happy slappingn.
/ˈhapɪ ˌslapɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈhæpi ˌslæpɪŋ/ colloquial (originally and chiefly British).
The practice of slapping, punching, or otherwise assaulting a person while being filmed, typically on a mobile phone, the resulting video then being sent or shown to others, or posted on the internet.
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2005 Daily Mail 20 Jan. 19/5 The new teenage craze for ‘happy slapping’—cuffing strangers then sending pictures of the incident to friends with 3G mobile phones—is publicised by BBC TV News.
2008 Independent 15 Feb. 19/7 ‘Happy slapping’ is a craze that emerged in 2005, and previously involved less violent incidents.
2010 S. Dunne Disciple xvii. 283 The final item for the briefing was the assault—the happy slapping—of the Asian boy.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.2005