When we first reported about young Aussie battler being the target of some fairly relentless bullying at school and his subsequent on the spur retaliation many of you cheered his actions on, many of you in your comments also wondered how this came to be, reflected on your own experiences being bullied at school and quite a few of you questioned the shaky role of the school in deciding to also suspend young Casey.
What we didn’t know at the time until young Casey was finally interviewed by some Aussie press was the depths of despair he had endured over the preceding years as he was being bullied, his friends ditching him nor for that matter how he once even contemplated suicide because the grief was just too much to bear….
nydailynews: Heynes said he never fought back before, and wasn’t planning to this time. But the “anger just built up.”
Heynes said Gale and his friends began teasing him two weeks prior to the fight, but said he’s been bullyied for years. He once had friends, but they all “ditched” him because of the teasing.
“[The bullies] called me fattie,” the 10-grade student said. They would also “slap me on the back of the head, [and] trip me. Throw water bombs at me… practically every day.”
They once even duct-taped him to a pole.
Heynes said he was “lonely,” and after his friends abandoned him he was an easy target. The teen also admitted he considered suicide.
“I just started to put myself down,” Heynes said. “And then all the crap just kept piling on.”
Which begs the question, why was this young boy allowed to be subjected to such abuse for so long? Where were his parents in all of this? Didn’t they know,care, wonder, notice the tears in Casey’s locker room metaphorically speaking? What about school administrators? School teachers? Why didn’t they intervene? Where they also taking the piss out of the boy too? And why did his friends ditch him? What type of society do we live in when the most violated members of society are left to fend for themselves? Can we even wonder how it didn’t miraculously come to Casey one day walking into class like others have with a shotgun?
“I didn’t realize how much trouble he was actually in until I saw that video,” Heynes’ father, Colin, told “A Current Affair.” “And he said ‘Well, that goes on every day, dad.'”
Heynes and Gale have both been suspended because of their school’s “zero tolerance” policy regarding fighting.
The teen doesn’t regret lashing out at the bully, even though he admits he could have seriously hurt the younger boy.
“I just wanted it to stop,” he said.
Meanwhile Casey’s father worries the child will be the subject of future abuse. Which prods us to ask one more question- why are these children so intent on hurting this child and when will it come time for some of those same children who once chided him to come to his defense?
The original video below that went viral:
I envy your currage, or “blackout”, whatever it was it was the right thing to do in this situation, the only situation where it´s allowed to fight, but it was for your life. NOONE has the right to bully anyone, in anyway, but the bullies think they have the right to do so. Believe me, they are small people in mind and bullies cause they live in this illusion that they are better, or, they feel better when they make another person small…and, the bigger the target is, the bigger is the victory and power…they think… Believe me, they will not be more powerful, just more hateful,meaner, menatally weaker and dependent on “followers” and very unhappy… You will be stronger Casey, menatlly cause you can stand up for your rights now, you don´t need useless “friends”, you are strong in yourself and will get stronger for every day.. I wish you good luck and give all my support to you. HUGS
badass
“Which begs the question, why was this young boy allowed to be subjected to such abuse for so long? ”
Sometimes (as in my childhood experience) the adults were involved in the bullying. I remember numerous times when I was bullied that adults were not only aware, not encouraged the bullying.
I had a a bully being told off by an adult that cutting buttons off my clothes with the knife he held was a waste of time because it would be my mother sowing them back on…
Being an adult does not mean you stop being a bully. This behaviour needs to be nipped in the bud young or the bullies just grow up and condone it in later generations.
Hurray for a change in this kids life….I taught my kids to not start trouble but if it finds you, deal with it right then and there. Assholes come in all shapes and sizes and the little brat got what he deserved. I hope this kid feels better knowing so many people are really in his corner….hopefully it will empower him and help him to navigate this cruel and unrelenting world we live in. I also hope this incident has opened the conversation in his environment for positive reinforcement in his life…..He seems like a good natured boy that wold just like to live and let live….best of luck and love to him from Oregon.
Hey Casey – i was told about it what happened, while i was out of the country and i could not wait to see the video- this was not to see someone get hurt but i like many others were bullied at one time or another at school and did what what you did, when i did it, not to the publicity that you did, i felt good and you learn not to take crap from anyone anymore. it brought back some memories. To my astonishment i seen Current affairs last night and saw your dad. We worked together a long time ago and both my wife Vicky and i were cheering for you son as i knew your dad well and he was a fantastic hardworking and honest guy. Hope you grow up like him. Say hello to dad from John and Vicky.. Dont be worried son, you will have plenty of people at school that wanted to do what you did, Stick with your mates and be strong. You stood up for the majority who are good students that do not want trouble and sometimes are too scared to fight back Bullies. in my eyes their are no bad children – just bad parents – its up to the parents to stop this. We all should look at these kids as victims – one of bullying and the other of having bad direction and guidance. Teachers need more power to stop this.
Young Richard -you have no future in the direction you are leading, face reality – nobody wants to be you, everyone wants to be Casey…
Hi, A friend of mine Al Peasland, from http://www.completeselfprotection.com has written a cpl of well received articles and also shot a short video on the Casey Heynes bullying incident.
http://al-peasland.blogspot.com/2011/03/casey-heynes-bullied-fights-back.html
follow up article
http://al-peasland.blogspot.com/2011/03/casey-heynes-bullied-fights-back-part2.html
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scirtpJkM4g
Love you to check them out when you get a moment.
It’s hard to just do nuthin’ and walk away..Why stand there and get beat by sum1 who’s just puttin’ on a show 4 the camera. He got wut he deserved. It’s time for Bullies to put their big kid panties on and grow the F*** up! Props 2 you Corey!!! Don’t let NO-ONE bring U down!!