The worst problem with a student brawl last month outside the cafeteria at Haverhill High School is not the brawl itself nor the somewhat slow response to it by adults. The worst problem is the attitude of other students, who apparently view such things not as a problem but an entertainment event — one to be cheered on and then broadcast on the World Wide Web.
Yes, the fight itself is a problem, but it is one that has always existed among adolescents. Kids fight. They always have and they always will.
That, of course, does not mean school officials should tolerate it. Mayor James Fiorentini, who chairs the School Committee, said he had been told by high school Principal Bernard Nangle that the two students had been suspended. That is the minimum that should happen to them. Punishment should be swift and severe for those who become violent in an educational setting that is supposed to be safe.
And yes, the response time was slow. The video posted by a student on YouTube (later taken down) showed that it took an adult about 40 seconds to intervene. It is hard to put an exact time on how quick the response should have been, but this was in an open area outside the cafeteria where students typically congregate after they eat. It should have been a prime place for security guards or faculty to be monitoring. One of them should have been there to intervene much more quickly, especially with a group of students gathered around the combatants, cheering.
Fiorentini said since the incident, a fourth security guard has been posted in the building.
But what is most disturbing is that the spectators thought this was great. It's not, and teachers, coaches and other mentors to students should seek to change those attitudes.
This was not a football or a hockey game, where players wear protective gear because they are going to be colliding with other players. This is two students trying to do physical harm to one another. The fact that it tends to be part of the adolescent experience does not mean it is something to be applauded or encouraged.
Most students, if asked, would say that they would like to live their lives as adults in safe neighborhoods, free of the risk of violence to themselves or their children.
This is not a good way to start.
