Have we talked about the girls being forced into splits?

I saw this on Facebook and then again on GMA.

Seriously - who thinks this is ok? I could barely watch the video. I cannot imagine witnessing this and not saying something right then and there.

I just looked this up.

Holy shit!

That's criminal & I think charges should be brought. I would want to destroy anyone who had a hand in doing that to my kid.

I take karate with my boys and we stretch, with the ultimate goal of splits (and higher kicks). It gets painful as you get close to the edge of what you can do...I can't even imagine the pain of being forced beyond what your body is ready to do. That is absolutely horrible!

isn't there a refupea whose daughter is a rythmic gymnast? I seem to remember her talking about this years ago.

I thini it is hard for kids to stand up to adults and say no. I'm sure these kids were told to do what they were doing. It is the adult's fault. How are we supposed to expect our kids to treat each other if the adults they are supposed to use as role models act this way.

I completely agree with this.

"Kids these days" are no different. mcscrapper, you are older now. YOU are different. Your feelings, thoughts, emotions, values have changed. You perceive kids as different because you have changed.

There have always been cruel kids. It must be nice to not have been aware of that while growing up.

That said, I agree that this is the fault of the adult in charge.

Link to news article with video:
www.9news.com/news/local/investigations/videos-show-east-high-cheerleaders-repeatedly-forced-into-splits-1/466845236

There's no question the coach and any assistant coach present should be fired. Personally, I would contact the police about assault charges if this was my child. Any administrator who knew about this and did not take immediate action should also be fired. It happened in JUNE. The administration knew about it in JUNE. He was placed on leave this week only after the parents went to the news. Totally unacceptable.

ETA - I don't know if the women/girls involved were students or assistant coaches.  The news article mentioned at least one assistant coach also placed on leave - I think that might be the front woman.  Several of the girls involved took videos to show their parents - there seems to be way more evidence of girls trying to help each other than behaving badly (at least from what's been reported so far).  

It is not new. The  Miligram experiment date from 1961 and showed how people are willing to hurt others as long as an authority figure tells them to do so. 

It's human nature in some people -- they are followers and will do what they are told.

It's human nature in some people also, to be sadistic. 

Again, none of this was new. In my day, there were quite a few  kids who most certainly did NOT take care of each other. 

Whatever happened to stretching and practicing at home until you could do it? Forcing someone before they're ready sounds like recipe for injury. I might be biased because I always found splits pretty easy, but couldn't they have had everyone stretch and practice this at home versus forcing a split? I'm also not sure if everyone can achieve a split through practice or not, but if it doesn't come naturally to some people, maybe they should not be cheerleaders or dancers, or they should have a different position, our role.

I watched the video this morning and that is straight up assault. I was cringing because I thought they were going to break her hip or something else! I was a danceline girl and NO ONE was ever forced to go beyond their ability. Those of us that could do splits are either just naturally flexible or practiced practiced practiced. That was really hard to watch-especially the helpers that were laughing (you can tell, even though their faces are blurred out).

I can't bring myself to watch the video!

I saw this on GMA this morning and I agree.