Mum warns videos of cruel attacks going viral ‘lets bullies think they can get away with it’
Karen Doran, 34, says the number of brutal videos being shared online makes children think there are no consequences for carrying out and filming attacks
THE mum of a bullying victim has warned how the spread of viral videos showing kids being attacked mean "bullies think they can get away" with abusing others.
Karen Doran, 34, says the popularity of the footage on social media make kids think there are no consequences for filming and posting attacks.
It comes after her son Jamie, 15, was attacked by a gang of hockey stick wielding thugs during the summer holidays.
The sickening assault was filmed and widely shared on Snapchat, but police reportedly said there "was nothing they could do".
Shockingly three of Jamie's attackers still go to his school.
Karen, who has spoken out to support The Sun's Block The Bullying campaign, says: "It's disgusting. He has to see them every day, they've done nothing. Nobody has done anything."
Block The Bullying aims to educate young people about why filming and sharing attacks on social media can be just as damaging to a child as the actual physical assault.
We are also telling teens what to do if they see a bullying video on social media, how parents should react if their child is a victim and we are asking readers to .
Finally we are calling on social media channels to take down any videos showing the bullying of children as soon as they become aware of them.
Karen believes a lot more needs to be done to educate children about the harm they are causing when they film and upload attacks.
But she is also furious with the police and her son's school, who apparently did nothing to reprimand the bullies, despite video evidence.
The aims of the campaign are simple:
Firstly: We call on all social media platforms to remove videos of children being physically bullied by other young people as soon as they come to their attention.
Secondly: We are asking for Sun readers - both children and adults - to pledge their support to report the videos if they see them.
Thirdly: We aim to educate children as to why they should never film and share incidents of bullying and the damage it can cause the victims and to themselves.
Fourthly: We want to offer parents an easy step by step guide to help them cope if their children have been victims of cyber bullying.
She says: "Police say there isn't much they can do because the bullies are just kids, and the school just haven't done anything - but it's really difficult for the victim.
"I don't see why anyone would want to speak out, even when there is video and photographic evidence - because nothing gets done. I don't get the system at all."
The mum-of-five, from Suffolk, added: "You think there would be more help out there, but it's really hard because kids get away with it.
"They think they are allowed to bully, that's how the bullies see it - because they're getting away with it."
Karen has also suggested police need to clear up the law around filming vicious attacks, and warn children they are committing a criminal offence.
She said: "Apparently if all they do is record the video, then it's fine - but it's different if they egged the attacker on. I don't see how that's not a problem."
Jamie was attacked by the gang of kids as he walked through a field during his summer holidays.
The attack was "totally unprovoked" and carried out by a group of teens
Karen, who is registered disabled, felt forced to upload the video to Facebook herself after it was widely shared on Snapchat.
She said: "I was sent the video by a friend, it had been shared widely beforehand among friends.
"I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere with the police and I'm not physically well enough to go and speak to the kids' parents and I don't know them - it felt like the only way I could get something done."
Jamie told his mum he had been hit when he came home with a cut lip and bruises - but she did not know the full extent of the attack until she saw the video weeks later.
She said: "I'm not sure if they were attacking him with a hockey stick or a metal pole. It was horrific - I had no idea how bad it was until I saw the video."
The 15-year-old would wake up screaming after suffering horrific nightmares in the weeks following the attack.
How to tackle bullying videos on social media
Brutal videos of children beating up other children are becoming more common by the day. But what should you do if you see one pop up on your social media feed? And worse still, what should you do if you discover that your child is a victim of this kind of bullying, or even that they are taking part themselves? It is an incredibly tough position for any parent to be in, so click here for the NSPCC's step by step guide of what to do.
Karen says: "Nobody mentioned any counselling or support, we've had nothing at all.
"I'll take him to the doctors myself when I'm well enough. I don't think he'll speak about it anyway, but it's worth a try."
The concerned mum has now called on police, schools and parents to do more to stop these attacks happening again.
She warned: "Someone's going to end up dead one of these days and it's just fun for the bullies - but it's not fun, it's somebody's life."
The Sun Online has pledged not to publish any more videos of children being bullied, unless we have express permission from the family or police.
If you or anyone you know have experienced this kind of bullying email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368