As part of our commitment to fostering a safe and respectful school climate, Wellbeing Teachers across all year levels are currently delivering a PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) lesson focused on bullying. These lessons emphasize the importance of recognizing, reporting, and seeking help for bullying behaviours.
Students are being taught that bullying occurs when one person—or a group—repeatedly tries to upset or harm someone who has less power. This power imbalance can stem from popularity, physical strength, or being part of a dominant group.
Bullying can take many forms, including physical aggression, exclusion from social groups (either in person or online), spreading hurtful rumours or lies, sending offensive messages or inappropriate images, and tagging or sharing unflattering or harmful content online.
We also remind students that standing by and doing nothing when witnessing bullying can unintentionally encourage the behaviour and further isolate the victim. Instead, we promote the idea of being an Upstander—someone who actively supports the person being bullied. This support can include speaking up against the behaviour, offering private support to the victim, or reporting the incident to the proper authorities, such as the school.
If your child is experiencing bullying, please encourage them to report it to the school. Remind them to keep a record of the incidents and avoid retaliating. It’s also important to reassure them that being bullied is never their fault. If the bullying is happening online, make sure they save screenshots or copies of any offensive messages or images, and take steps to block or report the individuals involved.
Students are reminded that they can report bullying to the school through the following channels:
- Speaking directly to a trusted teacher
- Asking a family member to contact the school
- Emailing or Teams messaging a trusted teacher
- Requesting help via the Pulse app
For cases involving people outside of our school community, or if additional support is needed, bullying can also be reported to:
- Victoria Police via 131 444
- The eSafety Commissioner through their official website
If you have concerns about behaviour affecting your child or any other student in our community, please contact the school. For more information on how to support your child with issues related to bullying and cyberbullying, visit the Victorian Government’s Bully Stoppers website: Bully Stoppers: parents and carers | www.vic.gov.au and or the eSafety commissioner website Young People | eSafety Commissioner.
