The death of 17 year-old Rehteah Parsons this week proves that Canada needs an anti-bullying strategy, says Bill Belsey, parent, teacher and president of Bullying.org.
Rehteah told her family two years ago that she was raped at a party. A picture was taken and circulated. She was relentlessly bullied about it in person and over the internet.
Shortly after police said they would not lay charges in the case Rehteah attempted suicide and died in hospital later.
Several suicides connected with bullying have made headlines and there is pressure on governments in Canada to do something about it. Belsey says the Senate committee on human rights issued a report calling for an anti-cyberbullying strategy, but the government never acted on it. He feels that was a grave mistake.
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