Thank you for asking, Happy Crafter. I don't know too many details because she and I live in different countries. Yes, she has problems with the same girls at school too. Her mother has intervened there directly by speaking with the school staff and at least one other parent. I agree with how she handled it. She didn't go in guns blazing but tried to come up with a peaceful resolution for all.

I think its basic relational aggression among the girls. Not a new phenomenon by any means. What is new is the social media aspect, as I said, us older folks were fortunate to have internet-free childhoods....it was a simpler time back then. Anyway, my niece is an only child. She gets lonely and desperately wants friends at school. One girl likes to tell the others not to be friends with her....an exclusion tactic...a little power struggle I suppose.

I have tried to encourage my niece to step back and make other friends. But she is also getting sucked into the drama. When I ask probing questions, she gets cagey sometimes so I'm not entirely sure that she's also not doing things she shouldn't. One day she told me that another girl hit her arm. I said that was not okay and needed to be shared with her mother (she did) and then I asked what happened right before she hit her arm. There was a long pause. Then she awkwardly said, "well nothing." I asked again, "so nothing was happening and then she hit you out of nowhere?" She replied: "Well, I did call her a name but it was only a joke." See what I mean? Hitting is not okay. And neither is name-calling. When I tried to indicate that to her, it did not go over very well. I also need to mind my boundaries since I am not her parent but she often does confide in me and asks my thoughts on different situations.

Anyway, I'm sure between herself and her mother they will navigate things okay. I just feel at a loss sometimes when she asks me for advice about her social media account...as far as I can tell she and the girls get into petty arguments and then one or another gets offended and cancels the account. 24 hours later its opened again and they're all good again. Repeat, repeat. It sounds exhausting and I'm not even going through it but then I don't have the energy or enthusiasm of an 11 year old!!!

By the way, I admire your candor and integrity when discussing your prior participation in trolling. It takes true depth of character to admit our challenges. Bravo! And thank you for responding. As I said, I can't give too may specifics because I don't know them. I would not say trolling is the issue but it does sound like some bullying may be going on.