I think if the scoobies had handled the situation better the whole thing could've been avoided. I think especially Giles and Buffy handled it poorly. Giles for example makes a point of telling Buffy that accidental killings happen in slaying to alleviate Buffy's guilt, but as far as we know he never did the far more important thing, telling that to Faith. She's the one who did it, making her feel less guilty was more important, and I truly think her unresolved guilt is 100% behind her going bad. She couldn't face the idea of feeling the guilt of killing someone so it was easier to adapt to the stone cold killer persona than mourn the life she took. Giles tells Buffy Faith is unbalanced, but at that point I don't think she had done anything that wasn't completely understandable for someone traumatised by guilt. He just jumps to the conclusion that she's gone off the deep end without properly trying to help her first.

Also, I know Buffy felt guilt too, but she should've had enough brains and caring to recognise Faith's guilt and help with it. Like when Faith was trying to justify it by saying he was a bad guy who deserved it that was a clear attempt relieve some guilt, anyone with half a brain could tell, but rather than recognising that Buffy talks about how she will cry for the dead guy. Wow, way to make faith feel 100 times worse, stupid. Buffy has seen death of innocents before, this guy wasn't even truly innocent and Buffy isn't the one who killed him, shock and guilt do not explain her reaction. The way she seemed to make this all about how bad she felt without tackling what Faith (you know, the one who actually accidentally killed the guy) felt made her seem amazingly self centred to me. I know she eventually tried to have Angel help, but that was after she spent ages talking about how guilty they should both feel, how terrible it was and not once trying to comfort Faith.
If after realising Faith wasn't in the mental state to confess she'd immediately gone to Giles instead of waiting so long, had stopped talking about how bad they should both feel and her and Giles had sat Faith down explained what had to happen but made a point of saying it was clearly an accident, the guy wasn't a saint and she shouldn't let the grief destroy her I really think she'd have dealt and wouldn't have gone bad.

Wow, check me, getting my rant on. That was some epic babbling going on by me up there. lol, sorry for the never ending comment.

lol I agree with you though. Buffy especially did not treat Faith very well...I think a lot of times her actions and words towards Faith were motivated more by petty feelings of jealousy and dislike, more than just "doing the right thing".

Yeah i think Buffy, Giles and The Scoobies could have approached the situation alot better but i think Faith plays a part too, did she wanna be helped?

in the end she did (in angel season 1) she always had it in her face of pplz complenting buffy but never her, seems self centred i know, but they never really gave her time of day...and to have buffy's actions/words to grieve and whatnot, but maybe give Faith the space that she needed before approaching her...and maybe giles telling faith that it wasnt the first time it has happened in the past.

faith would have made different choices than she did, but i think her past experiences (that we havent seen) also influenced her before her becoming a slayer and her watcher's death in following the Mayor and him giving her what she wanted from buffy and the scoobies: respect, love, support and compassion.

they did their best to try and help her but she wouldn't take their help!

They definitely mishandled it. But I think it was Wesley's actions which mishandled the worst, as well as the way Faith was looking at it herself. I think those in combination would have made her turn to the Mayor anyway.