Not sure if it’s worse or not, but some (most?) people prefer to shield their children from the harsh realities of the world at large until they are better equipped to process it. That may make it worse in their eyes.
They have photos of the person wearing women’s athletic gear and with a woman’s physique, so they are pretty sure it is a woman.
Damages means an award of money. There does not need to be an implied or actual loss or injury for punitive damages to be assessed. They are intended to punish the offender, hence punitive.
