She warned them. She told them she was going to do it. They had the chance to walk away and leave her alone. They knew it was coming. If they had just left her alone when she told them what she was going to do, it never would have happened.
They were wrong for harassing her, she told them to leave her alone. They kept pushing her. They didn't stop. She warned them what would happen. They didn't stop. What would you have had her do?
She already told them no, they wouldn't listen. Yes, women get harassed, and some can deal with it. But mostly, it's a losing battle. Often, the harassment just escalates until it gets physical. I personally have taken many self-defense workshops and know how to verbally deescalate situations, as well as physically defend myself as needed. But she was a 12 year old girl, being sexually harassed, but two boys, outnumbered, who laughed at the idea of stopping and laughed at the idea of leaving her alone. They made it clear they were not going to leave her alone, they owned her, and could do what they want. She warned them, she told them, they kept going. Was she supposed to just keep getting harassed? Report it to adults who would just way they must like her and to enjoy the harassment? Was she just supposed to keep living with that? I don't think the adults would have stepped in, I don't think these boys would have stopped. She verbally was asking them to stop, and they laughed. They laughed. They laughed at the idea that she could ask to not be harassed by them and that they would ever respect her request. They laughed at the idea that she could have any power over them. They were not going to leave her alone, no adults were going to help her, she shouldn't have to put up with this. They took advantage of her weakness as a little girl, and the fact they were little boys and could get away harassing her, but it's wrong for her to take the same advantage back? It's wrong for her to take advantage of their weakness when they took advantage of hers? What would you have had her do? What would you do?
She warned them, she told them, and she wasn't joking. If they didn't want to get kicked in the balls, they should have listened to her and left her alone.
