Yes, says Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post, the suicide of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince as a result of taunts from classmates should awaken us to the bullying that goes on every day at American high schools. And yes, we should take a stand against it. But the extremely severe charges facing Prince's tormentors exceed what is rightfully deserved. "To be a teenager is to do stupid things," Marcus writes. Why did "those whose brains were fully developed: the school staff who apparently knew of the harassment...not do enough to stop it?" A brief excerpt:
"One of the juveniles is charged with 'assault by means of a dangerous weapon, to wit: a bottle, can or similar beverage container' — apparently throwing a soda can at Phoebe as she walked home from school the day she died. The other charges include stalking, harassment, violation of civil rights and, my favorite, disturbance of a school assembly.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump's actions cut a wide swath across Hawaii's economyIn Depth The state's tourism and farming sectors are two of the largest hit industries
-
5 immersive books to read this April for a brief escapeThe Week Recommends A dystopian tale takes us to the library, a journalist's ode to her refugee parents and more
-
'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
