Last week, the entire country was stirred emotionally by a video that went viral on YouTube. The footage showed bus monitor Karen Klein being bullied by a bunch of mean middle school–age boys, who taunted her with expletives and comments cruel enough to shock viewers everywhere.

By now, millions have seen—and responded—to the horrific act captured on camera. The story continues to develop, as letters of condolence, monetary gifts, even free vacation trips pour in for Karen, who endured 14 minutes of torture and shame.

This of course isn't the first incident of bullying that has elicited feelings of anger and disbelief. But it's caught the nation’s attention because the victim, a bus driver and monitor for several years, is a 68-year-old grandmother—far from the stereotypical high school nerd bullying victim. As Psychiatrist Gail Saltz, MD, said on Today news, “This wasn’t a case of kids bullying kids. This was kids bullying an authority figure.” And their insults led her to tears. “It’s pretty unusual to see a kid do something like this to an adult.”

Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD, a child and family psychologist, also mentioned on Today news that “it’s bullying in a way we don’t generally think about—it’s elder bullying.” Which leads one to wonder: Has bullying reached new heights? If the bullying victims are older and in positions of authority, how are the bullies supposed to be controlled? With so much focus on how to play nice with other classmates, there hasn’t been much focus on preventing this particular type of bullying, with victims including school teachers, bus drivers, monitors and more. The problem, according to Dr. Hartstein, is that “we don’t talk about how kids talk to the adults in their lives.” Kids need to be taught how to be respectful, she says, and based on the flood of comments from the video, it’s up to parents to instill this in their children.

The four boys who tormented Karen Klein have issued apology statements to her, and their parents have also expressed regret for their sons’ wrongdoings. And in a not-so-surprising turn of events, the boys and their families have now reportedly become subjects of verbal abuse from outsiders. Where does the bullying end?