When Baileigh Karam, a 14-year-old from Carlsbad, CA, went missing on January 11 after a video of her fight with a bullying classmate went viral on Facebook, her mother was understandably beside herself. The video showed Karam being punched repeatedly by her female peer, who was allegedly jealous over Karam's involvement with her ex-boyfriend. In the clip -- recorded on a cell phone -- classmates for both girls circled them and cheered them on.
It's a story that despite being a parent's worst nightmare has become all too common in a world where bullying and social media can go hand-in-hand in a dangerous way. Thank goodness, police reported today that Karam has been found alive and well.
Karam told officials that she went to stay with her friends after being reported missing on January 11. Her mother, Karen, had told her school and authorities that she feared her daughter's disappearance had stemmed from the bullying and she worried that Baileigh may have been reading her classmates' comments from the online video.
Fights are always going to break out amongst teens, and bullying is a multi-layered issue. But the teens who not only took this video but posted it to Facebook and then continued a vicious bullying cycle that causes a girl to devastate her parents by going into hiding for a week? They must be held accountable for what happened here.
Because in the end, it doesn't seem to me that Baileigh Karam's disappearance should be chalked up as one family's problem. Something like this is everyone's problem. Something that must be dealt with in a sensitive but firm way by educators and parents together. Because teens must learn that bullying and violence like this, that have the potential to turn not just a family's life, but an entire school and town upside down will simply not be tolerated.
Here's more on Baileigh's disappearance ...
What do you make of this missing teen's case? How do you feel the community should react?
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Comments 25
There needs to be severe punishments for bullying. Kids who bully need to be expelled, and if the bullying can have criminal charges, throw the book at these brats. They will never learn how to act like cicilized humans, so show them their lifetime home early. Why do bullies deserve to live happy, free lives when their victims are going to suffer for the rest of their lives and that is IF they do not committ suicide.
It seems as if there is a bit more to this story than is being reported. At 0:13, I see Baileigh clearly running up to the girl in the gray shirt and giving her quite the shove before being pummeled. Perhaps instead of bullying this is just a fight that went viral. That's the problem with these viral video's... they rarely, if ever, tell the whole story. It will have to be up to the school to sort it out. However, I'm very glad that Baileigh has been found safe.
@Justin: You're an idiot... Bullying has ALWAYS been a problem. The difference now is that society coddles victims, and tries to make everyone a victim.
@ Justin... I was a bullying victim in the '70's... and to this day do not talk to or have anything to do with my high school graduating class. It wasn't the boys, it was the girls, and they can be so much more cruel. I learned how it felt to be so bullied you wanted to die, and thus am not bullying YOU.... I feel sorry for someone so shortsighted.
that was assault and you have video prove.... file charges Momma... smh. Oh Justin I hope you never have a kid that is being bullied and after YOU go to the school NOTHING is done about it... After your child is abused like that.....