"Caught" on Tape... And bragging about it!

I am absolutely outraged at the recent You Tube beating video and even more so at the parents of those involved.  What a disgrace that is.  I don't understand how the parents are defending their children, rather than discipling them!  To try to find loopholes, and say that it "wasn't as bad as it seems" screams out loud part of the problems that is wrong in this society.  As parents, we need to teach children to own their mistakes.  We all hope that our children are kind and gentle creatures, but the truth of the matter is - sometimes they aren't.  And they don't always have the best judgement - and when they don't, it's our job as parents to show them the error of their ways.  You don't make excuses for it!!  What those kids did is deplorable.  And whether they stood by and watched or physically lifted a hand is irrelevant.  They didn't stop it, and that's just as responsible of an action as if they hit that girl themselves.  There are people who have gone to jail for murder because they were there and didn’t stop it when they had the opportunity to do so.  What is wrong with the parents of these children?!?

The funny thing is, if they just own up to their actions - there might actually be some leniency shown towards them; but because there is such denial and strong sense of condoning these actions, I know I personally want to see them get convicted on all of the charges.  It is not right to teach children that it's okay to be involved in this kind of behaviour.  At all - on any level.

This is the frenzy for attention that the My Space / You Tube / Reality Show generation is growing up with.  How twisted is it for children today, rather than thinking about prom, or cheerleading, or sports and competitions, or even dating -- to be thinking of what sick and twisted idea can they come up with to become "celebrities" in the online environment.   Where does it end?  Or even worse -- where does it go from here?  

The internet has it's place -- and there are some wonderful benefits that come with it.  But I am one parent who will not allow my children to be "online" -- not even for Play House Disney.  I'm almost embarrassed because my son was the only child in his class that needed to be taught how to use a mouse -- but I'm sorry -- the computer is not a toy.  And at this stage of his life -- I do not find it appropriate for him to use.  This is not an environment that I want my children exposed to until they absolutely need to be.  There is no need for children to use a computer, and if they do - it should not be without parental supervision while they're on. That means in the room, looking over their shoulder.   My son is going to be 7, and I know that in the next year or so, his homework is going to be almost exclusively computer driven.  But I'm here to tell you, that this is one parent who will never - ever - allow my children to be unsupervised in the world wide web.

Aren't they potentially just as vulnerable from the comfort of their home on the internet, as they are roaming the streets alone and unattended?

In my opinion -- maybe even more so.