Sydney teen reveals devastating impact of relentless bullying amid calls for national policy rollout

A Sydney teen was bullied so relentlessly online and in the schoolyard their mother feared her child would end up dead if she did not intervene. It has prompted urgent calls for authorities act faster on implementing the national bullying policy.

The relentless bullying epidemic that claimed 12-year-old Charlotte O’Brien’s life is still threatening the lives of Sydney teenagers, with victims and their parents begging authorities to act faster on implementing a national bullying policy.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal another teen, aged 15, from Sydney’s south was bullied so relentlessly online and in the schoolyard, their mother feared her child would end up dead if she did not intervene.

Alex* (a pseudonym) was subjected to horrific online hate by the bullies, which included messages such as “KYS”, short for “kill yourself”.

Alex’s shocking ordeal echoed similar online torment to schoolgirl Charlotte O’Brien, who ended her life after relentless bullying.

“I could absolutely relate to Charlotte’s story, I was receiving ongoing hate online,” the teen said.

Alex’s mother Bronwyn claims she made ongoing official complaints to the school, but said effective measures, including harsher consequences for the bullies, such as expulsion, were never considered.

Bronwyn said anti-bullying measures including a standardised national bullying policy was urgently needed in schools.

The federal government has committed to supporting this policy after The Sunday Telegraph’s Charlotte’s Wish documentary, but Bronwyn said the process needed to take effect as soon as possible because it was a matter of “life and death”.

Mother Bronwyn with her child Alex*. They have spoken out against the bullying Alex* experienced at their local high school. Picture: Richard Dobson

Other countries, including Canada and the United States, already have anti-bullying laws, which include proactive measures in place to prevent harms, specific disciplinary action and ongoing lines of communication with the families of bullies and bullying victims.

The federal government earlier this week launched the Anti-Bullying Rapid Review and is currently accepting submissions until June 20.

It can be revealed that as of May 23, the government has received 120 submissions from families, young people and teachers across Australia.

The majority of submissions have come from parents so far, who have emphasised the importance of clear communication for the intervention and management of bullying.

If you want to make a submission to the Anti-Bullying Rapid Review, click here.

Sydney schoolgirl Charlotte O’Brien, pictured with her mum Kelly O’Brien, left a note telling her parents to raise awareness about school bullying when she suicided in September last year.

Alex, who was forced to leave the public school in Sydney’s south in 2023, due to being subjected to ongoing threats and harassment, said the bullying started when they began expressing themselves differently with their clothing, hair and style.

“The bullies would target me on fake social media accounts where they would put up photos of me and write awful things,” the teen said.

“I also received messages from them telling me to ‘KYS’ (kill yourself) … it was just horrible.”

Alex said they were left “shaken” on another occasion after two bullies followed them into the bathroom.

“I was so terrified that I quickly hid in a cubicle,” the teen said.

“When I finally worked up the courage to walk out, they jumped in front of me as a way of intimidating me.”

Alex said the bullies would make “animal noises” and throw ‘stink bombs’ at their desk.

“It’s very difficult to look back on that time. It makes me physically sick. No one deserves to go through this.”

Despite the teen’s mother continuously contacting school leaders to address the seriousness of the bullying, she said little to no action had been taken.

“I asked the school to change seating plans to ensure my child wasn’t seated next to the bullies, but it continued to happen which made Alex feel unsafe,” she said.

“When a bully received a detention or the odd suspension for the behaviour, they wore it as a badge of honour and it further fuelled hate towards my child.

“I ended up storming the school office and told the school leaders to ‘do something’.”

She said the school ultimately wouldn’t meet with her to discuss her concerns.

Bronwyn, who has also started a change.org petition calling for tougher bullying laws in NSW, recalls an incident where one of the bullies almost received a school award.

This was despite the pupil being suspended just a few days earlier for taunting Alex online.

“If I didn’t alert the school to this, they would’ve received an achievement award after subjecting my child to sickening bullying on social media.”

Holding back her tears, Bronwyn said the lack of action from school leaders led her to removing Alex from the school.

“I knew from Charlotte’s story and many other families that this became a matter of life and death.

“I was so scared that I would come home from work and find Alex dead.

“This was my worst nightmare and I did everything I could do as a mother to protect my child. It’s time for governments to take this issue seriously and save lives.”

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said these reports of bullying were “disturbing”.

“Bullying has no place in our schools … That’s why we’re taking action to develop a national standard to address bullying in schools.”

Education and Early Learning Minister Prue Car said the state government was working closely with colleagues in the Catholic and independent NSW school sectors, and the federal government, to develop evidenced-based policies.

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said it had anti-bullying policies and procedures in place to identify, prevent and respond to student bullying, to ensure that schools were safe places for learning.

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Originally published as Sydney teen reveals devastating impact of relentless bullying amid calls for national policy rollout