Does 'happy slapping' exist?

Reports suggest a new craze in which young people slap strangers and film the assault on mobile phones is on the increase. But does this trend actually exist or is it the product of media hype? The BBC reports.

[...] Is happy slapping a genuine trend or media hype? Victim Support an independent charity which helps people cope with the effects of crime, are unsure.

The spokeswoman said it was difficult to establish a national picture of how widespread the behaviour has become because cases are handled by individual forces".

And interesting

"Academic Dr Graham Barnfield, a media lecturer at the University of East London, has blamed television programmes such as Jackass and Dirty Sanchez - which are aired on MTV - for the craze.

Click here for related articles on Happy Slapping and some corroboratory Happy Slap Footage assembled by Alfie Dennen.

emily | 4:46 PM | How people and businesses are using videophones |
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