A change.org online petition against bullying has picked up nearly 16,000 signatures after a 17 year old was attacked by seven of his peers.
A video of the attack, widely disseminated over the internet, shows a group of young people pummeling a Chicago high school student in Bridgeport Jan. 16. In the video, the youth kick and punch the victim in the head, beat him with his own shoes and push him into the snow.
The change.org petition, started by Timothy Hwang of the National Youth Association, calls on the Chicago Police Department to arrest and charge the attackers. It also asks Chicago Public Schools to develop an anti-bullying course and make it mandatory for the attackers.
"This video shows an extreme example of a young person being senselessly attacked," said Hwang, in a statement. "Actions need to be taken to ensure that incidents like this don't happen again. Young people who engage in this type of bullying and violence need to learn about the impact their actions have on others."