Rehtaeh Parsons Was My Daughter

Book excerpt: Rehtaeh Parsons was a gifted teenager with boundless curiosity and a love for family, science, and the natural world. At 15, she aspired to become a marine biologist or a veterinarian. But her life was derailed when four boys sexually assaulted her. The boys took a photo during the assault and circulated it on social media. For 17 months, Rehtaeh was shamed from one school to the next. Bullied by her peers, she was scorned by her community. No charges were laid by the RCMP. In comfortable, suburban Nova Scotia, Rehtaeh spiralled into depression. Failed by her school, the police, and the mental health system, Rehtaeh attempted suicide on April 4, 2013. She died three days later. But her story didn't die with her. Rehtaeh's death shone a searing light on the treatment of victims of sexual assault, and it led to legislation on cyberbullying, a review of mental health services for assaulted teens, and an overhaul of how Canadian schools deal with cyber exploitation. Rehtaeh Parsons Was My Daughter offers an unsparing look at Rehtaeh's story, the social forces that enable and perpetuate violence and misogyny among teenagers, and parental love in the midst of horrendous loss.