HI Fluffy47323 - sorry you and your friend are being bullied and sorry your friend has lost her mother plus all the other family issues. You are a nice friend to feel empathy for her. Does your school have counselors? If yes I would encourage your friend to speak to the counselor about the bullying and she also needs support from the loss of her mother plus the other family issues.

I have teenage daughters and bullying is a complex issues and not just one way to deal with it. One thing I I taught my kids is how to be assertive and to get adult help if their own solutions haven't worked. Sometimes ignoring helps but other times assertiveness helps....its a careful balancing act. Since you're a caring person, you also have to take care of yourself and know you can't always fix things for others. This doesn't mean you should stop caring though.

If this bullying is also online, advise her not to respond because this fuels the fire, but she should keep a copy of the bullying. The best thing is to encourage her to get help from the counselor. I hope all gets better soon.