The Victoria Lindsay Beating: Preventing Teenagers from Committing Violence

A Parent's Perspective

Victoria Lindsay wrote a few ill-advised remarks about some girls and posted them online. She was then lured to a house on March 30 in her hometown of Lakeland, Florida, and accosted, beaten unconscious by eight teenagers, driven to another location and told not go to the police or she would be beaten again. Victoria Lindsay suffered damage to her left eye and ear and a concussion. She is 16.

And it was all videotaped to be uploaded and shown on YouTube.

All eight, six girls and two boys, allegedly involved have been arrested and charged with felony battery and false imprisonment. Authorities believe the two boys were used as lookouts while the girls punched, slapped and kicked Lindsay to the point of unconsciousness, even slamming her head into the wall. The three who drove her to another friend's house have been charged with felony kidnapping as well. Prosecutors say they are going to attempt trying the teens as adults.

The girls were cheerleaders.

One of them was 14.

All of them were former friends.

Sheriff Grady Judd called it "animalistic behavior," according to various media reports. "It's pack mentality. They lured her there to beat her," he stated.

The video was confiscated as evidence.

So how does a parent prevent their own teenagers from becoming involved in this type of behavior?

First of all, parents have got to instill within their children the idea that it is inherently wrong to forcefully lay hands upon another person. There is often a pervading attitude that hitting or slapping someone is alright, even acceptable under certain circumstances. Unless it is in self-defense, laying one's hands upon another individual is never right.

Second, parents need to teach their chidlren coping mechanisms. When things affect a person adversely, instigating violent acts or retaliating for perceived or true verbal attacks should be cautioned against. There are several coping strategies that might keep teenagers from physical violence. Thinking a matter through before acting and walking away from the incident are just two of them.