2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

Ileanna Bryan was viciously raped and beaten while those boys watched and failed to help her. Is this hard to swallow or do we see things like this in real life? Why do you think they were unwilling to help her?

It was so sad that not one of those boys stepped up to help and protect her. It is hard to realize that things like that really do happen. Society has fostered a lot of followers and few leaders. Like lemmings going over the cliff. I have no idea why they allowed that to happen. Mob mentality, I guess.

This made me sick to my stomach. It's similar to events we've heard about on college campuses though not so extreme with the beating. It defies logic how young men raised to be better can fall victim to mob mentality.

Must have been something in the water in that town. Lots of really selfish people there.

Given how corrupt the sheriff was, it shouldn't surprise me that he set the tone for the town.

I was appalled about the rapist horning in on the group of guys from the one school, while the girl's date and his friends watched. I would have expected Ileanna's date (Lucy's brother) and his friends to attack the guy on sight.

Yes, it made me sick, too. As Jonetta says, sadly this kind of thing still happens in high schools and colleges where football teams (or others groups) are in the news; moreover, the institutions sometimes cover up the rapes.

It was horrible and I think for some it was so shocking they didn't react but for those that cheered them on - that was just appalling! But yes we see this behavior - mob mentality or bowing to peer pressure. Although it probably would have just taken one person to step up and the rest might have followed especially if it was Lucy's brother but then there would be no story.