Teen in China attacks mum at train station, grabs her throat and kicks her after she confiscates phone

Gaming addiction, poor parenting, or both?

A viral clip showing a teenager in China flying into a violent rage in public after his phone was confiscated by his mother has shocked netizens.

The incident, involving a family of two boys and their mum, reportedly occurred on July 18 at an underground subway station in Beijing.

CCTV footage circulating on Weibo showed the 15-year-old suddenly lunging at his mum at a lift landing. He grabs her by the throat and pins her against the wall as a scuffle ensues.

The younger boy can be seen calling out for his mum in fear, while at the same time trying to pull his brother's hands away from the woman.

A security staff member who arrives on the scene manages to get the pair to calm down, but not for long.

The teenager is then seen overheard asking his mother for the phone. Taking the phone out from her pocket, however, the woman angrily smashes it on the ground twice.

Her actions appear to further enrage the boy who proceeds to kick her as the same security staff member steps in to separate the pair.

Later on, the boy lunges at his mum yet another time and is held back by two other security officers.

In a separate clip of the altercation shared on the Beijing police Weibo account, an officer can be heard speaking to the teenager, who's in tears. He doesn't reprimand the boy, however, but instead shares that "sometimes [parents'] methods might not be appropriate but their intentions are good".

He also dispenses advice to the mum, stating: "As parents we have to be understanding at times; the kid is already 15-years-old, it's normal that he has his own way of thinking. Communicate more and stay calm."

'Bringing up an enemy'

The video of the shocking assault has since gone viral on Chinese social media, with appalled netizens giving their various opinions on the incident.

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Many expressed concern over the teenager's behaviour.

"You're bringing up [someone who'll be your] enemy, the mum must feel hopeless," wrote one.

While the teenager has been reported to have a gaming addiction, one commenter thought otherwise: "This feels like it has nothing to do with the phone, it's a matter of character. Whatever you give him, he'll have the same attitude."

According to the South China Morning Post, however, at least one person shared that the blame fell squarely on the mother.

"Failure of parents, defective products of education."

Agreed another: "The mother who lost control of her emotions intensified the violence from her son, right?"

ALSO READ: China's problem of youth game addiction has been solved, says top industry body

candicecai@asiaone.com