WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC FOOTAGE. Shocking visuals of a fight at Overkruin High School in Pretoria were uploaded to Facebook this week. eNCA
JOHANNESBURG - A trend involving school children filming their peers being beaten or bullied in order to gain notoriety is becoming increasingly apparent in South Africa, the head of a proactive education group said on Thursday.
"It's a form of voyeurism that is leading to the violence," said the head of Rape Wise, John Buswell.
"The potential on social media to become famous leads to the bullying," he said.
Buswell was commenting on yet another video that has gone viral on Facebook.
The potential on social media to become famous leads to the bullying
It shows two teenage girls from Hoërskool Overkruin in northern Pretoria, severely beating and kicking another girl, before ramming her head through the glass window of a classroom, twice.
View the video in the gallery above. Please note it contains scenes of a graphic nature.
Several other pupils reportedly filmed the incident, before uploading the videos to the internet. None of them attempted to help the girl.
Buswell travels around the country giving lectures to school pupils about protecting themselves from bullying and sexual assault.
He said he has seen an increase in school girls with "overt aggression."
"My sense here is that the publication of this type of provocation is more of a reason to do it in the first place," he said.
The two girls were arrested, but later released on warnings. Nel has recommended that they be expelled and the victim's father has reportedly lodged a case with the police.
"The perpetrators should have been charged with gross bodily harm or even attempted murder," Buswell said.
He blamed teachers and principals for failing to monitor their pupils or implement effective cellphone policies.
Several people turned to Twitter to voice their concern after watching the video.
Earlier this week, video footage emerged of a school boy in Durban being repeatedly punched in the face by a bully, who then stomped on his head.
The incident highlights a growing trend in schools that has been dubbed "biffing," which involves setting up a camera before provoking someone into a fight by slapping them across the back of the head, Buswell said.
Younger children in primary school are learning from this example and engaging in bullying as a result, he said.
Last month pupils at Glenvista High School filmed one of their classmates assaulting their teacher during class.
The pupil has subsequently been charged with assault and bringing the school's name into disrepute.
-eNCA
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