10 middle school boys arrested after fight in Providence
By Alana Cerrone
@Alana_Cerrone
Ten boys from Del Sesto Middle School in Providence were arrested after a fight last Tuesday, charged with disorderly conduct.
Police say social media is a likely factor in the brawl.
Friday is the last day of school in Providence before Christmas break, so police and administrators are asking parents to pay close attention to their kids and their social media accounts.
“It’s disturbing some of the things we see as police."
Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh Clements talks about that large school grounds fight…
"In mid to late November we noticed a flurry of activity in the middle schools in the city of Providence…and then it came to a head on December 8 in Del Sesto middle school where there was a large fight."
That’s when ten boys from that school were arrested.
"We needed to send a strong message that this is not going to be tolerated."
He says they’ve increased patrols at Del Sesto, and also Roger Williams and Gilbert Stuart Middle Schools, where there’s been a lot of behind the scenes incidents, much of it stemming from social media.
Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth Calabro says, "There is a concerted effort by students who want to engage in activity to utilize social media to their advantage…to coordinate the location of a fight or coordinate players in a fight."
She says it’s especially important to keep an eye on students in and out of school.
"There’s this whole mentality we haven’t seen before…before social media… with this wildfire spreading of rumors and plans and ultimately getting video on YouTube"
Calabro says teachers just know when a fight is going to break out.
"You can feel it…you can feel the tension in the air…and there are other kids on the fray who say ‘Miss something bad is gonna happen today’."
That’s true for the most recent fight at Del Sesto.
"Every once in a while a group of students makes a bad decision…the fear is someone’s gonna get hurt…really hurt."
While there were no weapons involved in this fight, that of course is what police and administrators are trying to prevent.
Police say they’re working on a comprehensive plan to stop violence in schools.
We did reach out to the Providence Superintendent of Schools for comment but did not hear back.
© WLNE-TV 2015
