We called the deputy. His response? "I talked to the neighborhood boys - they said she's been around."

My twelve year old daughter had been experiencing harassment in our neighborhood for some time. It had escalated to the point of being called "slut" and other epithets by boys as she would walk to our friend's house close by. We had a boy who was homeless stay with us who got into trouble with the police and the neighbors got even harsher with my daughter. The young man got help and thank goodness a place for him and his family to live. Meanwhile, my daughter continued to suffer from rumors and loud comments from our neighbors, rocks being thrown at her in our backyard by boys across the fence. We called the deputy to see how to protect her and make her feel safe in her own home. His response? "I talked to the neighborhood boys - they said she's been around." Furthermore, when I commented about her depression from the constant harassment his response was, "Tell her to grow a thicker skin." How do you protect a child that the police don't even care about? I want her to believe in our system of justice but it won't believe in her. There seems nowhere else to go.