Respond

Responding to bullying means taking a holistic approach which considers the emotional, psychological and physical needs of children and young people. It also means acting early and safely to prevent escalation and trajectories of bullying behaviour.

Articles

Explore practical approaches for responding to bullying reports; advice for dealing with bullying behaviour; and strategies for families supporting children and young people.

Responding to bullying holistically

Resource tags:
Social emotional skills
Article
Educator
Supporting a young person
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

Evidence shows that the most effective way to respond to bullying is to address underlying social and emotional factors.

Receiving a school bullying report

Resource tags:
Article
Educator
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

Bullying disclosures should always be taken seriously.

Investigating school bullying

Resource tags:
Article
Educator
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

After receiving and responding to a bullying report from parents, carers or students, the next step is to work through an investigation and planning cycle to address the behaviour.

Strategies for dealing with being bullied

Resource tags:
Article
Educator
Supporting a young person
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

Students can take action to deal with bullying such as telling a trusted adult, trying some techniques to stop the bullying themselves and using positive coping strategies to get back a sense of agency.

My child is being bullied

Resource tags:
Article
Supporting a young person
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

Telling someone about bullying is not easy. It can come with feelings of guilt, fear and shame. The most important thing you can do as a parent or carer is listen without judgement.

My child is bullying others

Resource tags:
Article
Supporting a young person
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

If your child is bullying others, this may be a sign they need support in developing their social and emotional skills.

Reporting bullying to the school

Resource tags:
Article
Supporting a young person
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

Working together with the school is the best way to help your child resolve bullying issues.

Responding to cyberbullying

Resource tags:
Cyberbullying
Article
Supporting a young person
Educator
Foundation–Year 2
Years 3–6
Years 7–12

There are some key strategies which children and young people can try when dealing with cyberbullying, as well as steps to take in reporting negative online behaviour.

Resources

Explore teaching and learning resources which support in understanding how to respond to bullying.

I'm being bullied - what can I do?

Resource tags:
Article
Secondary student
Years 7–12

For Secondary school: If you're being bullied, talking to an adult is the best first step. There are also some strategies you can try to stop the bullying.

I'm being bullied - what can I do?

Resource tags:
Article
Primary student
Years 3–6

For Primary school: If you're being bullied, talking to an adult is the best first step. There are also some strategies you can try to stop the bullying.