Comments on: Assault is still assault

By: Will

Will — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:14:39 +0000

Not at all - it would surely be possible, in this day and age of hi-tech crime-fighting, to trace the video back to the likely originating phone. Just interviewing those who received it should reach the same end.

Although I have no strong feelings about banning phones in schools - and it’s certainly reasonable to ban them in lessons - Esther Rantzen makes a good point in that article about kids phoning ChildLine from school.

And the point stands that most if such incidents take place out of school, it’s not really tackling the problem. A head teacher banning phones won’t make mobiles socially unacceptable.

By: david

david — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:11:03 +0000

its only evidence of guilt it they show there faces or other distinguishing features. I support head teachers who ban phones in schools. I don’t think you can out weigh the sense of horror people feel about these attacks with the possible minor chance that the photographing might incriminate some one. taboos fulfilling a useful social function

By: Will

Will — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:43:26 +0000

I don’t dismiss its significance; I was particularly questioning the inclusion in an article about mobile phone use in schools of a serious incident that took place out of school and in which the mobile phone was not the most important part.

Photography has been around for over a century but in the past the perpetrators of crimes tended not to produce photographic evidence of their guilt themselves.

By: david

david — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 01:38:18 +0000

I nsort of agree with the sentiment of this but -

as mobile use is linked to general indisiplne surely this is a good idea anyway?

photographic evidence has been technologically available for a centuary. however happy slapping is modern. I’m not sure you can dismiss its signifigance as easierly as you do