Replies to '01/21 Real Life Gossip Girls'

No I do blame the parents. They think it is harmless fun and it is not. Teenagers take gossiping and pranks to far. When some one gets hurt it means nothing to them. They have no emotion or feeling, They think it is ok and parents allow them to think so. That is the way they are brought up. Well you know what it is not the way and these girls and there parents need to stop and think about how they are bringing up there kids and see how society will view them later in life.

of course, no disagreement there.  it's not always that black and white.  Certainly, we all reach a few grey spots. 

As a parent, I agree that you can't monitor your teen 24/7.  At some point you have to have faith that you have taught your child enough to make the right decisions.  What I have a problem with in this situation (the picture in the shower story) is that the parents are trying to downplay their children's actions.  Did I hear correctly that one parent has a web site calling the two photographers "heros"???  I have a strong suspicion that if it was their daughter's photo being passed, their reactions would have been very different.  I am also angry, but not surprised, that the school stepped away from their initial punishment (off the cheerleading squad and suspension). Many public schools these days blame parents for children who misbehave, but immediately buckle under parental pressure when some parent screams "lawyer" because (according to them) their child is above rules and expectations of decent behavior.  I don't know how I would act in this situation, but I hope I would support the schools punishment, as well as issuing some very stiff punishments at home.  I hope these two girls don't get into the habit of thinking that their actions have no consequences, or they are heading for a lot more severe trouble.