Vancouver police issue bullying warning after teens swarmed, attacked

A series of what is being described as “violent incidents involving teens” is prompting the Vancouver Police Department to issue a bullying warning.

According to the VPD, a number of teens have been hurt.

“We’re worried the violence will further escalate,” said Sgt. Steve Addison.

The VPD believes many crimes against youth still go unreported, which is why police are “imploring young people to come forward if they’re a victim of violence or if they have information that could prevent someone else from getting caught up in a dangerous situation.”

Several incidents in recent weeks

Police say there have been several incidents of swarmings, robberies, and reports of “violent rituals meant to demean and humiliate peers” in recent months.

On April 9, a pellet gun was reportedly held to the head of a teen boy by another youth at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The teen didn’t report the incident, but VPD was notified after staff reviewed security footage.

A week later, on April 16, VPD says two boys, aged 14 and 15, were assaulted in Kerrisdale. They were reportedly held at knife-point in two separate instances and robbed.

And then, on April 24, a 13-year-old boy is said to have been lured from West Vancouver to Stanley Park, where he was reportedly swarmed by a group of teens police say were intoxicated. The boy was kicked, pepper-sprayed, and robbed, police explain, adding the group is then said to have assaulted a 63-year-old man nearby.

There’s no suggestion from police that these incidents are connected. However, the VPD is still looking to speak with people about what happened in Stanley Park and Kerrisdale. You can reach police at 604.717.0614 if you have any information.

Video trend

Meanwhile, the VPD says there appears to be a trend going around whereby teens swarm and assault others, video-taping the incidents in what investigators call “humiliating and demeaning bullying rituals.”

In some cases, the videos are posted online. In them, a young person is seen being assaulted and forced to kiss the suspects’ shoes.

Addison says these kinds of incidents not only leave people physically hurt, but also cause mental and emotional trauma.

“They can lead to deep-rooted emotional trauma that leave permanent scars,” explained Addison. “Sadly, the very nature of these incidents often deters victims from coming forward, because they fear retribution and further humiliation.”

Police are encouraging parents to speak with their kids about bullying and violence. They are also encouraging teens who may have been the victim of such crimes to report them to police.

Open dialogue between parents and children needed

Carol Todd, the mother of Amanda Todd who was involved in a notable and tragic cyberbullying case, believes bullying is a community issue.

“Schools, parents, community partners, we all have a say in how we raise our children and it’s really important that we’re all on the same page, teaching our kids what to do and what not to do,” she said.

Related:

• Man charged in Amanda Todd cyberbullying case extradited to Canada

• ‘It has been a long road’: mother hopes her daughter’s alleged online tormentor brought to justice in B.C.

• ‘Many parents have lost their children’: Amanda Todd’s mom 6 years after her death

Todd says she was shocked about the recent incident and expressed concern that no one with knowledge on the attack warned anyone that it happened.

“That really pains me that we haven’t stressed enough to our kids, that if you see something, say something.”

She believes the VPD sending out warnings to parents is starting a much-needed conversation on this ongoing issue.