Studies show that one in five children has faced bullying at some point in their life. The effects can last for years, hurting their confidence and making them feel less valuable than others. In some cases, like Cassidy Trevan’s, the pain can even lead to tragedy.
Cassidy Trevan was bullied by her school friends, making her life miserable. She was so deeply affected that she had to take an entire school term off to cope with the trauma.
At just 13 years old, Cassidy struggled to stand up to her bullies.
“The bullying started with insults, and she was slapped in the face a couple of times,” Cassidy’s mom told 9News Australia.
After some time, Cassidy went back to school. The same girls who had bullied her suddenly wanted to be her friends. They apologized, and it seemed like they regretted how they had treated her. Sadly, their kindness was not real.
The next day, they invited Cassidy to the Springvale festival. But it was a trap. They had arranged for two older boys to take her to a nearby house and assault her.
“They were older boys that Cassidy didn’t know. Two girls waited outside. The boys took turns, timing each other. One stood guard at the door,” her mother said.
Cassidy Trevan reported the incident to the police, but they eventually dropped the case because of lack of evidence.
This intensified the b*lyin to the extent that forced Cassidy to take her own life.
At the time of her tragic passing in December, 2015, she was just 15 years old.
After the suicide, her mother, Linda, found a handwritten note by her daughter.
This is what she wrote:
“I was a student at (school name omitted) and I was r***d by some of the students who still attend that school. I know this already probably sounds like attention-seeking but it’s honestly far from it.”
She further wrote: “I have many reasons for doing this which I’ll also explain.
“My aim is to warn other people (students mostly but also parents) about what happened because I’m worried if they could do it to me they could do it to other kids like me, or at least try to.
“But I’m also doing this for myself. After a year and a half, I just want to be left alone. It’s shocking how many students at (school name omitted) have heard stories about me, and even now, people are still talking. I still get messages from students I’ve never met on Facebook, calling me names. I’ve changed schools, I’ve moved houses, but the bullying hasn’t stopped. I can’t stop people from spreading rumors, but at least I can try to share the truth since my name is still being talked about. But most importantly, I’m doing this to warn other students who might be in danger.
“My name is Cassidy Trevan, and I was raped.
“If anyone ever tries to do this to you, please fight back! Fight! If you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, like I do. You can do it.
“Be careful, be warned, be safe.”
Losing even one young life to bullying is one too many. We must stand together to stop this behavior and do everything we can to protect victims.
Rest in peace, Cassidy Trevan.
Please share this story with your family and friends.