Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers is urging students in Antigua and Barbuda to stop recording fights for social media and instead seek help before someone is seriously injured or killed.

His appeal follows a violent confrontation between two schoolgirls on Tuesday, November 10, at the unfinished multi-level car park near the East Bus Station.

A video widely circulated on social media shows the girls fighting before both fall over the edge of the structure into an overgrown area below.

Speaking to the Antigua Observer on Wednesday, Jeffers expressed concern about the growing tendency among young people to pull out their phones and record violent confrontations rather than intervene by seeking assistance.

“They need to recognize that when they do that, sometimes they encourage others to do the same thing,” Jeffers told the Observer.

The commissioner warned that sharing videos of fights can encourage copycat behaviour and create a misleading impression of young people, most of whom he described as decent and law-abiding.

Jeffers urged students who become aware of plans for a fight to alert teachers, police or other responsible adults before violence erupts.

He stressed that reporting such incidents early could prevent serious injuries and potentially save lives.

The police commissioner also called on parents to take a more active role in monitoring their children’s behaviour and identifying warning signs that they may be involved in violence.

He encouraged adults to help identify young people who may need counselling or additional support.

Jeffers said tackling violence among young people requires a collective effort involving parents, schools, communities and law enforcement.

Source: Antigua Observer, reporting by Tahna Weston.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: ‘Put Down the Phone’: Police Chief Urges Students to Report Fights After Schoolgirls Fall From Car Park.