How can I get over the guilt of what I've done?

[?!]

Ok, I'm pretty much just a typical 17 year old girl. I'm pretty popular, I'm a cheerleader, and a senior.
Honestly, I was really just trying to have fun. There's this super quiet girl (let's call her Beth) in some of my classes. She hardly says a word, only speaks when spoken to. Even though she keeps to herself, everyone knows who she is.
Well, my friend told me she over heard Beth talking on the phone saying something about "her son" during lunch. I asked Beth later if she did have a son. She looked kind of surprised that I knew this, but didn't say anything. My friends and I gathered around her in class and demanded she say yes or no. She just nodded and started pretending to read.
My friends and I sat close by her, saying who on earth would want to "do her" she's so quiet and probably no fun, and wow she's probably slut.
One day she walked in class late, and I called out "Here comes the slut!" Everyone laughed and the teacher didn't say anything. Beth looked like she was about to cry, so I didn't say anything else.
My friends and I, and some other people who wanted to join in on the fun, kept calling Beth a slut and a whore every day, and even passed her notes calling her this in class, and trying to stick notes on her, but the nice kids kept taking them off for her.
I would tell her things like, "don't even try to steal my bf, he doesn't like sluts!"
She always got teary eyes and would pretend to read, but it was obvious she wasn't reading because she turned the pages too fast and her eyes weren't moving.
Finally on Tuesday, I asked "How old is your son?"
She said, "Three."
We all gasped and I was like "So you were 14 when you had him?"
She nodded, and I said, "Then you were probably like only 13 when you got pregnant! You're such a slut, even more than we thought!"
Then she said quietly, "I got raped."

None of us said anything after that. I felt so horrible! Then she didn't come to school Wednesday or today! I told my friends how I felt, and they said it wasn't our fault because we didn't know she was raped. Is this good enough reason to not feel guilt? How do I get over this?

[Silence is Bliss]

That's really not a good enough reason to not feel guilty. You and all your friends should apologize to her, and make it sincere since rape is one of the most terrible things that can happen to someone. You should also try to help her get through whatever she might be going through, that is IF she wants your help and hopefully you and your friends have learned your lesson and not be mean to other people

[Natalia]

Of course not! You shouldn't be teasing anyone because you don't know their situation. You should apologize. Haven't u heard all the anti-bullying stuff lately BC kids are killing themselves. How horrible would u feel then!? I was popular in high school & a cheerleader but I never teased anyone. Its just not right. You don't know what they are going through and only asses ASSume. You feel guilty BC u know it wasn't right. Maybe she needs a friend. Try apologizing. You'll feel better once you do.

[Donna]

I would say to find a way to talk to her and apologize to her for it. Maybe that will help you sleep at night. But I hope you learned your lesson. Not everyone who is a teenage mother is a whore. I speak from experience because I had gotten pregnant at age 15 and we were together for 4 1/2 years. And he was the only one I had been with. Saying you didnt know that she had gotten raped is not a good enough reason to not feel guilt. You should feel guilt and you should know now that it was wrong. I guess it should be one of those learn from your mistakes.

[AnimeGirl]

I'm gonna be honest with you, she got raped or not, no one should be teased like that. Even if you pick on a kid who seems to have a perfect life and isn't sad at all, even that kid goes through hell on the inside, and I can guarantee you that. Unless that person's really close to you and they know you don't mean it and you know for sure that a topic doesn't make them feel bad, only then tease them. Now what you need to do is go to her house, personally apologise to her. And at school, pull her in front of everyone and apologise to her, and make everyone else apologise to her too. Your cheerleader gang may tell you to do otherwise, but that's only to save their pride and ego. Trust me, you get nothing out of doing that. Apologise, and a lot more people will actually like you. This popular crowd? To be honest most people only pretend to like them to fit in. No one really wants to, and wouldn't give a flying crap about the popular crowd. But if you really want to earn some respect and love, take my advice and apologise in front of everyone and show them that you mean it and it's not a joke so they don't pick on her again.
P.S, could you give her my twitter? I'd really like to be her friend. You too if you'd like. And tell her that I told her that though I have no clue who she is, I love her, and she could always come and talk to me. My name's Elizabeth and my twitter is @KElizabethSings.

[VinnetteLaVey]

I'm pretty enraged by this question but i'll keep my cool as to answer your question..
First off, you say you're just trying to have fun. What do you mean? Getting satisfaction by verbally abusing a girl of your age that is actually called 'bullying' makes you happy? I don't know how to understand this. I understand though, you may not have known how detrimental it is to someone of your age. (By the way i'm 19 this year so i've witnessed this type of stuff) I'm appalled that the teacher in your class did not do anything, or at least question what happened but she may not want to get involved.

Moving on, you mentioned she said she was raped. Doesn't this explain anything? This is why she's probably kept to herself most of the time and super quiet. Even if you and your friends didn't know she was raped, you have no rights to call someone a 'SLUT' or 'WHORE' just by knowing she has a son at a young age, she didn't do anything to you in the first place, leave the poor girl alone. Bullying is not and will never be a small matter, it can lead to suicide if you continue. Rape is a horrible thing to suffer, she was probably traumatized after that incident and still decided to keep her child. You guys made it worse by bullying her, you're pushing her into a corner, how would you feel for the rest of your life if she COMMITS SUICIDE?

Right now what you can do to resolve the things you did is to

1. Get you and your group of friends to apologize to her - sincerely.
(For calling her names and making fun of her, as well as not knowing she was raped)
2. If you truly feel bad and horrible about what you did, tell her honestly.
3. Be her friend. (You don't have to hang out with her, you can just get her to open up to you as a friend and talk about anything that is bothering her)

It's not her fault she's quiet and introverted, it's probably her personality/cause of her trauma.

Just be genuinely sorry and sincere, calmly confront her and maybe get your whole class to apologize to her and you'll feel less guilty.