Police investigating a string of assaults against juveniles in Haverford Township
HAVERFORD TWP., Pa. - Haverford Township Police enforcing "zero tolerance policy" after a string of assaults involving teenagers happened over the weekend.
Joe Walker, a parent of one of the teens assaulted, says video surfaced of a group surrounding and beating up his freshman son near the Skatium on Darby Road around 8:45 on Sunday night.
"It hurts me, because, ten on one is a bad situation," says Walker. "He got out of it unscathed, not hurt, but you know the what ifs, what could have happened?"
Jenn Brennan, a parent to another teenager who was allegedly assaulted over the weekend, says she's ready to take back her community and stop the violence.
"I think the kids are afraid to come forward because of the consequences and threats that are happening, so we just feel that it’s time to take Havertown back," says Brennan.
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The pair wanted to encourage other families to come forward about what they say is a small group of teens from Haverford High School and possibly neighboring high schools causing issues.
Haverford Township Police say they are investigating these assaults next to the Wawa that was ransacked on Darby Road on Saturday.
"Parents and guardians should communicate with their children, knowing where they are and what they are doing," police wrote on their Twitter page.
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Dr. George James, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Council For Relationships, says there was likely a "group think" mentality.
"Part of this group think is this thought that, especially when we talk about teens or in groups like this, is, when there’s many of us it will be hard to single us out, so it’s hard for me to get in trouble," he says. "Sometimes that’s not always conscious, but that’s the feeling people have."
Dr. James says this mentality is not new, but social media makes it easier to coordinate and lingering effects from the pandemic may be a factor.
"What is really caught on camera or what is really seen needs to be dealt with, but also needs to be talked on a larger level," he says. "What might be going on with these young folks that they decided to do this and none, or not enough of them thought this is probably not a good idea?"
Anyone with information on the assaults is asked to call police at 610-853-1298 x1230 or the anonymous tip line at 610-853-9213.