Happy slapping was a phenomenon that originated in the United Kingdom around 2005. It involved one or more people attacking a victim for the purpose of recording the assault, commonly using camera phones or smartphones. This behavior often led to relatively minor acts of violence such as hitting or slapping, but it also occasionally escalated into more serious crimes like murder and sexual assault.
The widespread availability and affordability of mobile phones with integrated video cameras in the mid-2000s made it easy for people to carry out and film these attacks. The end product was easily shared and circulated through informal networks of person-to-person sharing, spreading rapidly throughout communities. Some media commentators suggested that this craze was inspired by popular TV shows like Jackass, Dirty Sanchez, and Bumfights.
The happy slapping phenomenon started in the south London Borough of Lewisham, where a format known as "Slap Happy TV" emerged. This involved recording and sharing videos of unprovoked attacks on individuals, often capturing their shock and surprise on camera phones. The first newspaper article to use the phrase "happy slapping" was published in the Times Educational Supplement on January 21st, 2005.
As happy slapping spread across the UK, it evolved from a relatively minor youth craze into more serious attacks that often resulted in grievous bodily harm. This escalation led to increased concerns about the legal consequences of such behavior.
In Denmark, a girl was sentenced to eight months in prison for her involvement in a series of attacks. The common punishment for happy slapping in 2007 was a fine or up to 40 days in prison, suspended if the attacker had no previous record. In France, an amendment aimed at criminalizing "happy slapping" was added to a law on the prevention of delinquency in February 2007.
The French law equates filming or photographing certain violent crimes with being an accomplice to such crimes, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a €75,000 fine. The law does not apply to those who took similar actions in order to obtain evidence in court or as professional journalism.
In the United Kingdom, a teenage girl was sentenced to two years' detention for filming the fatal beating of a man on her mobile phone in March 2008. This marked the first prosecution of its kind in the UK and served as an example to other young people involved in similar behavior.
Mobile game development has come a long way since then, but it's essential to remember the darker aspects of human nature that this phenomenon represented. By understanding the roots of happy slapping, we can better appreciate the importance of responsible mobile gaming practices and the need for stricter laws to protect victims.