A number of media outlets covered the plea bargains yesterday in a noted Massachusetts bullying case that involved a teen girl's suicide. Coverage focused on the relative lightness of the sentences in the case and on how it has impacted the debate over discouraging bullying in schools. The AP (5/6) reports, "Three teenagers admitted Thursday that they participated in the bullying of a 15-year-old girl who later committed suicide, with one of their lawyers complaining that they had been unfairly demonized as 'mean girls.'" The three "were sentenced to less than a year of probation after they admitted to sufficient facts to misdemeanor charges in the bullying of Phoebe Prince, a freshman at South Hadley High School who hanged herself in January 2010." The AP notes that prosecutors said a group of five teens "hounded" Prince "after she briefly dated two boys. Her death drew international attention and was among several high-profile teen suicides that prompted new laws aimed at cracking down on bullying in schools."
The New York Times (5/6, Eckholm, Subscription Publication) adds that the criminal charges in the case "were largely resolved Thursday when three former students were placed on probation and a statutory rape charge against another was dropped." The Times describes the "emotional hearings" in the case, where "three of the former students admitted that they had harassed Phoebe. ... On Wednesday, another former student...agreed to a similar deal. A fifth...pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of criminal harassment and was sentenced to one year of probation."
The Boston Globe (5/6, Schworm) reports, meanwhile, that "Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan today defended the modest sentences" in the case, "saying the ordeals of being charged and publicly admitting guilt were powerful enough punishments." Reuters (5/6, Howard) and New England Cable News (5/6) also cover this story.
Advocates Seek To Use Prince Case To Prevent Future Bullying. The Christian Science Monitor (5/6, Khadaroo) reports that in the wake of the court case, "bullying-prevention advocates hope that the work of 'restorative justice' has just begun. Now, they say, the defendants should use their experience to help other young people steer clear of bullying and the deep harm it causes." The piece explains that beyond being punished, advocates say that the teens must "fix what they can. ... While they can't undo Ms. Prince's death, they should take steps to remove from the Internet the hurtful comments they made about her" and "should work to ensure they never engage in bullying again." Sarah Anne Hughes writes at the Washington Post (5/6) "Blogpost" blog that the "the question remains: What can be done to prevent this from happening again?"
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