Reports suggest a new craze in which young people slap strangers and film the assault on mobile phones is on the increase. But does this trend actually exist or is it the product of media hype?
A new breed of violence is sweeping the nation, if media reports are to be believed.
"Happy slapping" is thought to have originated as a craze in south London six months ago, before becoming a nationwide phenomenon, police and anti-bullying organisations have claimed.
Videos of the slaps are reportedly sent to other mobile phones and posted on the internet.
Earlier this week, Surrey Police made an arrest after an 11-year-old child was slapped at a Leatherhead school.
Reports of such violence are becoming increasingly common.
A school in Tonbridge, Kent, warned that a boy's hearing had been damaged by an attack.
Other reported incidents have included a youth punching a woman in the face after approaching her at a bus stop.
Amid mounting concern about the phenomenon, St Martin-in-the-Fields School in Lambeth, south London, has banned pupils from carrying mobile phones to school altogether.
'Pain and humiliation'
Nicola Kerr, who works for children's charity Kidscape, said the trend was difficult for schools to control because pupils were bringing video phones into school.
"Some schools have tried getting the children to hand their phones into their form teachers at the beginning of each day," she said.
The assaults have prompted an ITV documentary on the subject.
Academic Dr Graham Barnfield, a media lecturer at the University of East London, has blamed television programmes such as Jackass and Dirty Sanchez - which are aired on MTV - for the craze.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4539913.stm