WARNING: This article details violence.
Police in Vancouver and Surrey say they are investigating a series of violent attacks in which groups of teenagers target one person.
The latest incident happened at Hillcrest Elementary School in Surrey on Saturday night, according to Cpl. Vanessa Mann with Surrey RCMP.
“The violence that young people have shown in this incident is extremely worrying,” Mann said on Wednesday.
Video of the attack was recorded and published online. It shows several teenage girls shouting at a girl who is bleeding from her face.
The group curses at her and chases her before pressing her into a corner with a chain link fence. She is made to kiss the shoes of her attackers, while apologizing profusely for something – it is not clear why.
“There appeared to be one main aggressor, but there were other people involved in the attack on the victim,” Mann said, adding that one girl had been arrested on Saturday before being released on parole.
Mann said no charges have been filed yet, but it probably will be. Charges against other teenagers are also being considered, she said.
“It was a very traumatic incident for this victim,” Mann said, adding that she was taken to hospital by officers who found her near the school.
“I’m sure it’s something I’m sure will be with them for a very long time.”
Incidents in Vancouver
Sergeant in Vancouver. Steve Addison said police investigators are investigating at least four separate and possibly unrelated cases dating back to March.
- On March 23, a 19-year-old man was allegedly sprayed with a bear and robbed by six teenagers in Kerrisdale
- On April 9, a teenager had a pellet gun pressed to his head by another teenager in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
- On April 16, in two separate incidents, two teenage boys were allegedly attacked, stabbed and robbed while surrounded by 15-20 teenagers in Kerrisdale.
In the latest case, on April 24, Addison said a 13-year-old child from West Vancouver was lured to Stanley Park after befriending someone on social media. He was overwhelmed by a group of teenagers who allegedly kicked him, sprayed him with pepper and robbed him.
He was found walking alone and covered in blood along the coastal wall after the incident, Addison said.
“It’s very likely that we’re just scratching the surface with what we know, and that the vast majority of these things aren’t being communicated,” he said.
The Vancouver Police Department has set up a hotline for information on these incidents: (604) 717-0614.
“This is a serious concern”
According to Bonnie Ladybitter, an honorary professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Victoria, this type of incident was much more common 20 years ago.
“It’s unusual and it’s getting more and more unusual,” said Ladybitter. “It is difficult to see why we are seeing this now, but it is clearly a serious concern.
Leadbeater said incidents such as those reported by police and published in online videos may be related to how teenagers were affected by the COVID pandemic. Although, she said, it is always about group dynamics, status, loyalty and dominance.
“It’s not just bullying, it’s attacking,” Ladybitter said, “but it still has its basis in this group – loyalty in the group / outside the group to a leader.”
She told the victims that it is always safer to go ahead and make sure that the adults know what is happening so that they can turn it off.
“These are traumatic – very traumatic events for a young person. “It’s hard to regain your safety if you’ve been attacked that way, and it’s going to take a while,” Ladybitter said.
She said parents who read about incidents like the one in the news could take the opportunity to contact their children to talk about what was happening and how to deal with it.
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