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Girls Fighting Gets Out Of Hand Save Email Print
Posted: 10:33 PM Aug 20, 2008
Last Updated: 2:53 PM Aug 21, 2008
Reporter: Lauren Zakalik
Email Address: lauren.zakalik@wilx.com

A | A | A

"I was there. It got really out of hand."

What Kenneth Pruitt witnessed Monday-- nothing short of shocking.

Six teenage girls-- no older than 16-- in an all-out melee turned criminal near Lansing's Comstock Park

"The accused got demanding of the victims and asked them to undress and some sexual assault occurred," Lt. Noel Garcia of the Lansing Police tells News 10.

Pruitt's own sister, he says, is serving three weeks in juvenile detention for her role in the assault. Pruitt says girls fighting girls is something he's seeing on a regular basis, over "ignorant" things. The fight Monday, he says, stemmed from an argument about a party two weeks ago.

"Earlier this morning I saw six other girls fighting," he says.

"There has been an increase in violence in girls, and the number of girls in the juvenile violence system," notes Jill Peck, who works at Highfields, an agency for at-risk children. Peck is also a social worker.

Peck says girls are typically more verbal and emotional than boys, and as we've seen from viral videos, are growing more daring. Peck says girls just might not know anymore how to deal with additional stress.

"We all show frustration in different ways," she says. "Girls are doing it sometimes unfortunately violently. Their violence tends to be emotional as well as physical."

Peck says girl on girl fights, like the one that happened in Lansing, are easy to sensationalize because they happen less often than boy on boy fights. But if people do that, they could be creating an even bigger problem.

"If we don't address the situation occurring and provide services, we stand a risk of it increasing," Peck says.

It's anger mis-management that no one wants to see.

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Posted by: Vickie Location: Lansing on Aug 22, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Gee, I agree, where are the parents? I know the parents cannot be around 24/7 however, this type of behavior starts in the home. I've heard kids say to adults, you can't touch me or I'll turn you in or call the police. Kids are just simply out of control today. Parents, schools, discipline has been taken away. Kids act like they are untouchable and they can do what they want.

Posted by: J Location: Jackson on Aug 22, 2008 at 06:37 AM
Wow, Brian settle down. No, I don't eat hardly any packaged food from the store. Do a little food study. I was just throwing something out there, weak or not. Seeing as there is more and more of this behaviour going on now than there used to be. If you think that all of these pesticides and steroids that are being used don't have an effect, think again. I hope you have a better day today.

Posted by: Karen Location: Lansing on Aug 22, 2008 at 04:37 AM
They are no better than boys, women want equal rights then they need egual punishments.

Posted by: Brian Location: Hillsdale on Aug 21, 2008 at 07:22 PM
So, now we`re just figuring out that females are capable. Capable of anything a male can do! Wake up! It`s always been that way! It`s not just men that shake babies! We don`t have television channels depicting females to be evil. Are men/males suppose to be surprised by this behavior? It`s not what is in the food either! That`s a weak excuse or assumption. If that were the case, we would all go freekin nuts! Does this food make you that way J? I think it all falls in the hands of the parents and the surroundings of these females.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:58 PM
this comes to parents being parents to their children. I am a parent and it is hard sometimes, but you must engage your children ALL the time

Posted by: J Location: JACKSON on Aug 21, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Ever stop and think about the different chemicals that are put into our store purchased food and drink? maybe the extra estrogen and/or testosterone (steroids) levels that are being consumed?

Posted by: Gail Location: michigan on Aug 21, 2008 at 07:48 AM
I'm sure these girls are NOT doing this because they had correction at home.Probably the lack of.Provide services to help these girls?Some job created when correction was taken out of the home.High paying for someone.Anger?well more like they don't even mind there parents.Most kids don't.Wonder why.Raise in juvenile violence?Any clue why?We have to let our kids get away with everything.Punishment,talking to them,grounding them?Oh ya sure.Wouldn't make me listen.Don't them either.The high paying jobs to change these kids?TYhey get a good pay check,kids still go on the wrong ways.tax payer money being of no use in many cases.Why would kids have stress?Only when not getting there way or proverty issues.We did not hear of this when parents had the upper hand and corection was allowed.Drugs,drinking and use of many things has not been a big help.Things that just have gotten out of hand.The jobs created that pay some one well to try to control kids problems.Parents could of but no.it's abuse.

Posted by: Joan Location: Lansing on Aug 21, 2008 at 07:05 AM
Gee, how about better parenting?

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