Implications of urban adolescent discourses of (un)happy slapping

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to provide an overview of British adolescents' views on happy slapping and offer a potential framework for challenging their implicit tolerance of the phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 41 adolescents from three large English cities was interviewed about happy slapping at seven youth community centres and their narratives were analysed by drawing on the classical discourse analysis and the concept of narrative repertoires.FindingsIn contrast to popular press associations between happy slapping and boredom or deviance, the study suggests that adolescents construe happy slapping (but not lasting‐injury “unhappy slapping”) as amusing, original, controllable and deterring rather than encouraging violence.Practical implicationsIt is cautiously proposed that the narratives might be potentially questioned by impugning the alleged originality, challenging the perceived harmlessness, casting doubt on the excuse of evidence collection and putting greater emphasis on psychosocial skills.Social implicationsWhen analyzing the data both methodological and ethical considerations should be kept in mind. Participants, who were criminal record‐free college students, may have been inhibited by the recorded nature of the interview with a stranger, although the technique of projective questions likely alleviated their anxiety.Originality/valueNot only does the study offer insight into urban adolescents' perspectives on happy slapping, which to date has not been addressed in social science, but it also cautiously proposes an intervention framework which needs to be developed, tested and refined in further research.