Did Israel on an individual or collective basis come to Deborah for judgment?

The term to denote who came to Deborah is literally the sons of Israel, which suggests that Israel on an individual basis came to her for judgment, as though individuals approached her to settle their private disputes. But in the book it always functions as a collective for the entire nation. In this context 'sons of Israel' should be interpreted exactly as it has been in Judges 4:3.¹