Phoebe Prince, 15, Driven to Suicide Because of School Bullying

Nine South Hadley, Massachusetts teenagers have been indicted for driving 15-year-old Phoebe Prince to suicide from bullying.

According to DA Elizabeth Scheibel (via NY Daily News), an investigation revealed "relentless activity directed towards Phoebe designed to humiliate her and to make it impossible for her to remain at school," Students reported that Phoebe Prince had been called an "Irish slut" and "whore" and was harrassed on Twitter, Facebook, Craigslist, and Formspring.

The bullying also included having her books knocked out of her hands, items being thrown at her, photos of her being defaced, and harrassment over phone, text messaging, and social networking sites.

The bullying had become so unbearable that on January 14, after having a can of Red Bull thrown at her on the way home, Phoebe Prince hung herself.

Phoebe Prince Driven to Suicide Because of School Bullying: Bullying victims are not always the ones you'd expect

Phoebe Prince's case will likely strike a nerve with many students and parents, not only for the tragedy surrounding the situation, but also because so many teenagers can relate to the damaging effects of school bullying.

As the fictional Cher Horowitz observed in the 1995 film Clueless, "the wounds of adolescence can take years to recover." According to Family First Aid, nearly thirty percent of American teenagers are estimated to be involved in school bullying (either as a bully, a victim, or both).

And it's not just the stereotypical shy or socially awkward "outcasts" who are susceptible to school bullying. Phoebe Prince was a pretty girl who aroused the ire of other students when she briefly dated a popular senior.

Even the wealthy and famous teens are not immune to the perils of school bullying. Disney Channel's Demi Lovato is is an avid supporter of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Movement and was an active participant in the STOMP Out Bullying's National Bullying Prevention Week.

Yet Demi Lovato is not just a teen celebrity paying lip service to charity. This is a cause that carries personal significance because she herself was continually bullied at school. According to Demi Lovato's public service announcement, the bullying was so bad that she had to ask her mother to take her out of school and to homeschool her.

Hopefully some form of justice will be served in the Phoebe Prince case, as nobody deserves to feel unsafe at school. Hopefully other students will see this as a cautionary tale and think twice before actively engaging in bullying or passively allowing it to happen. And hopefully teen role models such as Demi Lovato will motivate teens to take a stand against school bullying.

Sources:

Phoebe Prince, South Hadley High School's 'new girl,' driven to suicide by teenage cyber bullies, NY Daily News

Family First Aid: Help for Troubled Teens, Family First Aid

Demi Lovato Stands Up Against Bullying, Pacer Center via YouTube