I hope that she can continue to be strong & rise above them. It's a hard lesson to learn & awful that she has to go through this.

We've had a bit of a breakthrough this afternoon with my DD & she's getting over what happened to her.

Lurker coming out.
I too have had the battle of telling my child (boy) that his mates weren't really his mates. One of the girls starts it all and one of the boys is her usual thug, but she even manages to get some of the other naive boys in on the action. (we are talking Year 3 at primary). Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and she gets the other boys to do her dirty work. I'd been up the school and they understand perfectly what is going on, but they can't watch or intercept everything. Even her parents refused to believe she would be doing things.
Then the worst, she organised them all to spit on my boy, and the thug to try and strangle him. Luckily the teachers raced over and stopped them. They all ended up in the 'planning room' for lunch for a week and letters went home to the parents. One of the other kids parents rang me and we talked about this girls influence. This mum was at her wits end, her boy had also had some harsh treatment at her hands but, thankfully, my boy has yet to participate in any bullying.
I took a chance and told this parent that i was sick of the situation, that the school had done all it legally could and that if anything happened again I would go to DOCS and the police, because there was obviously something drastically wrong at home for her to torture and bully the kids and that maybe it would be better for her to be removed.
It was a risk, but it worked, word got around that I was pissed and would go to the authorities and cause hassle for these kids parents if my son was hurt once more.

The change in this girl's behaviour and her biggest thug has changed completely.
But I am fighting with my boy, trying to get him to end any form of friendship with her and most of her followers.

I have this funny habit when I think I am going to run out of yarn in a project I start knitting faster thinking that if I finish it quickly I wont run out of yarn. I know it doesnt happen like that I just seem compelled to do it each time!

Yes if only all teens had hindsight like an adult a lot of heartache would be avoided. I hope it all sorts itself out soon.

Katt

You, too, can spin! Check out www.joyofhandspinning.com They have little video clips even! If you're spinning from roving, try "predrafting." I usually split the roving into quarters lengthwise, and to predraft, just go allong and pull on the length of it--not enough to pull it apart, but enough to fluff the fibers and make them easier to draft. You could also look in your local library for Joy of Spinning. I know they cary it on Amazon, too. Good luck, and once you get in the groove, you're going to love it!

I just LOVE that rabbit!

Lord. Why are girls so much worse than boys about this? Boys will just kick each other, call each other names, perhaps a small scuffle and then it is over. Girls and their mind games and their back stabbing! Ugh. So glad that I am not in middle school anymore.

Loyalty and friendship are hard skills to learn when as a kid you are getting mixed messages at schools. I am glad that you are as concerned about it and involved with your daughter as you are. It isn't an easy time!

best of luck!