Fighting mall traffic during the holidays was bad enough but shoppers in a number of locations across the nation, including western Pennsylvania, had to deal with fights inside the shopping mall as well.

More than six fights, most involving teenagers, broke out at the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh just after Christmas.Police say large groups of teens began showing up around 5 p.m. and after several fights broke out, stores closed early.Several youth were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.Similar fight outbreaks involving teens occurred in malls across the country.• In Chicago, the Ridge Mall was evacuated and closed after a fight broke out involving dozens of teens in the food court.• In Independence, Missouri., a large disturbance involving 200 to 300 teenagers broke out at the Independence Center Mall. Police referred to the crowd as a "flash mob."• In Sacramento, California, several teens were arrested after a large fight at the Arden Fair Mall, forcing it to close early.• In Nashville, witnesses at Opry Mills Mall reported dozens of teens fighting on a Saturday night. The skirmishes were finally halted mall security.Regarding the Monroeville clashes, police didn't think the event was coordinated, but the fact that as many as 1,000 teenagers showed up at the mall in a short time shows the power of social media.One study defined "flash mob" as a gathering in which a certain age group will meet to provoke older people and make havoc. Last year, organizers in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, had to cancel their annual arts street fair because 1,000 young people disrupted the event in "flash mob fashion" by fighting and "running at reckless abandon."Last year, many of us learned about a violent and even deadly activity known as the "knockout game." Far from a game, it is actually an assault whereby one or more assailants attempt to knock out an unsuspecting victim, often with a single sucker punch. The thugs did it for amusement and posted the attacks online.When the black attackers target a white victim, these assaults have also been called "polar-bearing" or "polar-bear hunting."It's been 60 years since the movie "Rebel Without a Cause" made actor James Dean a cultural icon. The film also provided some social commentary on youth rebellion, spotlighting the differences and conflicts between generations, specifically parents and teens.The inner turmoil James Dean portrayed in his character in the movie six decages ago and the peer pressures of today's youth show that the struggles of parenting are greater than ever.By JIM ZBICKeditor@tnonline.com