Not long after I started HS, there was a group of 5 young ladies that surrounded a classmate of mine in between classes. She was very, very fair, with long curly red hair and freckles all over. We were all just going from one class to another. She was ahead of me in a mixed group.
One girl started calling her a ghost, and another wanted to touch her hair. In a matter of seconds all hell broke loose, and they were all punching her and pulling her hair. There was a lot of shouting. Amazingly, the assistant principal was nearby and called another teacher and together they pulled the 5 off of her. I grabbed her and took her to the bathroom and helped her wash up. She went home that day, and didn’t come back the next. The whole thing lasted about 3 minutes, except for helping her wash up. Her clothes were torn, her hair was a mess, and of course she was bruised.
So it happened back then, too. The only difference is that the men teachers got involved, and the trouble makers were given after school detentions. I learned quickly that it wasn’t safe to walk by yourself down the halls if you could avoid it. You needed to be in a group of 3 if at all possible.
Of course-this kind of thing did happen. I think it is an epidemic now, though.