PS17 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 About the girl from Mass who committed suicide in January? Very sad stuff. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/03/29/2010-03-29_phoebe_prince_south_hadley_high_schools_new_girl_driven_to_suicide_by_teenage_cy.html Phoebe Prince, South Hadley High School's 'new girl,' driven to suicide by teenage cyber bullies Nine Massachusetts teens were indicted Monday for driving a pretty 15-year-old "new girl" from Ireland to suicide in a case that has become a symbol of high school bullying. The sweeping charges - which come after months of complaints that the bullies weren't being punished - include statutory rape, violation of civil rights with bodily injury, criminal harassment and stalking. Phoebe Prince, a new arrival at South Hadley High School from a tiny seaside hamlet in County Clare, was mercilessly tormented by a cadre of classmates later dubbed the "Mean Girls" by Massachusetts newspapers. "The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe designed to humiliate her and to make it impossible for her to remain at school," District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said. "The bullying, for her, became intolerable." Students said Phoebe was called "Irish slut" and "whore" on Twitter, Craigslist, Facebook and Formspring. Her books were routinely knocked out of her hands, items were flung at her, her face was scribbled out of photographs on the school walls, and threatening text messages were sent to her cell phone. Scheibel said she had drawn the ire of the "Mean Girls" by briefly dating a popular senior football player in her first freshman weeks at the school. One student later said it felt like the whole school ganged up on her. On Jan. 14, Phoebe was harassed and threatened in the school library and in a hallway, Scheibel said. As she walked home, one of the "Mean Girls" drove by and threw a can of Red Bull at her. Phoebe walked into her house and hung herself in a stairwell. The nastiness didn't even end there. Her tormentors posted vicious comments on the dead girl's Facebook memorial page. For months, community anger simmered that no punishment had befallen Phoebe's bullies. Petitions were signed and town hall meetings held. Scheibel said her investigators were taking the time to investigate thoroughly, and she slammed "the inexplicable lack of cooperation from Internet service providers, in particular Facebook and Craigslist." Seven of the nine teens indicted were girls charged with a range of crimes, from criminal harassment to stalking to civil rights violations. A juvenile girl was charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon - the Red Bull can. The two males, 17 and 18, were charged with statutory rape. Unveiling the indictments, Scheibel said numerous faculty members, staff members and administrators at South Hadley High School were aware of the bullying - some even witnessed physical abuse - and did nothing. She said the investigation looked at whether the adults' failure to help Phoebe amounted to criminal behavior. "In our opinion, it did not," she said. "Nevertheless, the actions - or inactions - of some adults at the school are troublesome." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/03/29/2010-03-29_phoebe_prince_south_hadley_high_schools_new_girl_driven_to_suicide_by_teenage_cy.html#ixzz0k2rzoB2H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillo Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I heard of this story, very sad indeed. However wasn't this girl sexual assaulted also? Seems like that would be a bigger deal than the bullying IMO. Very sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PS17 Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 I heard of this story, very sad indeed. However wasn't this girl sexual assaulted also? Seems like that would be a bigger deal than the bullying IMO. Very sad I heard "statutory rape," not rape rape. But it was ultimately the bullying that led to her suicide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neckdemon Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I heard "statutory rape," not rape rape. But it was ultimately the bullying that led to her suicide. what she should have done was beat the ever-lovign sh*t out of one of the girls...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Kids are cruel. I've seen the Formspring pages of some of my kids friends/acquaintances, and some of them are awful. So sad to see it go to an extreme like this. The fact that those girls would continue on her memorial page just shows how rotten they are. I wish them a life of misery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGHT STALKER Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Kids are cruel. I've seen the Formspring pages of some of my kids friends/acquaintances, and some of them are awful. So sad to see it go to an extreme like this. The fact that those girls would continue on her memorial page just shows how rotten they are. I wish them a life of misery. Typical mob mentality...and how about the freaking faculty doing absolutely nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PS17 Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Typical mob mentality...and how about the freaking faculty doing absolutely nothing. In the NY Times, it said that teachers routinely saw her get **** thrown at her in the cafeteria and did nothing. One teacher left her crying in the middle of the hallway. Pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otter Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Typical mob mentality...and how about the freaking faculty doing absolutely nothing. Not sure about Massachusetts educational practices, but New York all certified teachers and admins are required by law to report any suspicions of abuse to the proper authorities. Even if they are not mandated by law, the staff should have stepped in just out of human decency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachEY Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I don't have statistics on hand, but what's really alarming is that suicide, at least if you turn on your TV, is becoming more and more common place. This is literally days after the Yale Empire State Building jumper and not long after another Cornell suicide of many this year. It's disturbing, but suicide is contagious. Often coming from feelings of isolation, even the act of taking ones life can offer a sense of belonging. Very scary stuff, and I hope this trend does not continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGHT STALKER Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I don't have statistics on hand, but what's really alarming is that suicide, at least if you turn on your TV, is becoming more and more common place. This is literally days after the Yale Empire State Building jumper and not long after another Cornell suicide of many this year. It's disturbing, but suicide is contagious. Often coming from feelings of isolation, even the act of taking ones life can offer a sense of belonging. Very scary stuff, and I hope this trend does not continue. I read something a couple of weeks ago that car accidents were the number one killer amongst students...suicide was number two and rising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiFtheOracle Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Not sure about Massachusetts educational practices, but New York all certified teachers and admins are required by law to report any suspicions of abuse to the proper authorities. Even if they are not mandated by law, the staff should have stepped in just out of human decency. Pretty much. Its really interesting. The lack of overall concern displayed toward a young girl's life in that community. For adults/teachers to see her being treated that way and do nothing. To the children that treated her way even after her death. To those children's parents that somehow didnt step in and stop their children from being so abusive even after the suicide. Unreal. Really strange display of human behavior by what seems like an entire community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachEY Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I read something a couple of weeks ago that car accidents were the number one killer amongst students...suicide was number two and rising. Growing up, we were sold the notion that 'college is the best 4 years of your life. So, what then if you aren't enjoying it? 90% of suicides involve some form of mental illness, but that doesn't mean they aren't without some serious triggers. I've done a decent amount of reading, and will probably write my eventual dissertation on the pressures of youth in today's culture. I think there are some serious issues here that will lead first to more pathology, and then, to a lesser degree, but still escalating (as you point out) suicide rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vudu Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 High school was fun for me. Kids can be so cruel to each other though, smh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Banner Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I went to college with a kid from South Hadley, he called it Sadley and hated the crap out of it. Its an old mill town and island of poverty in the middle of Massachusetts, which is mostly well off. For some reason its full of puerto ricans, a PR island in the middle of rural Mass. Just a little tiny craphole ghetto where the mills used to be. Lots of places like that in new england, Lawrence MA, Lewiston ME, lots of old mill towns that are now just total crap. Her parents made a big mistake in leaving Ireland for Sadley. I was on a trip to Ireland in the 80s and the police have a segment on the nightly news on safety tips and talking about crimes they wanted info about. That week the biggest crime in Ireland was someone robbed a cash register while armed with a baseball bat. I almost died hearing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
war ensemble Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Her parents made a big mistake in leaving Ireland for Sadley. I was on a trip to Ireland in the 80s and the police have a segment on the nightly news on safety tips and talking about crimes they wanted info about. That week the biggest crime in Ireland was someone robbed a cash register while armed with a baseball bat. I almost died hearing that. Go to Ireland now and the news is worse than you hear over here. Sadley's probably better now than many parts of Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 what she should have done was beat the ever-lovign sh*t out of one of the girls...... I'm sure the pack hung together pretty much . Tough to single one out. I hope they all pay dearly for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Typical mob mentality...and how about the freaking faculty doing absolutely nothing. That's the REAL crime. I'd fire the lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Division Marduk Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Go to Ireland now and the news is worse than you hear over here. Sadley's probably better now than many parts of Ireland. Better than Dublin or Limerick anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 I alwasy wonder where the parents are when this happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatriotReign37 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Pretty much. Its really interesting. The lack of overall concern displayed toward a young girl's life in that community. For adults/teachers to see her being treated that way and do nothing. To the children that treated her way even after her death. To those children's parents that somehow didnt step in and stop their children from being so abusive even after the suicide. Unreal. Really strange display of human behavior by what seems like an entire community. + 1 Very disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 There's a video news update posted today here: http://www.necn.com/04/05/10/Teens-charged-in-South-Hadley-bullying-w/landing.html?blockID=210524&feedID=4215 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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