Mom Devastated For Her Teen Daughter After Her Friends Set Her Up On A Fake Date & Laughed As She Was Left Standing Alone
“When the truth came out she was humiliated.”
FatCamera / Canva Pro There’s nothing worse for a teenager than discovering the girls she considered her friends have been playing an awful prank on her, feeding her lies and getting her hopes up, only to end up laughing and taunting her.
A mom took to Reddit asking for advice after she learned her daughter’s friends set her up on a fake date.
In the r/parenting thread, the mom explained her daughter is 16 years old and described her as a “fun, trusting, friendly, athletic, smart, beautiful girl.”
She said her daughter is “a friend to all, enemy to none,” which is why she felt particularly distraught after uncovering her friend group’s true colors.
“I just found out that the group of girls she considers friends have been anything but,” the mom wrote. “They are her teammates on one of her sports, and they have [been] part of her friend group for years.”
Unfortunately, bullying among sports teams is far too common. According to The Sport Journal, one in three youth athletes is a victim of an act of bullying, whether as a form of initiation or unapologetic animosity.
“It turns out they have been feeding her lies that a boy likes her, going so far as to set up a fake date and then laughing at her when she was left standing alone at a movie theater,” the mom wrote. “They also hang out with a group of boys, and the crowd thought it would be hilarious if one of the boys pretended to like her. When the truth came out, she was humiliated.”
The mom said she is devastated for her daughter, who has only ever had pure intentions for her peers.
“She has retreated to where she is suspicious of everyone and everything now,” the mom wrote. “She feels so foolish because she trusted these girls.”
Being a developing teenager is already challenging enough due to hormonal and bodily changes, in addition to navigating their identity.
But it’s every teen girl’s worst nightmare to find out a date she was looking forward to was only a prank, and her own friends were the ones behind it. No one enjoys being the punchline to another’s joke, especially in such a callous manner.
“I am at a loss; why would they do that?” the mom wrote. “What can I say to help her realize that her kind, trusting nature is a strength? Right now, she just sees it as a liability.”
Unfortunately, many young and impressionable individuals with a gentle nature tend to be the go-to victims of bullying, and all this does is hurt their pure spirit.
Luckily, the girl is loved and supported enough by her mom, who only wants to assure her of how special she is. The teen will likely face many years of healing from the trauma inflicted by a disingenuous group of teens, but at least she has her mom to stick by her side along the way and encourage her to embrace her attributes.
Reddit users offered the mom insight into the psychology of bullies and advised her to take action within the school.
“I'd bring this up to the coach,” one individual suggested. “If the coach has any decency, he will do something to address it. The team needs to have each other's backs, and behavior like that should not be ignored.”
“I am a school admin. Because it's related to school sports … it has a nexus with the school,” another person shared. “Bullying investigation, safety plan, [and] suspensions are possible. Protect your kid, please!”
Other Reddit users pointed out the reality behind bullies’ intentions, and often, they are the most insecure of all. This could explain why the girls chose to target the mom’s daughter, who appears to have had an aura of purity and authenticity looming around her, according to the mom.
The girls were likely resentful of her light and wanted to take her down in an effort to uplift themselves. However, most people understand that bullies like this will never truly feel confident in themselves so long as they continue harming others.
“Sometimes when people are wracked with insecurity and self-loathing, they target people that aren't as conflicted and try to push those people down,” someone described. “Making [the teen] cynical and scared to trust people is what they wanted.”
“That doesn't make it easier to heal from the betrayal — that's always going to be difficult — but it might be helpful to know that her bullies don't win unless she becomes vicious and cruel like they are,” the person added. “By continuing to practice kindness and compassion, she takes away their power.”
Bullies create bullies, and parents must do better to reduce the risk of raising malicious kids.
As long as the mom continues to emphasize the significance and impact her daughter’s energy will have on the world, the girl will grow up to embrace her strengths and rise above the actions of her bullies.
Perhaps the experience will also raise her awareness of the impure intentions of others and prompt her to tread carefully with the individuals she lets into her energy.
While the mom’s daughter will likely grow up thriving in the strength of her empathy, the bullies will only continue to struggle with their own inner weaknesses, growing up into antisocial and aggressive adults.
Some bullies certainly recognize the harm of their actions and grow out of their ways, but many lack the awareness to reflect on their behaviors. And all this leads to is another generation of bullies.
In essence, those who have been victims of bullying and those who have been bullies themselves should consider working through their challenges in therapy. It’s never too late to forgive and to heal.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.