Internet’s assault on teen America continues

These girls are animals. Regardless of what was "said" on MySpace or FaceBook about any of them - it does not give them the right, permission or pass to beat another girl unconscious. What happened to the old adage "sticks and stones may break my bones; but names will never hurt me"?

I hope sincerely, that the Sheriff prosecutes these lovely7 examples of what is wrong with society to the fullest extent of the law. What a bunch of soulless, wasted lives. Their parents are as responsible as the girls. What happened to teaching your children right from wrong? What about a little personal responsibility on the part of the parents and the girls.

I am sick after hearing this report - God knows I couldn't watch video - why? and give these animals their "moment of fame"?

The web has merely made bad behavior accessible for all to see. The web didn't "make" any of them act poorly--just gave us all a window to watch these stupid kids and the results of poor parenting.

These are teenagers with an inflated sense of self and parents who either don't care or merely defend their children's poor choices (which only teaches these kids to continue on the path of entitlement).

The bottom line is responsibility for one's actions starts with the individual. With underage and immature individuals--the parents definitely share blame. Instead of defending her daughter's actions to Matt Lauer (and sounding ridiculous in the process), she might want to think about teaching her daughter that what she did was unacceptable--period.

And to film it? Well that is just raw stupidity with these kids. If my daughter did this, I would not be defending her actions to Matt Lauer. I would be trying to teach her about self esteem, respect and doing the right thing rather than defending the wrong.

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

This is insane! Parents will do just about anything today to blame their childrens behavior on a media source. I have 3 children and I use the media to have conversations with my children about why we don't behave this way and what the consequences could be. Although, by the time they are teenagers they think and act pretty much on their own, despite how they have been raised. I think the girls should face whatever consequences the courts impose. They need to understand that no matter what is said or written about them, this is not appropriate behavior-in real life you suck it up and go on.

Once again I read an article slack-jawed at the audacity of any parent who would actually "stand up" for their children's law-breaking and immoral behavior. I am not, however, surprised at the actions of the 7, nor at the fact they posted the video. Too many people get away with abhorrent behavior due to the workings of our justice system so it is not abnormal for young people to observe this and conclude that the consequences of their actions will not be so severe to cause them to hesitate or question assault on another. Every single girl present during this assault who might not have actually beaten the girl is guilty as they certainly could have called 911 at any time. And certainly the adult who overheard what was going on should also be charged. The fact this assault has been taped should make conviction a slam-dunk for the prosecution. It's too bad Judge Judy won't get a crack at these felons. That's a show I would love to watch!

By the way-I am in total agreeance that watching that video is, in itself, an action I would not even consider taking. By doing so I feel I would only be encouraging some sick-minded puppy to also tape and post their law-breaking and cruel behavior.

Having raised five to adulthood, I can say with absolute certainty that what these teens have done (including the victim of the beating), speaks strongly of parental absence. Youth today, male and female, have too much freedom, privacy and connection. Most parents, or at least those who even nod at the responsibility of raising their children, are aware that things are going on in their children's lives that do require inspection and direction, but, due to apathy, fear of rejection or even, heaven forbid, the chance that those children won't be part of the crowd, accepted by their peers and popular, parents avoid (yes avoid) dealing with it or even questioning those activities. The Internet is dangerous ground for young, immature minds if not properly overseen by those who should be most interested in what the future holds for those children. Our children are bombarded daily with so much garbage, and if parents do not care enough to be interested, connected and involved in what is going on, we will continue to see more and more stories such as this and unfortunately much, much worse.

I can't see how a mother can defend her daughter when there is videotaped proof. Obviously the mother is just as pathetic as the child. I hope they are charged as adults and learn their lesson because this was definitely a premeditated attack on this girl. The web is not to blame, every computer invented has a shut off button and it's the parents responsibility to use it, just like violence on TV. Parents like these need to stop blaming everyone else and accept the fact that they are the ones responsible for their kids.

I saw a brief tidbit from the video and it was hideous. That one girl/bully is a fat cow. The book should be thrown at all of them, but I bet none of them learn, it is too late.

You want an answer to what we are witnessing

There ya go.. welcome to Idiocracy. I watched that one chicks mom's interview and thought it was a skit dreamt up by some great comedy writers.
NOTE: the handbasket is moving very very quickly and we are all enjoying the ride..

We all need to get involved as citizens to uphold what our forefathers wrote the constitution for and it wasn't to promote criminal activity of any kind. Those who wrote the constitution are probably turning over in there graves to think that this would ever be thought as free speech. Let's get these types of videos off the Internet, for the sake of our kids and grand kids before we even see worse like snuff videos.

These children are fully to blame. They should be held accountable for their actions be punished. At the very least, a short stint in juvenile detention. The parents also need to be held accountable. It's their parenting, or lack there of, which made this possible. You know who else is to blame?...the corporations who are making a fortune off of selling this kind of behavior. Another prime example of the unrestricted capitalism that runs this country. Now, I'm not calling for socialism or anything, but there needs to be some restrictions one these corporations. Just because sex, violence, and filth sells doesn't mean that we should be using them as marketing tools. These kids are a product of their society and that society is a broken, immoral one. American capitalistic society at it's best!

The timing is unbelievable. We just had a situation where my child was being called names on the internet and the kids actually left it on their profile. When my child finally had enough and hit one of the kids that was taunting him, they reacted as if he were out of place....how does one person have to endure? We do not support violence, but this was a case where the adults could understand the frustration. Fortunately, the school guidance responded nicely and addressed it with all involved. There is no confusion as to the expectations going forward.
Fortunately, I look at the communications online. I printed the discussions and the profiles that had the foul language. I think if all parents took the position that they are the adult and the child is using their computer in their house, some of these acts could be prevented. In the end, it is surprising how many kids supported my child and the bahavior was just limited to this one group.

Of course the hood rat girls and parents should be held accountable. However, we shouldn't let YT and MySpace off the hook so easily as Ms. Pomkin suggests. By not regulating their sites, they are giving millions of attention-craved, badly parented or spoiled teens all over the country, an outlet to act out on their perverted morals. What if the girl was actually killed. Would YouTube not come under fire for tastelessly letting the public witness a murder? So what's the difference. The same way they self-regulate their site for porn, they should be taking down these disgusting acts of violence.

Once again everyone is a victim. Even the perpetrators get to be victims. It's the first thing we do in this country is blame someone else or something else. Then we make a media spectacle of it and then we finger someone/something to sue. The constitution does not say anything about having the right not to be offended. People and things are going to offensive-you don't have the right to assault, murder or sue everytime you're offended. We are a bunch of babies. The parents are as culpable as the players in the mess. It's sickening to watch the beginning of the end of America. If you think we can possibly survive this sort of decay with our morals and our responsibility as humans, you're mistaken. Stop it, you whining, lazy, self-absorbed little babies. Being a decent human being is really not that hard. But everyone wants to blame music, videos, television, peer pressure, the internet, video games or anything they can remotely connect to the act as an excuse for acting the fool their whole lives. Poor me, poor me, poor me. These young kids/adults can continue this behavior, it simply won't matter before to long because you will have destoyed your country from the inside out. Then you really will have something to cry about.

the girls are old enough now to know the dif between right and wrong. But that parent defending those brutal actions?.. whats up with that? If my kid did that..i'd be putting the handcuffs on myself..sheesh. However.. these kids dont just become what they are over nite. I truly doubt this parent was shocked when this happened. She is just as guilty for this incident...liable for the doctor bills for sure. Every child has the capacity for going in the wrong direction, including my own. He doesnt like it when I get on his case or take away privileges. I always tell him that I love him and dont want him to go the wrong way. It could literally cost him his life. Regardless of what i think.. this is just outright sad, what a waste. The next step for these kids is manslaughter.

I can NOT believe that anyone is even questioning who is at blame! When did violence become excusable? When did us as humans become animals? When did beating someone because of something someone said become OK? This whole story infuriates me. In my opinion, the girls that decided to beat this girl for 30 minutes should be tried as adults and there shouldn't be any question about it. Anyone that thinks "the Internet made them do it" is just crazy.

Ok, this is just wrong no matter how you look at it. I raised 2 boys and both are Marines and I take responsibility for that along with the wrong choices that they made. If these girls won a beauty pageant, the parents would be taking responsibility for that but since this is bad, they blame it on anything else but the kids and them. Buck up and suffer the consequences for these actions. The poor victim should sue the pants off of these parents!

I hope that the self serving mother who disgustingly defended her more than obvious guilty daughter on national television (all for a moment of fame for her self) has had a chance to look at the video and has chosen to crawl under the nearest rock! Add to the fact that the biggest concern to these girls was wether or not they were going to make it out in time for cheerleading practice! Look to the parenting or lack thereof..that is what is wrong with the teens of today...there are so many absent parents...where else can they possibly look for guidance? I am a working mother of two girls and with so many negative influences out there it is our duty to be sure we raise our children to be human! All it takes is being a constant presence in their lives!

I'm glad to see the girls involved in beating up this young woman are going to be tried as adults. There is absolutely NO legitimate excuse for doing this. I have to ask myself what type of people these women will grow into if they're allowed to walk away with no punishment. Who might they pick as their next victim?

That one of the girls Mothers is actually defending their actions makes me sick.

I just hope that when these girls get out of prison, assuming they go, that they clean up their lives and try to do some good in this world.

Charles R. Whealton

The latest news on this is that these girls are "facing house arrest". Does that really seem like much of a punishment to anyone out there? They savagely attack someone and now will have to stay inside their safe, comfortable houses, which are no doubt filled with every convenience. Not to mention that they are therefore being kept in the custody of parents who blame everything their kids do wrong on someone or something else! What kind of message does that send? I have 2 teenagers and 1 adult daughter. If this happened to any one of them I would not wait around for the so called "justice system" nor would I stand up and say "serves the victim right" if the shoe were on the other foot. God Lord people take care of your kids!

I can't begin to start to express how pathetic these bullies are. They are cowards and they need to be punished. Having seen my fair share of fights in high school, this NEVER happened. This "let's beat up on one, because we can be famous" crap is just that, crap. It shows how "bad" they are. Beating a girl unconscious and then after she wakes up, they beat her some more???? Pathetic. That's the only word I can think of. This is not being tough, or strong or any of those things. And the fact that there is proof that these little ungrateful brats did this horrific act, and their mommies stand up and blame the victim and the media is as low as it gets. Where was mommy when her daughter needed to be taught to be an adult? Where was her mommy when her daughter needed some moral guidance? Apparently nowhere to be found. Maybe if she hadn't passed this kid off to her grandmother and been a MOTHER she wouldn't be on TV talking about her wonderful specimen of a child sitting in jail with a $30,00.00 bond on her head.
I watched footage of them during their bail hearing, and they hid their faces. My question to them is WHY?? Why cover your faces? You're getting what you always wanted. You're on TV and everyone has seen your video.You're famous...and for all the wrong reasons.

You know, after watching the news clip of the conditions for release for these 8 wanna be tough girls,
it looks like the gravity of the situation that their in is finally starting to sink in...hummm..tried as adults, bet they didn't count on that one. Not so tough now, are they. What a bunch of chicken-@!$%#s. Were they scared that if they confronted her one-on-one they would've not faired so well so they had to gang up on the poor girl? I hope the judge in Florida gives them exactly what they deserve, the strictest sentence for such an awful crime. I hope the poor girl who was jumped can get past all this..no matter what she might have said, nobody deserved that beating.

These 7 girls and the three adults should all be punished to the fullest extent of the law (and the girls should be tried as adults, or let me rephrase that the animals posing as girls should be tried as adults too). The mother who defends her animal (or daughter) for doing this and then makes excuses, you're a poor excuse for a parental figure. Quit blaming others for your daughter's behavior and grow up. I hope all involved will have a lengthy sentence and have records that will haunt you the rest of your lives. I am sure the girl beaten will live with this the rest of her life. And by the way, why are the animals or 7 other girls entitled to an education that the Florida taxpayers will have to pay for. Let them get GED in prison. They lost all their rights to a public education when they became animals. I am with the others when did you get to beat someone unconscious for saying something bad about you. Grow up, where are the parents of these kids???? Looks like children services should be on the front door of all the families of the seven girls and take away their other children, clearly they are doing something wrong, oh I forgot it is someone else's fault. Give me a break.

I'd freak if my kids if they pulled this $#%^. And I'd leave their sorry butts in jail.

But lucky for them, they've been raised with better sense, decency, grace and manners. What a bunch of disgusting animals. Their parents should be thrown in jail with them. How can anyone raise such a horrid bully and not even know what an awful monster they are? And the mother who went on TV to defend her rotten, vile brat should be slapped. What kind of parent condones this? OH, I guess we now know. NO-body deserves physical abuse or violence. NOBODY. And if they commit that act on someone else, they learned it somewhere...like at home?

If this website weren't available, this never would have come to the courts the way it will now. These girls are not only animals and stupid, but because of the website, they are extortiionsits and that's where they got hung. You get stupid, you get caught.

what is wrong with theses kids?? i agree with milehighhappy! 100% if my child was that stupid! they need to be lock away. plain & simple.no question ask. i'd never want to see them again!!!!!

The parents should be locked up right with their 'faultless' little brats. These folks want to blame the behavior on everybody but themselves, now they want to blame the internet. Did I fall off the turnup tree lately? I dont think so. Blaming the net is worse than these kids blaming the family cat for everything. Mommy that is saying it wasnt her kid's fault should be prosecuted for impersonating a parent and insulting the intelligence of Matt Lauer for believing her own bulls**t. If they were my kids, I film their own ass whooping and post it on myspace. This is called discipline 101 by me..........the last standing anti brat.