Have you heard of a new game called “10 Seconds”? If not, you may want to keep an ear open. It is a new game in schools across the nation that seems to have originated in Detroit, MI, but is supposedly spreading quickly via online video. It took me less than 10 seconds to find these 10 second fights.
School fight part of game, cops say 13-year-old boy had to go to the hospital
That’s what Troy police and a school official on Wednesday said was going on in a boy’s bathroom at Baker Middle School last week, when three students were suspended for participating in a game called 10 Seconds.
Police said it’s a 10-second, mutually agreed upon fighting game in which a participant causes as much pain and injury to his or her opponent as possible.
And often, there are spectators, police said… for the remainder of this story, go here.
The fact that the participants limit the fight time to just 10 seconds makes clear that each is aware of the potential for damage and harm to each other. Limiting the fight time is the mechanism chosen to limit the damage. These are not mindless individuals performing a mindless activity. These are people who understand that there are risks to themselves and to others; yet consciously choose to participate, anyway.
Clearly, there is something wrong with the decision making process in this age group. Clearly, because there is such a great potential for harm to a significant degree, this activity needs to be discouraged and stopped. The only way to do so is to punish, severely, all participants and all who film, post or witness such events and keep silent.
Why am I posting this? I am posting it because the bulk of responsibility for stopping this behavior rests on the shoulders of parents – NOT teachers. It is the duty of parents to keep their children safe and to teach them that they have a moral obligation to respect the rights of others, including the right to live free of an assault. It is the responsibility of parents to teach their children what seems to be a lost lesson; that with every right comes an obligatory responsibility to afford the same respect and courtesy to others.
The sad reality is that there are all sort of parents and as a result, we have all sorts of children with differing levels of ethics, morality and responsibility. However, the fact that poor parents lead to the development of children without discipline or conscience is no excuse for this sort of behavior. In fact, this behavior, once encountered needs to be dealt with severely, swiftly and without ambiguity. It is my view, that participating in this activity by children should be sufficient to warrant a look into the lives and behavior patterns of the appropriate parent or guardian by authorities to determine the potential for a repeat performance, or worse.
If we are sincere in wanting to end bullying and needless child suicides that result from such agregious behavior; then we need to look at the root causes behind the actions of such children – their parents. It’s time to stop blaming teachers for poor job of instilling values, including the values of self-control and self-discipline; this is the job of parents. Yes, teachers do have a concurrent responsibility to reinforce such behavioral teachings, but they are the secondary line of defense in the overall protection of our children. So, the next time you read, hear or witness a wayward act by a student, examine the school and look for ways to better serve the student body and the community; but, don’t overlook the home life of those involved. More often than not, I suspect, that working diligently on correcting deficiencies found there will prove to be more effective than calling for the blood of teachers, administrators and the various boards of education.
