Tennant Creek street fights filmed and spread on social media shows intergenerational violence

BRUTAL street fights between teenagers fuelled by jealousy and filmed by onlookers reflects the township’s problem with violence, a women’s safety advocate claims

Street fights between female teenagers have been posted on social media - the incidents are concerning for police. Picture: You Tube/Teecee Real Fights

BRUTAL street fights between female teenagers fuelled by jealousy and filmed by onlookers reflects Tennant Creek’s problem with violence, a women’s safety advocate claims.

The videos posted three weeks ago include two fights between girls and one between two men and are titled with the nicknames of the fighters.

Dozens of bystanders are pictured barracking for a fighter as if it was an organised boxing match, cheering when a sickening blow was landed.

The crowds from toddlers to adults watched on as the combatants pulled each others hair and try to land the knockout blow.

The videos have been viewed around 5000 times in total.

Last year similar videos emerged on line featuring teenage girls in organised street fights.

Over the past two months, more than 10 videos were uploaded to YouTube, capturing young and old male and females fighting.

Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge Manager Georgina Bracken said violence is “normalised” within the township and teens are replicating the behaviour they have been surrounded by.

She said the brutal fights are a result of intergenerational violence Tennant Creek children were constantly exposed to.

“They are copying what they see around them and it’s intergenerational. I see the same thing with primary school kids,” she said.

“If kids are exposed to it their whole lives they are going to copy it.”

Ms Bracken who has worked in Tennant Creek for 16 years said the Barkly region consistently misses out on government funded youth intervention programs.

An NT Police spokeswoman said police are aware of the videos ‘Teecee Real Fights’.

She said it was an offence to fight in a public place in the Territory and charges could be laid without an official complaint.

“Northern Territory Police do not condone this kind of disgraceful behaviour or its filming and publication,” she said.

“We encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of an assault to contact police on 131 444.”

NT Police figures reveal there were 36 assaults reported in Tennant Creek in January.