Get you up to speed: 13-Year-Old Boy Arrested for ‘School Wars’ Posts Encouraging Violence | UK News
Police in South Yorkshire arrested a 13-year-old boy over the ‘school wars’ trend, which encouraged violent confrontations among pupils across the UK.
Inspector Katie Hammond confirmed that the Sheffield teenager’s arrest is part of a broader investigation involving multiple arrests related to the dangerous ‘school wars’ trend across the UK.
Inspector Katie Hammond confirmed the arrest of a 13-year-old boy in Sheffield is part of ongoing investigations into the ‘school wars’ trend and its associated risks.
What we know so far
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in Sheffield over the emerging ‘school wars’ trend, which has been promoting violence among schoolchildren across the UK. He is suspected of making malicious communications, encouraging crime, and committing a public order offence.
The trend, which began in Hackney, London, has led to alarming viral TikTok posts instructing students to gather at specified locations armed with compasses and combs for fights. In response to the escalating situation, parents have been advised to collect their children from school as tensions rise.
Inspector Katie Hammond acknowledged the concerns of parents and communities, stating that local authorities are increasing patrols and providing support to schools. She emphasised the seriousness of the situation and affirmed that measures are being taken to monitor social media and shut down the responsible accounts. This incident marks the third arrest connected to the trend, following earlier detentions involving a 20-year-old man and another teenager in London.
Read in full
Boy, 13, arrested over ‘school wars’ posts telling children to ‘be violent’ | News UK
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested over the ‘school wars’ trend which encouraged children across the UK to fight each other.
The teenager, from Sheffield, was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications, encouraging or assisting crime, and an alleged public order offence.
Viral Tiktok posts, first reported by WTX, saw pupils being told to bring compasses and combs to fight each other at organised locations.
The trend, which originated in Hackney, London, soon spread outside of the capital to the rest of the UK.
Parents were urged to pick up their children from the school gates, as teenagers were told to ‘jug and bang’ pupils from different schools depending on whether they were on Team Blue or Team Red.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Inspector Katie Hammond said: ‘We know how worried parents, families, staff and pupils have been since these social media posts started appearing here in South Yorkshire and we have provided support and reassurance to our local schools and communities through a high-visibility presence and increased patrols.
‘Behind the scenes we have also been actively monitoring social media and carrying out intelligence checks, and doing all we can to track down the accounts responsible and shut them down.
‘We are taking this matter seriously and are doing everything in our power to deal with it swiftly and robustly.
‘I believe the overwhelming majority of children here in South Yorkshire understand this trend is reckless and irresponsible, and not at all reflective of the real, positive relationships which exist between our educational establishments, young people and communities.’
It is the third confirmed arrest in connection with the trend, with a man in his 20s and a 15-year-old boy arrested in London.