Wow. That article is disturbing. There are many things happening in the news lately having to do with kids and the "pack mentality". There was that case of the cheerleading squad beating the crap out of one girl, videotaping it and posting on you tube and also that group of nine 3rd graders that planned on killing their teacher and brought in handcuffs, knives and a gun. This is so frighthening. A pack mentality can be so influential when there are unstable people in the group. Adolescents especially are very much swayed by the group decision. It sounds like these girls were obviously lonely, possibly neglected and ignorant. It scares me to read these things becuase I can't even imagine having a kid that I would send to school. Crazy things are happening in schools everywhere- not just underpriveledged inner city areas. One of my internship sites works with young girls who have babies and are abandoned by their family and living in this home. They are all super angry- at the kids, at the guy, at themselves. There are so many issues to work through. It's sad really. It sounds simple but a lot of it really begins with what is happening at home and what their parents model. It's a lot of responsibility but it's true.
Hoping this doesn't become a trend.