mmm whatcha say...mmm that you only meant well?

Photo courtesy of the Boston Globe.

This girl is Phoebe Prince.Phoebe was just like any other 15 year old girl in a new school.

You know how it is at a new school, you try to make a good impression, dress right, fit in, make some friends.

But the poor girl from Ireland, no. She was met immediately with a stream of abuse.

She was dated by one of the popular guys on the football team and this in turn lead to a constant stream of abuse from jealous teenage girls.

Not only was this poor girl in a new school, she was in a new country (America...) trying to fit in with new people and new fashions and new social circles.

And all the while she is being attacked from all sides, being called an 'Irish slut' and a 'whore' and basically informed that her death would be an 'improvement to the world'.

Teachers witnessed this constant verbal abuse and brushed it off, ignored it, working on the theory that if they ignored it it would eventually go away.

And one day, after she had a redbull can thrown as she walked home from school, it did go away.

Phoebe walked into her room, went to her closet, and hung herself.

She was found a few hours later, by her twelve year old sister.

Let me get one thing fucking straight.

Cyber bullying is a fucking problem. Cyber bullying is not cool or fun or a good fucking joke between you and your friends. Cyber bullying hurts people. Real people like you and me. Cyber bullying is not cool.

Look at her fucking picture. She is beautiful. She was, by all reports a nice, sweet girl who really tried to make friends in a new and scary place. And yet she was met by a constant stream of abuse and hatred from people who refused to even give her the time of day or get to know her.

Suicide is a fucking crime. But you know, it's not Phoebe who is going to jail. No. It's the nine other teenagers involved, all of whom have been charged as adults and will appear as an adult in court not as a juvenile. They have been charged with things ranging from statutory rape, to stalking, to abuse with a dangerous item, to hate speech.

Never ever get tricked into believing that the words you say have no affect on anyone. If you say unkind things about someone, they will take it to heart. Even if they seem to brush it off at the time, it may very well affect them. Just because one person doesn't take offence to your joking abuse doesnt mean that everyone will react in the same way...

Just because it doesn't kill them doesn't mean they are unaffected.

Just. Fucking. Don't.

This shit makes me so fucking angry.