The Reality of Happy Slapping

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This last semester, I’ve mentioned happy slapping a fair bit, along with other abberant, digitally-inspired behaviours. If you haven’t heard of happy slapping, well it’s a phenomenon sweeping the UK in which an individual slaps or strikes a (usually) complete stranger while the incident is recorded on a video-enabled mobile phone. Of course, since such phones are also Bluetooth or MMS equipped, videos can be usually traded, shared and uploaded, and competition promotes one-upness.

A recent article by Carl Longino (via Boing Boing) helps to support the point that these incidents should be taken seriously, and instigators are violent criminals. Longino points to a video compilation by blogger Alfie Dennen which shows just how violent these attacks can in fact be.

If you are at all sensitive to violent video footage, skip it. However, if you want to see how bad this problem could get, you may want to take a look. Scary stuff.

9 thoughts on “The Reality of Happy Slapping”

  1. i think “happy slapping” is totally wrong its soooo cruel geting plesure out of other peoples pain theese people are clearly sick!!i whatched a program last night i had never heard of it before then but now i am aware i am totally discusted ,there excuse is that they are bored but that is no reason for slapping people. a burst eardrum might seem fuunny to them but im sure it is far from that for the victim .i would like to see how they would handle the situation if some one gave hem a happy slap!there is no excuse if they are bored why not join a club or something?? this behavior can not carry on what do people find so funny and so much enjoyment from these slaps! recoring them and sitting laughing at them, maybe its a cheap version of porn for these sick people !whatever it is its NOT right for these people to huniliate random people that have done nothing wrong!it really really mean i wouldent dream of doing it. and i think that all those happy slappers should think about what they have been doing to people and stop and i think that whoever preforms a happy slap should get severely punished if a adult went out and slaped someone im sure that they wouldent just sit and laugh at what they had done and expect no concicence because they were suposedy bored.Its not out of boredum its out of stupidity!!!so if you ever get happy slaped slap them back dont be afraid of these sick beeings !how you get enjoyment out of slapping another human being is beyond me its plain sick!!!so stop it now.!!!

  3. Hello there,

    i am a reporter for Swiss TV doing a story on happy slapping. Does anyone know if there is a happy slapping club in the UK, France, Switzerland, or anywhere else in Europe? Or could anyone put me in touch with someone who has done happy slapping )(or been a victim of). I guarantee your anonymity. please feel free to contact me by email:

    laurent.burkhalter@tsr.ch

  4. my brother was a victim of happy slapping a while ago. i knew it was wrong but i didn’t realize how horribly disgusting it was. luckily my brother was o.k he was left a bit shaken and got many bruisings a black eye and one of his teeth knock out. his friend was also there and he managed to get them away and taking their register plate from their car aswell.
    it’s just disgracefull what they are doing. i wish they would just think. they wouldn’t like fr their brother or sister or girlfriend or boyfriend or what ever to be beaten up for no reason. so what gives them the right to do that to some one else? is it just a laugh cos i see nothing funny about it at all. it just conferms the thought that they are uncivalized and disgusting. and they are showing that to us so they can’t blame us for thinking that.
    just my oppinion.
    lexi

  5. Hi,
    i’m doing research on happy slapping for a USA news piece, is there anyone who wouldn’t mind having a quick chat with me who has experienced it first hand, its nothing formal but if anyone can help please let me know asap!

  6. hi from Paris

    how can you call that shit “happy slapping”… does it look “HAPPY” ?

    Those guys are retarded bastards, their only motive is to be FAMOUS, to be on the fucking screen and make other people say “oh look ! he’s doing something !”.
    To be famous yes, at ANY price. Waiting for amateur snuff movies… that has already been done ? Ok… So, waiting for a earth blowing up vid.

    Their minds are totaly contaminated by mediatic bullshit. If they want to impress people, why don’t they drink coke with their nose ?

    “happy slapping”… “humanitarian war”…

    Orwell was right…

  7. Hello there,

    I am a reporter for NBC Telemundo in New York City doing a story on happy slapping in USA. Does anyone know if there is a happy slapping club in the United States? New York? Or could anyone put me in touch with someone who has done happy slapping )(or been a victim of) in USA?. I guarantee your anonymity. please feel free to contact me by email: galo.arellano@nbcuni.com

  8. Hello there,

    I am a reporter for NBC Telemundo in New York City doing a story on happy slapping in USA. Does anyone know if there is a happy slapping club in the United States? New York? Or could anyone put me in touch with someone who has done happy slapping )(or been a victim of) in USA?. I guarantee your anonymity. please feel free to contact me by email: galo.arellano@nbcuni.com

  9. Hello there,

    I am a reporter for NBC Telemundo in New York City doing a story on happy slapping in USA. Does anyone know if there is a happy slapping club in the United States? New York? Or could anyone put me in touch with someone who has done happy slapping )(or been a victim of) in USA?. I guarantee your anonymity. please feel free to contact me by email: galo.arellano@nbcuni.com

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