Kelsey Clarke was bullied for over a decade. She says the effects still haunt her. (Sarah Antle/CBC) WARNING: This story contains disturbing content and details of suicide.
Kelsey Clarke looked like any other kid. She liked colouring and reading and hanging out with her friends. But when she went to school, Clarke faced a nightmare that, a decade later, she still hasn't woken up from.
The bullying started in grade one. Name calling, exclusion, and social ridicule marked her days through to graduation. "High school, I would say, was the hardest time of my life," she said.
"I know people say high school is the best years of your life, but I would beg to differ." During junior high and high school, many of Clarke's days started with a panic attack. She wondered what her bullies would say to her each day as she got ready to leave her house.
"It didn't really matter what I did, what I said, who I was with," she said. "People just sought me out." It's a problem that kids across Canada face every day.
WATCH | Kelsey Clarke shares her story Haunted by bullying, this woman says what happens in school has lasting consequences 27 minutes ago Duration 4:46 Kelsey Clarke was bullied relentlessly all through her school years. Ten years after graduating from high school, she hasn’t fully healed. In spite of great efforts and awareness campaigns, Clarke says what happened to her is still happening to kids today.
Clarke shares her story with the CBC’s Sarah Antle. Last year, the Kids Help.
