A violent confrontation between two 15-year-old girls in Heraklion, on the Greek island of Crete, has sparked concern after footage showing the incident was recorded by other teenagers and circulated online.

The video shows the two minors punching each other, pulling each other’s hair and wrestling on the ground, while a group of peers around them filmed the scene on their mobile phones. According to reports, no one intervened to separate the girls or sought help from an adult.

The incident has prompted discussion about the role of social media, peer pressure and the behavior of bystanders during acts of violence.

Experts discuss youth violence and social media

Police analyst Stavros Balaskas said that such incidents are often linked to the desire to share violent encounters online.

“Research by authorities has shown that 70% to 80% do it to upload them on social media,” he said, referring to similar incidents involving young people.

Psychologist and criminologist Vana Papakitsou said violence among young people has changed significantly in recent years and now also affects girls.

“Because violence and delinquency are spreading, they would naturally also reach girls,” she said, adding that there are clear differences between violence among boys and girls, with different underlying causes.

Papakitsou also highlighted the responsibility of those who watch and record violent incidents without intervening.

“Observers of violence are also complicit in violence,” she said.