becoming an adult then defiantly yes try them as adults.

shallowhal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
fporzio said...

I do not think that violent behavior is on the rise among young girls. I think that this was just one extreme case; I do believe that some teens should be tried as adults (depending on the crime). Teenagers are old enough to know that there are consequences for their actions and to know the difference between right and wrong. I believe that many young adults are under the misconception that just because they are under age they will only have to serve in a juvenile center. This is wrong; if they are old enough to commit a dangerous or malicious act then they are old enough to accept the ramifications for those actions.

Mousie101 said...

I believe that girls’ violence is on the rise. It was not talked about as much as it is now. For years women were put down by men and I think this is a way to finally overcome that. However, it is not the best way to go about it.
If teens do damage to another, then yes, they need to be tried as adults. They are old enough to understand how badly they hurt the victim and the consequence of their actions. It is a serious offence and should not be taken lightly. If they are sent as an adult for vandalism, then no, they do not need to be sent for adult convictions.

sk8rgrl said...

I do feel that girls are being more violent today than in the past. I think the need to feel accepted and a part of a crowd puts pressure on these young women to act out. What these six Polk County teens did to this girl is vicious. They purposely beat this girl unconscious while they videoed. That is a heinous crime and without doubt should be tried as an adult. Teens today need guidance and with no stability in the home they will act out. I strongly believe that these kids need to be reprimanded for their actions. Teen violence among girls has reached an all time high without discipline it is only going to escalate.

countrygirl said...

Well, teenagers know the difference between right and wrong. They knew what they were doing was wrong and they knew that they could be punished for doing it. They choose to do it anyways. I think that they should be put on trial as adults. They were in complete control of the event. They out numbered the victim eight-to-one and of the eight people, two were on the look out. Then you have them taping the event. This takes planning and thought. It is not like they were at a party and things were said and a fight broke out. They got this girl alone. Is violence on the rise? Who knows. With the many different violent movies and television shows, it might be. Then you also have the violent videogames. Peer pressure might also play a big part. Teenagers are so worried about what everyone else thinks. I am 21 years old and I have never been in a fight. I think it is still primarily guys that fight and that girls are now following in their footsteps. It is a shame that this is what our world is coming to. That teenagers are beating a girl just to put it on youtube. It is appalling to tell you the truth.

hurricanes520 said...

I really can’t say if female teen violence is on the rise. But I can say that overall teen violence is on the rise. Take for example, on the news tonight I saw that in Chicago over 50+ students have been killed in 2 yrs .or so, they were saying that’s an average of one killing every 8 days. That is crazy for our young to be dying and killing like this. I believe that a lot of this behavior has come from the media i.e. TV, video games and magazines. These sources display all kind of different ways to get weapons and to make weapons and how to use them against your opponent. As for teens being tried as adult I think that it’s a good idea. As for the girls here in FL that beat up their peer, it seems that the beating was premeditated. This meaning they knew what they were doing and should face the consequences. If someone knows and willing commits a crime even if they know the consequences they should be tried as an adult.

Dave said...

when i first heard of this happeneing, i was appalled. i was even more disgusted because the news source seemed to be blaming the internet and youtube.com for this happening in the first place.

let me start by saying there is no doubt in my mind that what these girls did was wrong. i fully agree with the term "animalistic" being used to describe it because when you lose all sense of humanity over somthing as petty as insults and kidnap and beat a fellow human being, you are an animal. i fully agree with them being tried as adults, especially since they showed no remorse in the act and the act itself showing signs of premeditation. Ive been involved in broadcasting and video since i was in middle school and from personal experience, it is very rare to get quality footage of an event with a camera "just laying around". they planned the whole thing and intended to put it on the internet for people's entertainment.

that being said, i think its a tad rediculous for the internet and youtube.com itself to be blamed for this even happening, as it was on other versions of this ive heard on the news, radio, etc. I fully believe that youtube is one of the best things the internet has to offer, because it gives ameteurs a decent shot at getting their name out there and making something of themselves. i do however think that harsher regulations should be placed on the content of videos being uploaded to youtube and other sites like it.

khester2 said...

I don’t think girls’ violence is on the rise, as it said in the article, they are just beginning to see it more. As the YouTube videos become more popular, everyone wants to have a video to top the others. I believe that this violence was carried out with the intent of it being a hit video on YouTube. I think the teens certainly should be tried as adults. Eight people beating one person with no escape or help is extremely unfair. Fighting one against one shouldn’t be done, but eight on one is totally unacceptable. They caused the girl loss of hearing and sight and she must now live with this; so the teens should be punished according to what they have done and should be forced to live with what they have done

juz10 said...

I think that violence is on the rise, but it is really hard to say. It could be that violent acts just get more publicity than they used to because now live in a world of mass media. I think that it is wrong to try teenagers as adults. It isn't fair that "little Johnny" should get a slap on the wrist for the same offense that "little Timmy" gets tries as an adult and goes to prison for. Our laws were made for a reason, people in power shouldn't be allowed to just change them every time someone does something that really makes them mad. Where will it all end if we begin following that path? I think it sets a dengerous precendent for the manipulation of other laws. Just because kids are commiting adult type crimes isn't a reason to try them as adults. Teenagers grow up fast these days, it's undeniable, but they are still minors and should be treated as such. They are treated like adults with loads of pressure when it is time to prepare for a standardized test, try to get into a good college, or when they hurt or kill someone, but if they are caught doing drugs, drinking, or smoking they are in huge trouble because they are just children. Another example, is if a teenager wants to get married in most states they need parental consent, because the thinking is they are too young to decide a thing like that for themselves, but if the same child were to make the mistake of commiting murder they could legally beacome an adult who knew exactly what they were doing. Where is the logic in that? I completely disagree with what those girls in Lakeland videotaped themselves doing, but trying them as adults isn't the answer they should recieve a stiff sentence, but be sent to a juvenile facility. You can't just call someone a kid when it suits one purpose and an adult when it suits another. I think that trying young people as adult is completely unfair and in alot of cases it is the ethnic minorities who mainly get the stiffer adult sentences. If people under 18 are gonig to be tried as adults, then all people under 18 should be given all the rights and priveleges of adults or else it is just an unfair manipulation the law.

juz10 said...

I think that violence is on the rise, but it is really hard to say. It could be that violent acts just get more publicity than they used to because now live in a world of mass media. I think that it is wrong to try teenagers as adults. It isn't fair that "little Johnny" should get a slap on the wrist for the same offense that "little Timmy" gets tries as an adult and goes to prison for. Our laws were made for a reason, people in power shouldn't be allowed to just change them every time someone does something that really makes them mad. Where will it all end if we begin following that path? I think it sets a dengerous precendent for the manipulation of other laws. Just because kids are commiting adult type crimes isn't a reason to try them as adults. Teenagers grow up fast these days, it's undeniable, but they are still minors and should be treated as such. They are treated like adults with loads of pressure when it is time to prepare for a standardized test, try to get into a good college, or when they hurt or kill someone, but if they are caught doing drugs, drinking, or smoking they are in huge trouble because they are just children. Another example, is if a teenager wants to get married in most states they need parental consent, because the thinking is they are too young to decide a thing like that for themselves, but if the same child were to make the mistake of commiting murder they could legally beacome an adult who knew exactly what they were doing. Where is the logic in that? I completely disagree with what those girls in Lakeland videotaped themselves doing, but trying them as adults isn't the answer they should recieve a stiff sentence, but be sent to a juvenile facility. You can't just call someone a kid when it suits one purpose and an adult when it suits another. I think that trying young people as adult is completely unfair and in alot of cases it is the ethnic minorities who mainly get the stiffer adult sentences. If people under 18 are gonig to be tried as adults, then all people under 18 should be given all the rights and priveleges of adults or else it is just an unfair manipulation the law.

roxanita said...

I am for the teens getting tried as adults because they have knowledge of knowing what is right and wrong, but to an extent. I do not agree on having them locked up for more than 8 years because worst criminals are not even locked up for that long or charged period. They need to know what they have done has consequences, but they don’t need to spend the rest of their teens behind bars even though that’s what they deserve, but sometimes things back fire on us and without thinking it can be any harm to them, later in the years they might have been taught so much behind bars it could lead to worst. And for the boys, I think they should be tried for something too. “Lookouts” PLEASE!

Mafaye said...

I do think that violence amongst teenage girls is most definitly on the rise. I've seen more girl fights in my life then guy fights. Years ago it was never expected of girls doing these things, and now it is no surprise at all to see it. Personally that video of those girls beating that girl made me sick. Anyone that would think that ganging up on one person and having an unfair fight and puting it on video is cool is absolutly rediculous. Whatever punishment those girls get they deserve 100%. Let them go live a few weeks in prison and see if they still think their that tough.

Athena Smith said...

Juz10 is the first one to present the other side.

boolah said...

I am not sure if girl’s violent behavior is on the rise. I know that violence among girls has been around for awhile. I remember girls having fist fights in high school all the time. I believe that the teens in this incident should be tried as adults. They made an adult decision to beat this girl the way they did; now they need to face the consequences. I could care less if they understand the proceedings of an adult trial. I am pretty sure these kids knew the difference between right and wrong, and that did not seem to make a difference to them. So who cares?

Live Your Life said...

I personally im kindda up in the air about this whole subject. I dont feel that a 14 year old girl should have to spend lifein prison, just because she fell in wiht the wrong crowd and made some mistakes. On the other hand what she did was extremely severe and deserves severe punishment. Children are joining gangs younger and younger and deffinetely have less and less positive role models in there life. I am deffinetely in no shape to make that call and im really glad that I am not on that jury thats about the only thing I am sure of on this topic.

lil_princess86 said...

I believe that what those eight teens did to the other girl is wrong. I belive that all of the people boy or girl involved should go to jail but on the other hand I dont believe that they should go for a life sentence. They shold be put into an institution where there are people who will show them the same respect that the eight girls gave them. I agree with heather on how she said the worse part of all of it is the girls videotaping the beating as if it was cool, but it not its immature. Something has to be done about how violent teenagers become.

Alex said...

I can't really say if girl violence is on the rise because I haven't seen any other problems on the news and girl violence. I do say this though that the video was something horrible. The way the girls handled the situation was crazy and let's not hope the girl violence leads to that cause then it's going to lead to more. As for now though, I think it's at a minimum stage. I can be wrong though. In a way I think it's wrong that the kids were charged as adults because people get in fights all the time. Either at school or whatever and when they get caught, they just get a suspension or something. The reason I agree with them being charged as adults is because of the charge in kidnapping. Right there is the big key that got put into this and I feel is the reason they should be tried as adults. It was just a stupid move they made.

sunflower said...

I was upset when I heard about the story. Not only had the violence activity of these high school girls’ but also the idea that they will post the video online shocked me. I think these girls can be tried as adults, in fact, they are not very young and should know what they did is absolutely violating laws. This case is a good lesson that can be learned by all teenagers. Although we have winning or losing culture, teenagers shout to learn they need compete with others in right ways. The goal of being successful and famous can reach only by hard working , not the violence activity.

Marcos said...

I don't understand what makes these girls think it's alright to post their fights online. I don't know the statistics indicating girls' are becoming more violent but it seems it has become more prevalent on the internet. Girl fights are not completely unheard of but recording and displaying it online has surely become a sport to some bloodlust individuals. This case is as the Polk County sheriff labeled it "animalistic" and these girls should be tried as adults. If the legislator keeps treating these cases as misdemeanors this issue will persist and the teens will continue to think their acts are acceptable. This crime should not be allowed to entertain others, nor publicized. When it comes to hate crimes teens should be tried as adults. Schools should also consider programs to reduce violent crimes on and off campus. Perhaps it would exceed school’s budgets but how else can we get through to teens if the parents are not disciplining their kids at home.

twin2 said...

I asked my daughter who is a Junior in highschool if she has observed alot of fighting among the gils in her school, and she quickly answered "oh yes, there is not a day that goes by where there is not some conflict." Infact, she herself had been a victom. Last fall a girl attacked her. She did not know the girl herself but because my daughter was setting close to another girl who this girl had a problem with, she kocked Joanna down to get to the other girl.

I can not explain why todays teenagers. Boys and girls alike are so angry. I personally believe that alot of the problem stems from what these kids see on t.v. and online. Another major problem is with both parents working. These kids have too much free time on their hands. And this is a recipe for trouble.

As far as the recent case of the video beating. I do beleive that everyone of those kds involved need to be punished. Not as adults though. They are after all teenagers and this needs to be remembered. Send them to a juvenile facility and help them. The problem needs to be corrected by educating those involved not locking them up and thowing away the key. I beleive that these kids will see the error of their way, if given the chance.

Britt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Britt said...

When I first learned about this fight, my family talked about it for days. Personally I wasn’t as stunned as they were. In high school I was used to seeing acts of violence such as these, yes even from girls. Many girls that age, especially in high school are becoming more violent than ever. It’s not surprising to me because girls tend to be very jealous and angry people. Boys fight and yes they are violent, but like Heather said, girls have vicious and cruel thoughts always taking place in their minds. It is not an uncommon thing. Girls are more hormonal than boys which creates more conflicts and enemies. I do believe that violence is on the rise, especially with girls. I see and hear more cases about girls fighting and I wonder why. I feel that being jealous and angry is one thing but acting like animals is different. There is a way to handle problems and violence isn’t one of them. I think that the girls who think so lightly of what they did deserve to be treated as adults and they should face penalties that any adult would. It is disgusting that these immature teenagers think it is ok to beat another person and think it is cool and will make them popular and anything they have to face in court, they deserve.

Jeremy Marshall said...

I think overall, not just in girls, violence is rising. The idea of trying teens as adults is very good idea, because the majority of them deserve the maximum punishment. Especially when, after performing acts of violence like this, they then decide to joke around about it with no remorse what so ever. Its ridiculous how big of a joke they think this is and it doesnt say much about society, when people like doctor phil bail one of the girls out of prison. In most circumstances i do believe teens should be tried as adults, this may refrain teens from commiting certain acts of violence and breaking laws in general.

Petit Monde said...

What these teens forced the other teenage girl to go through was just shocking and horrifying. I watched the video several times because I was trying to convince myself that what I just seen did not really happen. In my opinion, they deserve to be tried as adults . . . as they were obviously competent enough in actuality of doing such terrible things. They were old enough to plan out how they were going to attack the victim. If these girls are considered kids, I can just imagine how much more trouble they can get into once they turn legally into adults. The only element that was not adult-like was these teens’ reasoning. Right now, they show little to no remorse of what they did and even had the guts to make smart remarks such as “'I guess we won't get to go to the beach during spring break” – plainly unacceptable behavior. Let their trial be an example to other teens and deter them from plotting anything against anyone of the same degree.

I don’t think that girls’ violent behavior is on the rise, although violence in general is. Over the years, new technology brought good and bad contributions. We have come a long way from just shooting homemade family videos to having the ability to create personal videos and have the means to widely broadcast it. One of the positive aspects of technology is its capability to integrate the world; while one of the negative phases is the tendency of becoming an instrument of destruction. As adults, we must choose wisely and responsibly.

DLandon said...

Being adopted by my grandmother, I was raised by a woman who was raised in the 40’s. During her time women were expected to dress a certain way and act in a proper manner. Through the years, this has become an impossible thing to do, especially for teenagers. The world has drastically changed for women. Our place in the work force has changed, our family dynamics have changed, and somewhere lost inside this all, our need to act like women. Girls today are being raised differently, and sadly, at the same time, there is a need for the women of today to toughen up, which is why I personally believe that girls’ violence is on the rise. If a girl goes to a school where there is a lot of violence, do we want our children to be tough enough to defend themselves? As a parent, how do we combine that with the values of yesterday?
What those girls did was very wrong and they should be dealt with severely. However teenagers are not adults. No matter how many spins we like to put on it, teenagers are not fully developed emotionally or physically. From a medical stand point, a person’s frontal lobe does not fully develop until they are around 22 or 23 years of age. This is the part of the brain that controls emotions. Teenagers act from their emotions. I absolutely disagree that they should be charged as adults, but I believe they should spend some time in juvenile jail.

RockyRikoko said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RockyRikoko said...

I believe violence in girls is rising. But then violence in our culture is rising as well. It seems we have digressed into a less civilized state. As far as the girls being tried as adults and receiving life in prison, I think it may be for reasons beyond their control. First off those girls made the choice to film this and are responsible for their actions. But I think the film as received so much publicity they want to be firm in order to discourage copycats. I can fully understand this but I think, had the film not received so much media attention, the girls would be more apt to receive a verdict coinciding with their actions.

Anonymous said...

I do believe that violence between teen girls is on a rise. It is no surprise to many that teenage girls can be overly dramatic and emotional and thus act irrationally at times. Teenage girls put a huge emphasis on what others think of them, and so when other girls bad mouth their name girls often feel as though they HAVE TO retaliate. Sometimes this is done through badmouthing of their own, or in a case such as this one through violence. I believe that it is also a way to get attention. If a girl isn't the prettiest, most popular girl in school and also doesn't have academics being her made focus, she is far more likely to find herself participating in bad activities to get the attention she feels she deserves.

I do believe that these teens should be tried as adults. The girls are old enough to understand that everything they were doing was wrong.

jmcdonald10 said...

I think that these girls should be trailed as adults. I still can not believe what I saw in the video, those girls knew what they were doing. It does not matter how old they are, if they were old enough to come up with such a violent crime, organize it and carry out, AND VIDEO TAPE, then there is no reason why they should be treated like kids. On the second issue, yes I think that female violence is rising. I think a lot of it has to do with how much girls gossip and how no matter what most girls always have some opinion that doesn’t always go over so well.

tquintero728 said...

I do think that girls violent behavior is on the rise. Girls are thinking its cool to hurt another person, and to get in to fights. They want attention, and that is definitely one way to get it. Obviously this isn’t right. The girls that provoke these fights aren’t getting attention elsewhere. Normally a girl would get attention by being pretty, or smart, things like that, but if you are none of the above then you resort to other measures. I think that in certain situations it is appropriate for children to be tried as adults. If they decide to behave in a violent manner, acting as an adult, then they should not escape the charges for it.

M.Gonzalez said...

I definitely agree that teem beating is on the rise. Especially with sites like youtube which post all the videos. I believe in a way it is promoting the violence, because it is now more open than ever for the teens to make themselves visible in such fights. I do know that fights will happen regardless, but I also know that this also seems to be like a fad that this generation is going into. These teens should definitely be tried as adults. Maybe by having the teens suffer the consequences of an adult judgment they will realize that this sort of behavior and videotaping is completely unacceptable. I expect the same treatment to the bystanders, who in my opinion also allowed and perpetrated the beating. Teens need to realize and get into their brains that this is wrong. But then again, all we see on television now a days is violence and reality TV shows, etc. So I guess in a way, society in a whole should look into what the real problems are. They are getting their ideas from somewhere. Apparently it is youtube.

phildo888 said...

There may be a possible rise in teens violent behavior, but who is to blame. Apparently many think it is the kid and in this case solely the kids. How can we actually question whether they should be tried as adults. Has everybody finally lost there minds. These teenagers are facing serious prison time and that is not right. Sure they made a mistake and beat up a girl. Big freaking deal! This wrong, immoral, illogical, and a disgrace. Kids get in fights and they put stuff on youtube. They should be put on probation just like every other teen. I mean seriously, If a kid get in trouble for selling drugs they get put on probation. It is like everybody is going insane in the world. Kids should not be tried as adults. that is why kids are called kids not adults. I mean really this is not a hard decision.

Dawid said...

I personally believe and im sure that im not the only person to realize and see that girl violence been on rise as long as I can remember. Only that it's only getting more notice on larger scale today. I feel it's wrong but at the same teens have no business indulging in conduct of that sort but they do and it's gonna be no matter what but there are ways to prevent it violence in general is the cause if alot today because people live by survival of the fittest type standards I personally believe and im sure that im not the only person to realize and see that girl violence been on rise as long as I can remember. Only that it's only getting more notice on larger scale today. I feel it's wrong but at the same teens have no business indulging in conduct of that sort but they do and it's gonna be no matter what but there are ways to prevent it violence in general is the cause if alot today because people live by survival of the fittest type standards

phildo888 said...

WHAT IS WRONG WITH U PEOPLE?!?!?!?! HOW CAN ALL OF YOU REALLY WANT THESE KIDS TO GET LIFE IN PRISON. ARE YOU ALL INSANE. THEY ARE KIDS. SERIOUSLY COM ON. YOU ARE ALL FREAKING NUTS. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO PRISON FOR LIFE BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN YOU ARE ALL STILL YOUNG AND MAKE MISTAKES. YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK. THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE LIKE YOU, NOT SOME TEENAGERS BEATING SOMEONE UP YOU LUNATICS.

WhiteChoc said...

Violence is on the rise with all teenagers. However, I am not sure if it is beginning to increase with girls or just becoming published more. The lack of supervision may be a contributing factor to this issue. My personal thought is most females know that words will hurt someone more than hitting them. In addition females are fair worse than males when it comes to revenge or hatred. Two males can get in a physical fight and at a later time become friends. Females hold onto the anger and are less forgiving. This particular incident was a plan of attack. I feel this went beyond a “girl fight”. It is obvious based on the comments of the girls whom planned the beating that they felt they were doing no wrong. This should be a call out to society and their parents that they need help. Although based on some of the media it appears their parents see no fault in their actions either. Where are the values and morals in today’s society? I will be highly upset if these teenagers who planned a terrible act of violence are not punished and walk away from this crime. Life is prison is too harsh. The punishment should be decided with the intention of ensuring these teenagers clearly understand right from wrong and train them how to act in society and gain some common sense as well as moral values. Unfortunately, the justice system is not successful in reforming criminals who feel they did nothing wrong.

Unknown said...

Yes I think that teen violence is definitely on the rise. But why are people surprised is my question? Look at the desensitization that goes on in our country. Teens grow up being aloud to watch very violent films they have an enormous access to it, especially thanks to the internet. Movies are letting more and more things be gotten away with in even PG13 films. I believe this type of desensitization has a serious long term affect. I think the problem is only going to get worse as time goes by.

Yes I think that the teens should be tried as adults, they all took part in an action that will scar someone for life possibly physically as well as psychologically. What they did was monstrous and they should be made to pay for it. Besides we all know that they will not actually be held for life in our system so many people get out very early for good behavior. Maybe if they are tried as adults it will make a large enough impact to make them realize how foolish and horrible they have been.

gator_girl26 said...

I believe what these girls did was so entirely wrong on many different levels. They took some high school drama way too far. I believe that teenage violence is on the rise in general, not only just in girls. I think a small part of this violence is a result of things seen on television and new trends. I agree with the girls being tried as adults, they knew exactly what they were doing since they had such an elaborate plan, their attatck was not a spur of the moment thing. I think if you have the mindset to plan such a vicious attack you such own up to the consequences that go along with it.

Celina said...

I believe that the violence that girls are committing is definitely on the rise. I believe that it has a lot to do with what many young men are also doing. Many young men also like women who are considered "bad girls." I feel like a lot of today’s music and television portray these things as ok and are certainly causing the rise of violent crimes being committed by all young people.

I agree with these teens being tried as adults simply because what these young girls did was something that an adult would do. Something these girls have absolutely no right doing, let alone video taping.

kirsten austin said...

I do not believe that violence among girls is on the rise. Incidents like this aren't exactly uncommon, it's just that now that we have things like myspace and youtube, as well as advanced ways of communication through texts, it's publicized more, making it easier for asinine kids like this to get caught. It was easy enough before everyone had cellphones and wi-fi for almost an entire school to find out about a fight planned in the morning before class by the end of the day when the event occurs after school. Now kids can just go on their sidekicks and hit up myspace where they can tell a hundred friends all at once. As for these girls, they should definitely be tried as adults. I mean really, you learn the difference between appropriate touching and "bad" touching by kindergarten. By the time you're 14 and have been through years of schooling and seeing kids like that on the news with handcuffs around their wrists, you should really have it figured out that that kind of behavior is downright unacceptable. I guess I was just lucky enough to have found a group of kids by the time I reached that age that wasn't so immature. But really, by 14, you're more than aware of what actions you make and what consequences can follow. Besides, with the attitudes of these girls, they deserve to be punished to the fullest. It's about time they got slapped themselves with reality.

Athena Smith said...

Phildo888
I do not think they will receive any kind of harsh sentence so whether they are tried as adults or teenagers may actually prove to be irrelevant.
From similar cases, I see that when you are a first time offender, the sentence is rather lenient.
Secondly, I do not think it was a bright idea to allow this tape to play over and over on the news sites. It will be hard to find jurors that have not seen the tape and therefore unbiased. And if that turns out to be the case, then I am afraid we have opened a can of worms.

But I read you, trust me on that one.

jalane88 said...

I am not sure if violent behavior in girls is actually on the rise or if their behavior is just coming up more in the news. I feel like since we have more access to getting information and these girls can easily post threats and videos on the internet, people are just becoming more aware of it. When I was in high school, the girl’s locker room was always full of fights. Not just cat fights, but all out hair ripping, slapping, and biting. It was a terrifying scene for a young high school freshman to witness. I just think more of these cases are being broadcast now.

I definitely think that these girls should be tried as adults. They knew full well what they were doing and I think they need to realize that these acts will not go unpunished. I think so many kids and teens these days have no respect for authority or for their fellow classmates. They have too much freedom and too much time on their hands. Someone needs to give them a good slap in the face (not physically) and a wake up call.

Charles said...

"The idea of girls administering a vicious beating so they can post the video online may seem shocking, but it's becoming an increasingly common scenario, according to experts and news reports."

I totally agree with this statement. though technology is becoming a new hype for video blogs and steaming videos. the Idea of getting on the Internet is a great achievement in the teenagers world today. I feel that these types of attacks are not new to the high schools, and I know that just because one got put on YouTube does not mean that they are going to stop. The Internet has given us the ability to see things far away in the comforts of our own homes. I feel that they actions of these children should be punished for their actions and I think that they should be tried as adults. they knew what they were doing and they plotted to put it in action.

Silly puddy said...

I personally believe that just because we read one article of girls fighting that all of a sudden their behavior is on a rise. These kinds of things have been happening even when our parents went to school. I personally remember when I had a fight with an individual that the assistant principal review my record and noticed that I was never in trouble but the other individual had problems in his records. The end result was me going back to class and the other guy suspended for a week. Teen being tried as adults is becoming more prevalent. If you commit a heinous a crime and you are under the age of 18, there is no question that you should be tried as an adult. If you let this go with a minor punishment, what are the chances of the individual not committing the same crime again. Some people when they get a speeding ticket or accident learn from there mistakes and prevent it from occurring again. Unfortunately, others do not.

Liz419 said...

I don’t necessarily think that violence among girls is at a rise. Girls are vicious in general and its sad to say since I'm a girl. Girls will try and hurt each other over attention or because simply don’t like the other girl with no actual or valid reason. Girls may have done the "violent" crimes in ways that didn’t cause so much attention but it still has always been there... There has always been fighting between boys and violence in general get worst so of course you could say that girls are getting more violent. Its always been there but through the years you see more and more things that amaze you and thought "how could it get like this?" But I don’t understand why when a guy gets "jumped" it’s not a big deal but it happens to a girl and the whole world unravels. Although maybe there is more physical violence I still think girls have always bee more vicious. They take things to a personal level which makes the intent to hurt much more serious.

wmp8807 said...

I don't exactly feel that violence with girls is on the rise. I just think that because people are recording it and posting it on the internet now and days that it just makes us more aware of it and it seems like it's happening more. The truth is most of the time girl's fight, it is because of something extremely petty and not even worth the time. It's just that our emotions get the better of us. What these girls did was totally uncalled for! Just because someone is talking about you doesn't mean you have the right to beat them like that! People are going to talk about you all your life! It's not something you can stop. I think teens should be tried as adults ONLY if the crime was bad enough.

aw6349 said...

This girl violence is on the rise and it needs to be stopped. A group of girls beating up another girl because of a very petty reason. What makes it even worse is that they videotaped it and posted it on the internet for everyone to see. It is very immature to me what they did and then posted on the internet. I don't see how people could get so worked up over something so little and then to drive to beat the girl on video none the less. I think we need to crack down on the girl violence in the U.S. because if we don’t it will only get worse and worse.

Karma Chameleon said...

I think violence in kids is on the rise in general and has been for years. Girl violence specifically, I don't think so. The issue is being more publicized lately, however.
In terms of teens being tried as adults, I think it depends on their age. Ideally, it would be best to look at each individual person becaue some people have a much higher or lower maturity level than one would expect of their age. I'm on the fence about this because I don't know how much more severe adult charges are than adolescents' for this situation. All the kids should be punished - to teach them a lesson and to deter others from thinking this is okay.

Mina Armanious said...

Let's not forget the impact of violent video games and movies in de-sensitizing all kids to the effects of violence. The more blood and gore they see, the more it becomes a part of their day to day lives...and yes..That is the direct responsibility of parents. It is easier to let them entertain themselves than to expend the energy to take part in their activities. We are all to blame as a community and as a nation. I really think the only thing about this attack that different was that it was videotaped - it's been happening like this much longer than most people acknowledge or realize

Unknown said...

-Do I think girls' violent behavior is on the rise?
Yes, I do. Although I have not personally experienced violence from the opposite sex, I believe society's attitude towards such a breed of violence is becoming more lax.
-What are my thoughts on teens being tried as adults?
I think teens are just as capable as adults at committing a crime. Thus, they should be just as accountable. The only thing that would make me hesitate on sentencing a teen as an adult is the time in prison; you wouldn't want to completely ruin someone's life that early on if their crime doesn't justify it.

Steelers88 said...

Girl violence is quickly increasing. A girl fighting is completely disgusting. It is one of the most unattractive things that a girl can do. Not to sound hypocritical, but fighting is more of a manly thing to do, to settle differences. If girls are going to settle differences, they need to find a new way to do it.

btex said...

I do think girls violent behavior is on the rise. These girls deserve to be tried as adults. The fact that six of them beat up on one girl is ridiculous. I dont condone fighting but if you must it should be 2 people fighting and letting it go from there. The fact that it took six and they had others acting as lookouts shows they were not just trying to beat this girl up. They should be tried as adults they basically kidnapped this girl and just beat her bad enought to hospitalize her. The fact that they felt no remorse for what they did and are not taking this seriously makes me think that they nedd to be punished a little bit harder than a minor.

KathleenB said...

I really don't feel the violence is on a rise, even in the late 70's early 80's if other students knew a particular girl or guy was involved in a fight you could avoid peer pressure from others. That would take away half the battle of getting through High School. I remember a certain girl that was very financially fortunate would pay for protection. This girl paid $100 a week to a tough girl so she would not have to deal with the harassment from others. Unfortunately I witnessed this payment process so I know it was truth, I look back now it is pretty sad.
I do believe the Internet has opened the awareness to many people, before Bullies was just hearsay. Now there is proof that this really exists in our High Schools. The Internet has also been abused for pleasure, a computer was first to be useful for business or education, we only have one in my house and it is in the living room, the only time my son or myself is on it is for homework or family business, finding a doctor that takes insurance or paying bills for some example.
Yes, young girls are more worried about social status than boys are. Two Guys can get in a fight and go fishing together the next day, girls will drag things out as long as they are popular.
As far as being tried as adults, I don't believe they know what they are really facing in years to come. Now they are feeling pretty cool. The reality will hit them hard after meeting their new roommates.
I feel very strong that parents are just as guilty. As a single Mother you can't tell me you can not watch your children or know what they are doing all the time. If a firm consistent foundation is set at the time of birth your child knows the expectations of social development, another words No means No, not well maybe this time is OK. I reward honesty as well as disrespect towards anyone is not tolerated. The day you decide to bring a child in this World a parent needs to realize life is not just about them anymore, you will have to make many sacrifices and do without many personal wants when you are a parent. One small example I can give you is, we don't have cable and my son does not go to summer camp, but because of this I am not working 2 jobs, instead we have family time. We go camping as a family or just spend time running around the backyard with water-guns. I put returning to school off until my son was old enough to understand where Mom is. I have been consistent with the idea we work and study hard during the week and the weekend is family time. I don't go to the bars or even get my nails done, any money spent that is extra is spent on the family as a whole. To many parents are worried about being their child's best friend, well that is not going to happen until they are much older with their own families.
All the jail time is doing is giving these children a structured and disciplined environment without the nurturing of their parents and if the parent gave a structured environment most likely it would not have gotten this far.
A Life sentence is a harsh sentence but with this idea in those children's heads maybe a couple years down the road they may know about respect for others and then I could see other alternatives, many prisoners can and are being rehabilitated, the young ones may have a better success rate, They can even continue education in there. At least the parents or grandparents will know what they are doing now.

Aries said...

What ever happened to girls acting lady like. I went to an all girl high school and there were fights, but nothing to this extreme. I agree with others, violence among both gender is on the rise. This rise is due to a lot of stress and pressures the face. It still doesn’t justify permanently injuring another human being. I do think girl violence is more gruesome.

We can all sit here and justify sending these girls to prison for life- I don’t think it’s the right solution. What these girls have done is horrific. They probably still don’t realize the damage they have caused. The punishment needs to fit the crime. They need to serve some jail time, get intense anger management therapy, and house arrest for long time. Some teens depending on their crime need to be charged as adults. I feel in this case, the prosecutors can justify charging these girls as adults. The crime they committed is extremely violent.

Mony88 said...

I don’t think girl violence is on the rise, its just coming more apparent to the world. You Tube has made it easier to post videos so that people can compete to have the most hits. In the case of these girls they certainly did that no doubt. They had intended to post the video for such a reason. I think the teens certainly should be tried as adults. Eight people beating one person with no escape or help is extremely unfair. Although fighting is generally bad it is especially bad when it is eight against one. They caused the girl loss of hearing and sight and she must now live with this; so the teens should be punished according to what they have done and should be forced to live with what they have done.

tlawrence said...

I think girl violence is on the rise. You see it all over the place all on youtube and myspace. I guess it's probably about respect. When I read the blog I thought it was ridiculous that something as simple as someone saying something about you over there computer would lead to that kind of assault. It's unbeleiviable to see want people will do to maintain their social status. And as for teens being tried as adults, in this case I would find it acceptable. To physically punish someone like that and then use it as entertainment. It's obvious there's no guilt or feeling of wrong doing, they felt that that's what that girl deserved, to be humiliated. On cases were the teen did a wrong accidentally or without the intenion to harmI would let them by and not have them tried as adults.

Qt said...

I do think that girls’ violent behavior is on the rise. Girls can be so mean to each other, whether it be because of a boy or because one girl doesn’t like what another girl is wearing. I think that these kids in the video definitely deserve everything they are getting. They made an adult decision so they should get the penalty fit for the crime. I don’t see how anyone could do this to that poor girl. What could have made them think that this is okay? I can only imagine what their parents think and how they are handling all of this.

Tink1213 said...

I cannot say whether or not girl violence is on the rise or not. Also, I am on the fence as to whether or not the girls should be tried as adults. If they were tried as adults, then other kids would see that this type of behavior is not tolerated and that it won’t go unpunished. On the other hand, they are kids and kids do make mistakes. What they did was extremely wrong and it shouldn’t go unnoticed, but I don’t think that what they did deserves life in prison. But I do think that they all owe that girl an apology and they definitely deserve some form of punishment.

MyHead88 said...

This story to me is not as shocking as one would it expect it to be. Sadly I have been around and heard stories that include people getting beaten up for the saddest of reasons, and I suppose for that reason I have become immune to such acts of brutality and sheer animalistic behavior. I know for a fact many people who are my age feel the same way because high school memories are still fresh in our brains. The difference between certain groups and the miniature social struggles for dominance that occurs every day in high school. I do not agree with these acts of violence and strongly disagree with them. The girls should face the legal system and whatever consequences that come from it. But now and days, kids do not think about the consequences of their action they act in moment and that is difference between innocence and guilt.

bb521 said...

I don't know if teen violence is on the rise because i don't know what it used to be, but i do know that it is there. I know when i was in high school there were a lot of girl fights. It wasn't nearly as much as the boys but it was definitely there. As for what the punishment should be i think it depends on the situation. In this case I think that there should be some serious consaquinces. The headline was they were facing life in prison. I think that is way to harsh but i don think they should do some time in jail. Obviously they do not think what they did was a big deal but it was. I don't think that the parents can deal with that on there own. I think they should serve around a year in jail.

LaTrice said...

Well until I read this article I would have said no, girls violent behavior is not on the rise. It's not everyday some is or has gotten beat up by girls. This has a lot to do with how the young ladies were brought up and also what kind of family morals she has. What the girls did was really dumb in my opinion and I believe in others opinion also.

Yes, I believe these girls should be tried as adults since they were able to commit such a crime. These girls actuallly planned the attack against the 17yr old. This attack seems to be pre-meditated. For someone to actually plan to do such harm to another human being deserves to serve a life sentence in prison.

sunshine said...

I don't think that girl's violence is on the rise it has always been that way. Girls are so catty they can't even confide on their best friend. It just looks like it is on the rise because technology makes it easy to publicize. When I was in school I would see all kinds of girls bulling other ones over looks and what not. They always seemed tough with their click, but alone they were nothing. I feel that those girls should be tried as adults they knew exactly what they were doing it was premeditated thinking. Especially that they had no remorse over what they did. I share the same opinion of any other crime, repeated offenders need to be tried as adults the second time and in some cases as adults the first time. This 6 girls are cowereds to get her like that regardless of what the victum did they were no tougher ganging up on her.

googleit@yahoo said...

I might have to agree with girls’ violent behavior being on the rise but I don’t feel that all teen violence is on the rise. There have been people who’ve been jumped and beaten up to the extreme in the past but the main difference is that this was all on tape. I obviously feel what these teens did was wrong but I think it’s crazy to even think about charging them with a crime that could potentially lead to life in prison.

tinabeana said...

I feel that what these girls did was extremely wrong, and the fact they were going to post it on you tube makes it even worse. I think that yes girls' vioence is on the rise. I think they are trying to establish that girl can fight back too. As far as being tried as an adult, I think it is right. It was a planned attack and they were thinking in an adult mind in my opinion. It was an adult crime and should be punished as one.

Anonymous said...

violence is on the rise, but not just for girls. I've seen an increase in all sorts of different areas. I've seen plenty of different theories on this, the most obvious being just because of the vast population increase over time. Another being that parents aren't teaching their kids right and wrong anymore. I believe its a bit of both. The girls are pretty remorseless about the whole ordeal, one even saying she would do it again. Arrogant little punks is all I have to say about this. Try them as adults... put them away, they know exactly what they were doing.

Goob07 said...

I do believe that girls violence towards each other is growing at an alarming rate! No longer are young women held to a higher standard. They see everything as either I'm the one doing the yelling or I'll be yelled at. When they are always trying to prove themselves as the bigger and better one it's bound to get out of hand. As we all saw in Lakeland. Now, when it comes down to teens being tried as adults I support that one hundred percent. If a teen is capable of planning out and executing a crime then you deserve the same punishment a person over eighteen would receive. Nothing is going to get better until young people know that there will retributions for their actions.

TTZ3806 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TTZ3806 said...

Honestly, I don't see a rise in violence between teenage girls. Haven't teenage girls always been violent towards eachother? I feel like all violence between all teenagers in general is staying pretty consistant. I do believe the girls should be charged as adults. This was a serious crime and they need to live through the consequences. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They even video taped it!Ive seen many fights between teenage kids throughout high school and none of them I knew were charged as an adult. I don't understand why they wouldn't be. I don't think the girls would learn from their mistakes if they weren't tried as adults.

foXyE77 said...

I personally am pretty shocked by this behavior.Being a girl and watching this defiantly changes my view on how teenage girls are changing.It's sad and scary what this is coming to not only are they beating others up but to video tape it as if its entertainment is just absurd and it is making other fellow young ladies ashamed across America.I guess the problem is coming down to is that being in high school with so many other girls can get competitive thats is where guys and girls differ. Yes , guys get in messy fights but girls are more out for revenge for out for the damage not the overall fight.To teenage girls maybe fighting and videotaping it as humiliation they dont even think twice about what they have done. The girls who did that need to be taught a life lesson and should get what they deserve hopefully it will help for the better and other girls in their shoes will think of the consequences and how wrong it is to portray yourself is such a manner.

sweetklo020 said...

I think that teen violence is on the rise with girls. It is so horrible what happened to that girl. Today everyone think the best way to handle their problems is to fight. I do not agree with the girls fighting her for running her mouth. In high school people are always going to run their mouth even out of high school. People don’t understand that the one that is running their mouth has nothing better to do so don’t fight over it. It all has to do with class. I think it is pathetic how eight girls jump one girl and expect her to defend herself. They wanted to put in on You Tube for fun. How disgusting is that. I think everyone that was there and participated should be charged like an adult. I look at it this way if you act like an adult you should be charged like one. If they did get life in prison it is horrible for their parents but what do you do. They should have thought before they decided to jump her. So many people die everyday from being murdered or beaten like that girl.

TMyers1087 said...

I think that there is a rise in violence with our teens today. Like some have said in the last blog, bullying and high school violence is why some drop out early in high school. In my opinion, The major reason why this occurs it is a lack of discipline from the child's parents. The rise in violence can also result from not getting enough attention at home or simply wanting to gain popularity. I do think that the violence is getting worse in our schools. For example, I grew up in private school my entire life and there was no violence ever. In my senior year, I transferred to public school and violence was everywhere. It was an entire different world and I think most of it depends on how the parents are teaching their children to be.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if girls' violent behavior is rising but I do think teenage violence is up.

On the subject of teens being tried as adults, I see it as it depends on the situation. If a 17 year kills someone on purpose, then yes try them as an adult. But if they in a situation like the kid who was the youngest ever to be tried as an adult, then no they should not. I don't remember where I saw it, so I might be wrong saying this, but the USA is one of the handful of countries that try kids as adults. I just don't see how we can be this great country and have our kids treated as adults in certain situations. If a teenager can be tried as an adult, why can't all teenagers be allowed to drink alcohol. Why is it you can vote at 18, be drafted into the military at 18, drive at 16, but can't drink alcohol until you are 21. I believe that a person should get all those rights, including if they are to be tried as an adult for a crime, at one age, be it 16, 18, or 21. Of course there are certain situations that would warrant a teenager to be tried as an adult, but that would be the exception to the rule.

phildo888 said...

Athena Smith, I understand that they will probably not get that severe of a punishment. What I'm concerned about is the mentally of people in response to this article. To judge these kids so quickly, and to demand they be tried as adults, just seems absurd. Sure they did a bad thing, but they are kids that can be influenced easily into doing stupid things. I don't think many people are taking that into consideration which is wrong. They wouldn't judge so easily if they were in a situation like that as a juvenile. I do agree with you that they will not receive a harsh sentence, but I believe that a lot of people need to open their minds to subjects like this one.

Athena Smith said...

Phildo88
A similar story happened in the UK where two very young boys committed a brutal murder. Very young, tweleve years old. They were tried as adults. As the prime Minister of the time John Major said "we should understand less, we should condemn more." You may read the story here

Athena Smith said...

Phildo88
I meant to add that if the media had not played the tape over and over, the reaction would have been different.

lidget33 said...

I do not think that girl’s violent behavior is on the rise. I think that you tube has made it more accessible. It is easier to capture fights on film now too. I think there have always been girls fighting but that boys tend to fight more. I think they should be tried as adults. Six on one is not fair and they fact that it went on for thirty minutes is crazy. They meant to hospitalize her and obviously were not thinking about the consequences. Age 14 is old enough to know that six on one in a fight will badly hurt someone. What I think is unusual was that there were six girls, usually it is only between 2 girls or even 2 boys fighting. I am not shocked that they wanted to post the video; if they didn’t get caught they would be feeling really cool right now.

Unknown said...

I think that violent behavior is on a rise in girls. There are a couple of reasons why girls are becoming more violent. Some is for popularity but most of it is because of the Internet. The main website that shows girls acting violent is you tube. You tube has all these videos of people beating each other up and some people think it looks like fun. They want to try to get the most hits on you tube. The teens in this article should get tried as adults, because its not like they didn’t know what they where doing.

Unknown said...

I think that violent behavior is on a rise in girls. There are a couple of reasons why girls are becoming more violent. Some is for popularity but most of it is because of the Internet. The main website that shows girls acting violent is you tube. You tube has all these videos of people beating each other up and some people think it looks like fun. They want to try to get the most hits on you tube. The teens in this article should get tried as adults, because its not like they didn’t know what they where doing.

pcgirl said...

I believe that the girls should not be tried as adults but they should be tried as teenagers. I believe they should get a punishment equal to their crime. Not life in prison but they should have to go to a detention center and have counseling. These girls obviously are not very mature or think before they act. They should have a punishment that will make them realize the severity of their crime. They need to realize that they did not just beat the girl up but they also kept her against her will. They broke more than one law all to have the pleasure of putting this poor girl in her place. I strongly believe that violence solves nothing and I hope one day these girls realize that.

matthew said...

I think that girl must have really done something to piss those other girls off, however nobody deserves to get jumped and abused like that unless it is self defense. I don't think violence among teen girls is on the rise, but i do believe when girls fight it is blown out of proportion simply because they aren't supposed to. The guys are the ones who are supposed to fight. Also I believe that when girls fight it is worse then when guys fight for the simple fact that when a male fights it's probably for pride and respect, but when a female fights she lets her emotions get involved and that is why they are so much more violent in my opinion.

William Brown said...

I dont think the girls in this video should be tried as adults. Young people doing stupid things like this is part of growing up, and throwing felonies on their records is just going to affect them later in life when they've matured enough that they realize how dumb it was to do this. Honestly though it doesn't matter since there's no way any of them will spend more than a night or two in jail.

mndz05 said...

Well to begin with I don’t think girls violence is on the rise because it’s been around for a while. I remember in my high school there would always be a fight even today that is why it didn’t surprise me when I heard about this incidence. What did surprise me was that they were going to post it up on the Internet on youtube. What the heck were these people thinking? That was just asking for them to get caught. It’s silly to think that all this was done to be COOL and to humiliate the victim. I agree that they should be trailed as an adult because they knew what they were doing it was planned. It would have been different if nothing bad had happened to the girl. But sending a girl to the hospital with blurred vision and not being able to hear out of an ear that’s ridiculous. Maybe that will teach them to think twice of committing something so stupid.

RikRajos said...

I can remember back in high school many girl fights. It seemed as though when the girls fought as opposed to the guys, the girls tended to fight with no mercy while the boys seemed to fight just to see who could get the best hit it. I definately think they should be tried as adults, they made the decision to carry out the attack like an adult, so they should pay for the consequences as adults. Needless to say, even if these girls are posed as example to other teen girls the fighting is not going to stop. Something more needs to be done about this issue. Maybe more awareness in school at a younger age before this happens to someone else.