Most, if not all, the schools in the Southern Downs have practices in play to combat bullying and yet children still fall victim to it.
A lot of the problems arise with social media and School of Total Education Principal, Shane Power said the danger with phones is the access they provide to a bigger world.
“It cuts across the environment that we are trying to create within the school,” Mr Power said.
With National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence on Friday 18 August, parents, teachers, students and members of the community are being encouraged to understand the role they play in preventing the bullying of children and young people.
Yourtown CEO, Tracy Adams said everyone must think about how they can develop stronger connections within the community to foster positive, help-seeking behaviour and stop bullying behaviour in its tracks.
One of the ways to bring this communication about the significance of bullying into the classroom is with the Kids Helpline @ School program.
In 2022, one in 10 Kids Helpline @ School sessions delivered by counsellors to primary schools focused on bullying or cyberbullying, with a total 109 sessions being held on bullying (64 sessions) and cyber bullying (45 sessions).
“Bullying was in the top 10 concerns for young people in 2022 connecting with Kids Helpline counsellors with 1 in every 23 counselling responses,” Ms Adams said.
Parents are often a figure children turn to when they are being bullied and therefore, they must be prepared to navigate the situation.
“We encourage parents not only to lead by example by demonstrating respect, but to educate themselves about how and where bullying is conducted, including online, and to look out for the signs that something might be worrying their child,” Ms Adams said.
Both Kids Helpline and Parentline are valuable resources and teachers can book a free session through schools.kidshelpline.com.au to arm themselves with the skills and tools to navigate bullying in schools.
