Real-life "Mean Girls" Responsible For Teen's Suicide??!

As more details come to light about the bullied teenager who took her own life in Massachusetts earlier this year, outrage is following. Phoebe Prince, aged 15, hung herself on January 14th after experiencing months of torment by classmates in person and online, a prosecutor said Monday. The teenager had immigrated to South Hadley, MA from Ireland last year and enrolled in high school. Once there, it is alleged she endured three months of vicious bullying and harassment from classmates. The Montreal Gazette published a story on the outrage surrounding this incident and included comments from the local district attorney, who has charged nine students with a variety of crimes, including stalking, harassment and statutory rape. Elizabeth Scheibel is quoted as saying these individuals made Phoebe’s last day alive “tortuous”, adding that she was subjected to both verbal and physical threats. Perhaps the most disturbing part of the Gazette’s article includes mention of a real-life Mean Girls clique, a group that allegedly made Phoebe Prince’s life hell in revenge for dating an older boy. Yes, all that torment over dating someone who is in the “older girls” age group! Isn’t that commonplace in every high school?

That is just as outrageous as it is tragic. Where the F were the teachers, school administrators? According to the Gazette’s report, District attorney Scheibel believes they are indeed at fault for being M.I.A., stating that the bullying had been “common knowledge.” In addition, she says that prior to Phoebe’s death, her mother spoke with at least two school staff members about the harassment her daughter had reported to her. WHAT? That is so ridiculous. If someone were being cornered and harassed everyday by a group of “mean girls”, why wouldn’t someone immediately step in? Aren’t we way past this era of such grade-school level behavior?

Now a young girl is gone because of something that obviously could have been prevented. SO TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!


Sources:
The Montreal Gazette. Shock, anger rock U.S. town after teen bullying suicide. March 30th, 2010.
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