Last time we had a thread on bullying, many, if not most, said the problem lies with those being bullied not fighting back. And last time we had a thread about suicide, several said the person who killed themselves didn't deserve our compassion since they took the easy way out, leaving a wave of hurt, heartache and guilt. I dunno what makes this case so different, but I haven't seen either sentiment yet. Perhaps it is because this deals primarily with psychological bullying (although there was an assault), making it more difficult to retaliate.
BTW -
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/sext-up-kids.html
Very good documentary on how the Internet is hypersexualizing kids in Grades 7 and 8. Girls, in a desire to be popular, are willing to dress and act provocatively. And there seems to be absolutely no line between private and public anymore.
Kids are hellish cruel, and that does not change over the years. What has changed is the ability to mass-humiliate and the lack of consequences (my Dad talked about all the horrible pranks he played as a kid, but he also spoke of the wrath they faced when caught).
I don't think parents are any more or less functional than they were in the past. My family history is a line of alcoholic, abusive fathers that showed little love for their sons and daughters. On both sides. saying today's parents are worse than parents in the past is wrong... There has always been an abundance of horrible, horrible parents. But I think what has been introduced is technology that even the responsible parent has trouble dealing with, much less the chaos that ensues from kids with irresponsible parents.
I'll echo a sentiment previously made. I was bullied relentlessly in junior and senior high. I was the fattest kid in school. I didn't fit in with any of the cliques, so I, like this girl, often passed my lunch hours alone in the library. If I went outside instead, there was always plenty of big guys willing to target me for throwing rocks at, tripping me, etc.. My parents were constantly getting calls from police, mall security, other parents because whenever the "cool kids" got caught doing something like vandalism or underage drinking - these kids would give my name, number, address to the authority figure. Once these "cool kids" stole a bunch of stuff from other students (Walkmans, baseball glove, etc), broke into my locker and then told the principal that they saw me hiding the stuff in my locker. The principal and vice principal took turns interrogating me, called my parents and threatened to get the cops involved. Even my parents didn't believe me... It was my word against a dozen. The only reason I didn't kill myself was because I was scared of maiming myself instead, which would lead to further ridicule. BUT had these incidents been amplified by YouTube and Facebook and other social media, I think I would have taken the gamble. You put this online, you put it out there for the world to see, it becomes not just acceptable behaviour, but rewarded behaviour. Then the pile-on begins... When the tipping point comes where the kid that normally wouldn't bully someone sees the critical mass coming down on someone, so to fit in, they join in on the torturous behaviour.