'30 second fight:' New viral trend showing short brawls raises concern in Menomonee Falls
MENOMONEE FALLS -- Teens are using their cellphones to upload short brawls on the internet. The new viral trend making the rounds is called "30 second fights."
"It's like this 30 second fight challenge where people fight people in 30 seconds," said Crystal Kastenholc, student.
This week, school officials in Menomonee Falls sent out a letter to parents of North Middle School writing, "some students have participated in planned and organized '30 second fights' (also called 'going for 30') while at school."
"I heard people got into fights in hallways during passing times and stuff," said Kastenholc.
A quick search on YouTube shows plenty of similar brutal videos uploaded online.
The premise is simple: a fight is times and uploaded online. It's a trend worrying parents.
"I find it very disturbing for kids to be fighting just to put it on YouTube," said Ninja Gillylen.
Ninja Gillylen, says she keeps close tabs on her kids.
"It's so many things going on social media and getting the kids involved. I try to keep a tight nit on . He doesn't have a Facebook page," said Gillylen.
School leaders are asking other parents to do the same, writing "...we are asking for your partnership in helping us by holding conversations with your child" -- not just about "going for 30" videos but any dangerous trends that have happened or may be the next big viral sensation.
It's not known how many kids took part in the fight videos. Menomonee Falls police say they are not involved and it's likely being handled at school. School leaders ask parents to have a conversation with their kids about what to do if they see something like this happening in person or online.
Read the complete letter sent to parents below:
Dear NMS Families,
We are committed to creating and sustaining a respectful, responsible, and safe school community, commonly known in the district as Falls Pride. We are purposeful in teaching and reinforcing our Falls Pride ideas and are committed to building a positive community with our young citizens. It has come to the attention of North’s administration that some students have participated in planned and organized “30 second fights” (also called “going for 30”) while at school.
As the exposure to social media increases, students need our support navigating through inappropriate suggested “challenges” that they view on the internet (ex. The Tide Pod Challenge, The Cinnamon Challenge, etc). Today, we are asking for your partnership in helping us by holding conversations with your child about these unsafe actions. We have addressed this behavior with various students at school as the behavior does not reflect our expectations of Respect and Responsibility; it will not be tolerated. We are asking for your assistance in reinforcing these expectations with your child, as well as discussing how to respond if your child should hear, read online, or see any behavior that is not becoming of a student at NMS. We must all remain committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all students in our school community.
As always, our primary concern is the health, safety, and well-being of our students at all times. We continue to be committed to sharing important information with families as we are made aware of concerns that affect middle school students. Thank you for your continued support and for discussing these important matters with your child.
Sincerely,
Lynn Grimm, Principal and Scott Marty, Associate Principal