My Bold Crusade

Bullying survivor John Caldwell shares his story to help others 

- Jenny Brown

The shotgun blast was unmistakable, even muffled by a closed door. Standing outside, gentle 11-year-old John “JC” Caldwell realised immediately his violent, alcoholic father had taken his own life and that nothing would ever be the same for his nomadic, dysfunctional family. “I heard the shot and went to see what happened,” recalls the broadcaster, businessman and anti-bullying campaigner. “My mother, in her wisdom, ran out screaming: ‘He’s finally done it!’ My father had been threatening to end his life for years.”