Going to school has been difficult for 13-year-old Tayla Sekhmet.
"It never felt safe. I felt like being at school was like being in a prison and everyone just beating me up all the time. I wanted to leave this world and never come back "
She says she was tormented for months via text messages and online.
Her mother Kali says when she contacted the school Ms Sekhmet was attending she was told her daughter should ignore the bullies.
"The principal to me seemed to have no clue of the gravity and the criminality of what was actually happening to Tayla. The principal had told me well if Tayla's going to do unusual things at school then she's going to get picked on."
Desperate for help, Ms Sekhmet created an online petition asking for people to take a stand against bullying.
She said she would take the signatures to the state government and her school in central Queensland, asking that more be done to protect students.
But, she says, the bullies retaliated.
Eight weeks after the petition was published, Ms Sekhmet says she attempted to take her own life.
Child Services deemed the bullying so severe that she was removed, not only from her school, but the town she was living in.
Ms Sekhmet now lives with her family in Cairns.
Each state and territory in Australia has different policies around bullying.
Victoria is the only state where bullying is a punishable crime for minors.
Known as "Brodie's Law", the legislation was introduced in 2011 after the suicide of teenager Brodie Panlock who was exposed to bullying in her workplace.
Heather Hawkins is the principal of Essendon East Keilor College - a state school in suburban Melbourne.
She says legislation is a necessary and effective deterrent.
"Ultimately you got people dying here. You've got kids suiciding because of someone else's actions, so there should be some sort of laws around that. "
Tayla Sekhmet's mother Kali wants to see bullying criminalised at a national level.
"I would like to see better policies from the education minister about bullying. They may be just kids, but the tactics they're using are seriously damaging. They may not understand the consequences, but the consequences are deadly for people."
Based in the United States, Professor Dorothy Espelage is a psychologist who has researched bullying behaviours.
She says criminalising bullying is not the answer.
"A lot of these families are grieving, I get it there should be consequences. Criminalisation of bullying is not a good approach and, in reality, it's inequitable who gets punished."
If you or anyone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, and children can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
