Kate reveals bullying grief
Rachel Brown
Thursday, 2 February 2006
FORMER Bendigo student Kate DeAraugo has relived her misery as a victim of high school bullying - which forced her to avoid class for a month - to help others.
In a television interview yesterday, the 2005 Australian Idol told of years of abuse suffered as a teenager.
"The hardest years for me was those (aged) 15 and up... my all-time low was when I discovered an email that had been sent around the school about me that just had horrible, horrible things about me... that was when my self esteem completely shut down and I left school for a month," she said.
She said the bullying started in primary school, and that she had "always felt like an outcast".
"There'd be constant snickering, name-calling and classic fat girl jokes," she said. "I'd be lying in bed in the morning, trying to think of excuses to avoid going to school."
Ms DeAraugo doesn't know how she overcame it, but after leaving school and moving to Queensland after Year 12, she started to recover.
Now 20, she has worked hard on her image, shedding 30 kg since the move.
After two unsuccessful attempts, Ms DeAraugo made the final cut for Idol auditions last
year, and after months of rehearsals, training and evictions, took the 2005 crown and released a debut single and album before Christmas.
Bill Gaskell, Kate's Year 10 co-ordinator at Catholic College Bendigo, said she had been bullied by more than one student, and the school had acted until it understood the incident had been resolved.
Principal Darren McGregor was not at the college when Kate was a student, but was impressed by her courage.
"I think it's a very positive thing that she can come out and talk about her experiences at school."
Kate's mum,Susan DeAraugo, said her daughter was brave to speak about her adversities on national television, and hoped it sent a clear message to bullies.
The singer is helping launch a campaign, led by teen magazine Dolly, to combat the problem in schools.
