Attack on autistic teen posted on YouTube
This past June, a 16-year-old with autism is punched in the face and bullied by a teenager who attends the same high school—-and the whole attack is videotaped and posted on YouTube. The 16-year-old’s family saw the video and was able to identify the attacked. WSBT (South Bend, Indiana) interviewed Joyce Vermillion and Amber Fairchild, the mother and sister of the boy who was attacked:
“First it was bad enough that they did it. Then they videotaped it. Then they made it into a joke. They did it in slow motion and they replayed it frame by frame,” Fairchild said. “It hurts my feelings so bad, it hurts my heart.”
The family says the boy’s face was swollen after the attack, but since then he has been doing well.
The video helped the family identify his attacker, who attends the same high school.
Mishawaka police said the police report was filed Tuesday and officers are on the case.
The telltale video is no longer on YouTube; Fairchild was able to download it.
And you really have to wonder, what were the teenagers who did the bullying it thinking. Or not.
Tags: asd, asperger, attack, autism, autism blog, bully, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, Health, Parenting, pdd-nos, South Bend, teenager, youtubeRelated Stories
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12 opinions for Attack on autistic teen posted on YouTube
Alicia, Mental Health Notes
Aug 28, 2008 at 12:28 am
This is disgusting. Each and every person involved in this - from the fight to the taping to the sick editing process - should be held accountable in some way. Punished and made to receive treatment/evaluations of some sort.
Abusing another human being and posting it on the Internet like some kind of morbid trophy is horrible, but when that human being is autistic or has any kind of mental health condition or physical disability, it feels a million times worse and makes me think the bullies are that much more in need of psychiatric help.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 28, 2008 at 12:44 am
And, sadly, it gives me more reason to be relieved that Charlie gets 1:1 supervision at school and at other times. I feel very watchful when he passes groups of boys these days and they shoot glances in his direction.
Amanda
Aug 28, 2008 at 7:27 am
Oh man, I live in South Bend and hadn’t heard of this (I guess I don’t watch the news enough.)
This is just horrible. I do wonder what the punishment for the bully will be.
Niksmom
Aug 28, 2008 at 9:39 am
Sickening. But, what do we expect in a society where we have taught our kids (through all sorts of media) to glorify violence and that the only way to succeed (survive?) is by beating your way to the top? Ok, off my soap box now. And, yes, Kristina, a very good reason to be grateful Charlie has 1:1 in school! I think that’s why I am so fearful of trying to put Nik back in school, too.
Fielding J. Hurst
Aug 28, 2008 at 9:58 am
There’s a special place in hell reserved for said attacker/loser.
Stimey
Aug 28, 2008 at 10:30 pm
This sort of thing terrifies me. Heartbreaking.
Chocolate Kicks
Aug 28, 2008 at 11:03 pm
[...] J. Hurst on the teenager who attacked an autistic teen and posted a video on YouTube. Tags: actors, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, bruce less, [...]
Regan
Aug 29, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Low-lifes looking to become internet celebrities as the icing on the cake of already being immoral bullies committing battery.
The upside is that it made it easier for law enforcement to apprehend and charge them. (And I agree with Alicia. If there were others involved, prosecution should extend to those involved in production of the video.)
Alicia, Mental Health Notes
Aug 29, 2008 at 11:06 pm
@ Regan - That’s one good thing about the Internet in relation to the bullies of this generation: The quick “fame” sites like You Tube bring them (re: this case, that high school girl case, and even a case at one of my area’s high schools) makes it that much easier for parents/law to catch them.
This and Last Week’s Top Posts
Aug 30, 2008 at 4:28 pm
[...] hoping that will get fixed soon. In the meantime, I wanted to point out discussions about the YouTube video of an autistic teenager getting beat up—about how autism, unlike measles, is not an infectious disease—–about the luxury [...]
Saturday Sanity: Front Row Seats At The New Wal-Mart Boxing Ring
Aug 31, 2008 at 1:22 pm
[...] at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, Kristina at Autism Vox talks about the shocking case of a video on YouTube of an autistic boy getting beaten up, Kendra at [...]
David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)
Sep 17, 2008 at 6:29 pm
sometimes, there isn’t enough vomit in the world.
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