WATCH > Should Dad Have Been Arrested for Encouraging Son to Fight?

by SodaHead News Posted 2011/04/14 18:00:00

Related Topics: Philip Struthers, Kids Fight, Teen Violence, Bullying, Fight Club, Fight Video, Protective Dad

298 votes
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	Yes	163 votes	55%
	No	104 votes	35%
	Undecided	31 votes	10%

Growing up can be so much fun. While an anti-bullying push might be sweeping the nation, it doesn't stop the garden variety fights between teens, especially when they're encouraged by parents.

In an amateur "Fight Club" gone bad, Florida native Philip Struthers was heard and seen on a video urging his 16-year-old son to knock out another teen, according to Fox News. The video was later posted to a hip-hop website. Eventually police saw the video and arrested Struthers for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The video shows two shirtless teens dancing around each other and then quickly throwing punches. They grab hold of each other and fall down on the cement. In the background, Struthers is heard telling his son to slam the other teen's head into sidewalk and knock him out. The two were apparently fighting over a girl.

"I love my son with all my heart," Struthers told FoxNews.com. "I'm a great guy."

A judge didn't think so. He told Struthers to stay away from anyone under 18, namely his son and the other boy in the fight.

You can see the video here.

Add a comment above

JoeBob 2011/04/14 18:32:24

Yes

+5
Yes, not only for encouraging his son but also for trying to intimadate the kid that tried to break it up at the end. Saying "what you do'in you bitch".
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Atomic_... to colton ... 2011/04/15 04:04:08

Sorry for you sons troubles and hope he gets over it quick, people do forget.

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colton ... to Atomic_... 2011/04/15 13:02:32

thanks, he wants to do the right thing, I just think its been going on long enough and its time for him to do something about it so it stops once and for all. If he's not an easy target they wont want to tangle with him. he's tough enough to handle it. He's afraid of getting in trouble at school.

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star 2011/04/15 00:25:04

No

NO cuz hes trying 2 encourage his son 2 stand up 2 himself

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Lachea 2011/04/15 00:23:40

No

As long as his son was being bullied and he was teaching him to stand up for himself. It is not ok though if his son was the bully..

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Keen Tojones 2011/04/15 00:23:24

No

Should he have encouraged him to take a beating?

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Atomic_... to Keen To... 2011/04/15 04:05:33

+1
What if his fathers pushing him had led him to permantly cause harm to the other boy?

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Keen To... to Atomic_... 2011/04/16 16:35:11

It didn't. No doubt, this is not good stuff.

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m 2011/04/15 00:18:43 (edited)

No

As long as the other guy and his son both wanted to fight this behavior is completely acceptable.

though Another way that It could have been solved is the girl could have chose her boyfriend

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Tennyson James 2011/04/15 00:13:45

Yes

+2
Adults should protect minors; not encourage them to beat each other.

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Vlorr 2011/04/15 00:09:08

Yes

+2
Hes encourging a crime if i tell someone to go kill someone and they do i go to jail to

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Piperpc 2011/04/15 00:01:02

Yes

+3
I'm thinking so, after hearing his words and watching the video. If a kid was getting abused and bullied by another kid, I would understand more that a father might encourage his son to fight back. This doesn't appear to be anything like that, and unless your kid's life was threatened, it is sick to be yelling about gouging another kid's eyes out. He should have broken that fight, not encouraged it; really weird father.......

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Tpem 2011/04/14 23:36:00 (edited)

No

If he had actually been involved physically or he had forced his son to fight when he did not want to yes. If he was trying to get him to take up for himself and stand up to an aggressor then no. There are times when fighting is necessary. Not sure about this one.

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whimsycrat 2011/04/14 23:35:00

Yes

+2
This is wrong in so many ways. If wants to teach his kid to fight, fine, let him take a fist in his own face. And it is just so incredibly irresponsible as a parent. The father should take his licks and thank God that his son didn't seriously injure the other boy because the father would be legally and civilly responsible and would, at the very least, and rightfully so, get his pants sued off. He could have lost everything put his family out on the street because of his own stupidity and irresponsibility.

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ConLibFraud 2011/04/14 23:33:55

Yes

+2
This was not a case where his son was finally getting back of some bully. This dad sounds like a complete jerk.

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JoeBtfsplk 2011/04/14 23:28:50

Yes

+2
PC demands arrest.
Dad was caught on camera.
Moral - don't be filmed being a jerk.
End of story.

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GG 2011/04/14 23:28:18

Yes

+2
One word, Idiot.

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AnimaniacClur 2011/04/14 23:24:43

Yes

+3
He should have broken up the fight or just told his son to block the punches.

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Day0One 2011/04/14 22:57:42

Yes

+4
Duhhh... (Yeahhhh)...
This dad does not act like a Dad, He acts like a 12yr,old.

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Tooshy 2011/04/14 22:52:52

No

Not at all.....he was teaching his not to back down or be a punk!

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Day0One to Tooshy 2011/04/14 23:02:00

+3

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Tooshy to Day0One 2011/04/15 03:06:48

Ha that's a good movie!!!!:-)

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Day0One to Tooshy 2011/04/15 03:37:57

I agree...

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ConLibF... to Tooshy 2011/04/14 23:35:34

+1
No he wasn't. He was being very stupid.

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Tooshy to ConLibF... 2011/04/15 03:16:57

No it's not....He's teaching his son not to be a punk You don't just stand there when somebody is hitting you... You fight back If parents would tell their children this maybe there wouldn't be so much bullying!!!

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ConLibF... to Tooshy 2011/04/15 04:26:34

Well you must have saw more than I did. Do you have more video?

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Tooshy to ConLibF... 2011/04/15 21:20:03

Yes I did...but they took it off youtube.

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kyla 2011/04/14 22:50:42

No

+1
Yes, maybe he shouldn't taken it as far as he did, but it's some what natural for a father to teach their son to fight. They want them to grow up beaing able to defend themselves and their families.

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joe mauro 2011/04/14 22:43:58

Undecided

+1
Once again only in florida

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Nobamma 2011/04/14 22:39:42

No

What a bunch of poofters. The problem with people today is they are afraid to stick up for themselves.

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Beccy 2011/04/14 22:39:35

Undecided

I don;t have enough facts to make a judgement

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SpeedDemon BN-0 2011/04/14 22:21:21

Yes

+1
Absolutely, now look at this weasel trying to get out of his crap. He thinks's he's a big tough guy until he gets put into the CJ system. A$$hole!!!

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chrystal97 2011/04/14 22:00:57

Yes

+3
This isn't called parenting. This also isn't the stone age where the most macho guy wins the girl. So stupid and this so called father should be punished more than a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

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aazeen 2011/04/14 22:00:08

Yes

+1
yea

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iamthemob ~ the 444th Guru ~ 2011/04/14 21:53:45

Yes

+4
This apparently wasn't only "encouraged" but arranged by the father.

This isn't standing up for oneself. This is beyond violent. Another post/blog here talks about a guy who edited a youtube video to make it look like he was singing a dirty song to kids. He wasn't, of course...but he was still brought up on charges for, essentially, child porn.

This should really be considered the equivalent of child porn, and is far, far, FAR worse than what the youtube prankster did. He encouraged his son to smash this kids head on the pavement, and put the other kids eyes out.

He can't defend himself. The fact that he said anything other than "I'm sorry" let alone "I'm a great guy" is beyond me.

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Jareth Majere 2011/04/14 21:51:45

Yes

+2
Fighting is against the law & anyone encouraging or aiding someone in breaking the law should be prosecuted.

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Ben 2011/04/14 21:43:41

Undecided

That's a tough decision. I would encourage my son to defend himself no matter what. However, I think its wrong to encourage someone to fight over a girl. It was wrong of the man to do that, but I don't think what he did was illegal.

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Robbb 2011/04/14 21:37:36

Yes

+1
What a scum bag.

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riceroni ~ POTC**FUKU2** 2011/04/14 21:27:03
colton ... to riceron... 2011/04/15 01:06:13

gee hope I have you on my side if trouble ever starts.
Kids need to know how to defend themselves, any guy who wants to date my daughter someday better know how to protect her. you cant talk your way out of everything,

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Cordingly 2011/04/14 21:18:29

Undecided

Some parents encourage their kids to solve their problems. Granted, maybe he should have broken up this fight. This really doesn't seem related to the bullying issue at hand in any manner, no idea why you'd even bring it up.

Anyone else notice the Soda Head articles getting worse?

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