'A Lot Of Peer Pressure To Start Fighting': Fort Collins Police Concerned About Teen Fight Clubs
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- Fort Collins Police Services is concerned about a new trend they have seen recently: teens fighting in local parks. This outbreak of fisticuffs doesn't seem to be spontaneous. They are organized events police say play out on social media.
"There seems to be some concerted effort around meeting up and actually hosting fights," says Fort Collins Chief of Police Jeff Swoboda. "We sense that (social media) might even be driving it a little bit."
While some might be inclined to just let them fight, Fort Collins police officers are concerned about injuries.
"Unfortunately we've seen so many times where kids get hit or they get hit a certain way and then they fall then they hit their head. I mean these can have life-changing consequences for kids," said Swoboda.
Plus, they worry not everyone may be a willing participant in these fights. Instead, they say teens may be getting swept up in the newest social media craze.
"People can feel a lot of peer pressure to start fighting," says Swoboda.
He is asking parents to talk to their teens, check their social media to make sure they aren't a part of this Fort Collins fight club, and keep an eye out for any new or unexplained injuries. He says awareness is key to protecting the teens in his community.
"Hopefully we can stop some of these from occurring," says Swoboda.
Police officers will be spending extra time patrolling around parks. They say if you know something about a fight, but feel uneasy telling someone you can always use Safe2Tell.org to make an anonymous report.
