StuffedCabbage, I don’t believe that ALL children automatically side with their friends. If there are reasonable consequences then children can and do accept consequences that fit the crime especially when they have been warned or if the consequences or certain actions have been discussed previously. The entire scenario is so unreasonable and unwarranted and is ONLY applied to the kids that is why the kids don’t accept it.
If the hanhala or mechanchim made an error in judgment or worse, everyone would ban together to “cover it up” and no consequences at all would be dealt. Adaraba, it would be and has been swept under the rug for worse offenses than what these kids have done, and with much worse consequences for the innocent “others” involved. There is a huge double standard. Kids SEE IT, Kids know it KIDS HATE the HYPOCRISY. That is one of the major reasons that these type of situations end in OTD; because when all is said and done it all boils down to hypocrisy.