Bullying...?

if you know about a friend being really bullied...she has scars everywhere and always crying and bruised or cut...can i get in trouble for not doing anything?

sorry i'll add more details:
she 14 this month
its an old friend of hers who became anorexic and my friend got her help and she recovered.
but this girl hates my friend for it and now is out to get her because she says she is now 'fat'.
she wont let my friend eat so shes now loosing wieght rapidly and constantly hits her etc.
my friend helps everyone but no-one will help her out on this

I don't think you can get in trouble for not doing anything but why would you not try and help them if you could? I would imagine the guilt alone of knowing a friend suffers and you haven't done anything to help would be awful. Obviously there is a limit to what you CAN do and I don't know your friend's situation. Is this bullying at work, school, home? How old are you both? Are her scars self inflicted of caused by others? It is hard to really advise you without knowing too many details.

Do you not want to do anything because you are scared of repercussions, or because you actually just don't think there is something you can do? If it's the former, I wonder if there is a way you could report the situation anonymously? Then your friend could hopefully get help without anyone knowing you had anything to do with it. if it is a case of you believe there is nothing you can do, well if there is nothing you can do you certainly won't get into trouble about that. The sad truth is that sometimes we just aren't in a position to be able to help those we care about.

Whatever the situation, I am sure you will do your best to act in the best interests of both yourself and your friend. I know its really tough when someone you care about is suffering, especially when you are don't know what you can do about it.

Added after more details were given:

OK, that is a situation that seriously needs to be reported. The girl your friend helped is still obviously ill, even though she is in recovery and what she is doing to your friend is awful. They both need help. Please report this. If you are scared then do it anonymously. Write a letter (if you type it no one will be able to recognise hand writing), explaining what is going on and send it the school, then people who can actually take action will be able to deal with it and your name will never come into it. I understand you want to protect yourself, but your friend needs this situation to stop and I think you will only punish yourself if you don't do something.

i dont know about getting in trouble but your not too good of a friend if you dont do anything!

If there is a quiet, unsuspicious way of going to someone who might be able to see it happening, and if this person is really your friend, report it. When someone is getting bruises and cuts, it's no longer harassment, it's abusive and they can be arrested for that.

you should really help him/her out. Stick up for her!

Let me get this straight.. your friend is been abused but all you're worried about is getting in trouble because you don't plan on helping? I would suggest reversing your priorities from focusing on your non-existent problems, to helping her with her real ones.

I don't believe you can get in trouble with the law or anything but can you imagine the unbearable guilt of having not done anything if something bad actually happens to her. Say something about it. It's the only right thing to do.

EDIT: Just tell. really if it is just some dumb girl who is messed in the head (Anorexia stays with you for life) then they both need your help. Your friend deserves better treatment and this other girl sounds as if she is on the verge of a relapse and still needs some counseling for it. Anorexia is very serious and does not go away even if the person recovers.

The trouble you will feel will be your guilt if you don't help your friend out. No one deserves to be hurt in any way. We are all human and all deserve to be treated as such. The fact that some one could do these things to ANYONE is sick and cowardly. I really think that by not saying anything, you are putting yourself in the position of being part of the problem. This friend needs someone RIGHT NOW! Please be that person that will be their salvation if they can't save them selves. Please.

What bothers me is that your friend is being hurt and your worried about getting into trouble. First, if she is really your friend then you must help her even if she doesn't think she needs it. Second, the people who are doing this need to be stopped. I know that to stand up or to go against people like that is really scary and most times dangerous, but if you don't do something she could be hurt really bad or even die. Could you live with yourself knowing that? We continue to be afraid always looking the other way to things that we know in our hearts is wrong. But thats why the world is as it is today.. It's ok to be scared..but it's not ok to do nothing about it. There are many HOTLINES that you can contact. You don't have to give them your info if you don't want to. Talk to your friend tell her your there for her, contact the police, her parents, teacher, ANYONE..She'll thank you someday and know that your a "REAL AND TRUE FRIEND" And, by the way, to not assist another person that you knowing have information of a crime being comitted or that a person is being harmed is a misdeminor