Violence Against the Homeless

4 Youths Arrested in Attacks on Homeless
Los Angeles Times 7/19/07

Four teenage boys were arrested for allegedly driving around Los Angeles and attacking homeless people while using a cellphone camera to capture some of the assaults, LAPD officials said Monday.

The youths allegedly attacked at least eight homeless people either by throwing smoke bombs or firing plastic pellets from an air pistol at them and in one case throwing a bike into a homeless person's tent as he slept.

Police said the suspects filmed some of the attacks with a cellphone camera, and the attackers intended to post the recordings on the Internet.

A horrific incident? Yes. Shocking? Sadly no. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless attacks on homeless people was up 65% from 2005 to 2006, and these are only the incidents that were reported and confirmed. This spring it was highly publicized that a Florida youngster was facing charges for his treatment of a homeless man, nearly beating him to death if I remember correctly.

What is wrong with these kids? It may not be what is wrong with them but rather what is wrong with society. In a conversation I had this spring with Vicki Wagner, Chief Executive Office for the National Network For Youth, she mentioned that in her thirty years of working to end youth homelessness one of the changes has been that society today views homelessness as a nuisance rather than a problem that we should work to solve. That may be what is wrong with these kids.


EDIT: One day later and already two more similar stories:
Homeless man slain-- teenager sought
San Francisco Chronicle 7/20/07

3 Statesville Teams Charged in Beating Death of Homeless Man
WRAL.com 7/20/07

EDIT: Another day, another article:
Belfast Court Appearance for Man Charged wit Death of Homeless Man
Belfast Telegraph 7/21/07

EDIT:
Arkno Duo Attack Two Elderly Homeless Men
Cleavland.com 7/23/07