homework - Bullying

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Massachusetts (4/21/2010) - Nine Massachusetts teens went to court on 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, was mercilessly tormented by her classmates - the "Mean Girls".

Students said Phoebe was called "Irish slut" and "whore" on Twitter, Craigslist, Facebook and Formspring.

Her books were 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.

The "Mean Girls" hated Pheobe because she dated a popular senior football player in her first freshman weeks at the school.

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.

Seven of the nine arrested teens were girls. They were 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.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the name of the girl that hanged herself?

4) Why did the girl hand herself?

5) Why were the other girls bullying her?

6) What did the "mean girls" do to the girl that hanged herself?

7) What did the teachers do about it?

8) How many teens were arrested?

9) What were the teens charged with?

10) Do you think the teens should go to prison? Why or why not?

Info from MSNBC and Daily News pic from childsafetyaustralia.com