On Formspring, an e-vite to teenage insults

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune article about Formspring, a new form of social media that allows anonymous comments to be attached to a Facebook page.  It's being used by teenagers primarily to send insulting comments to each other; many of the comments involve appearance and sexuality.  Is such communication simply a digitization of what occurs in hallway whispers and restroom side conversations or does it escalate the risk of bullying and even suicides?