Bullying Prevention at Scale

Bullying is a complex phenomenon.

It involves repeated and intentional efforts to cause distress or harm that are grounded in an imbalance of power. There are different types of bullying - physical bullying (e.g., punching, kicking), verbal bullying (e.g., name calling), indirect or relational bullying (e.g., excluding, spreading rumours) and cyberbullying (e.g., harm through technology mediums like text messaging, social media networking sites or digital forums).

And with the advent of social media and new technology platforms, it's only going to become more difficult to address through traditional, reactive approaches that respond to incidents after they occur.

Anti-bullying measures need to be far-reaching and are likely best when they are systemic. That’s true for us at a societal level, and also true for schools where whole-school approaches that emphasise respect and safety are foundations for all interactions, and value the wellbeing of all - as a whole person - well beyond their academic performance.

Further, they can be preventative or responsive. There are many different approaches, and evidence of their benefits is mixed.

Some effective preventative measures include establishing clear and concrete whole-school or system-wide anti-bullying policies, creating a positive and safe school climate where there is adequate supervision and clear expectations for appropriate behaviour, efforts that value reporting of bullying behaviour, and emphasise developing social and emotional wellbeing. 

Responsive measures aim to reduce the continuation of bullying and can include approaches like restorative practice or mediation.

Where to Start
Many schools are doing exceptional work to ensure their communities are safe and respectful places to work and learn. Having long-term funding for systems and structures to address bullying will support these approaches to become mainstream and widespread.

If faced with running a school that has behaviour and bullying problems, a good place to start is to focus on three key things:
1.    School culture - setting expectations that all can feel safe and respected
2.    Embed strategies to proactively understand the broad wellbeing of students (and staff) as well as their experiences of bullying, and
3.    Focus on wellbeing. It’s a foundation for good learning and supporting the development of our future generations. When the foundations are strong, it’s much easier to build on.

There are many factors that contribute to bullying behaviour. Mental health issues may be one. But there are also two other, critical, reasons that detecting mental health risks early makes sense to connect with early detection of bullying experiences.

Firstly, students with mental health difficulties may be more likely to experience bullying and secondly, mental health difficulties are also a very common consequence of bullying itself. If we want to address bullying and its impact, one key step will be to detect, early, mental health risks, wellbeing strengths, and experiences of bullying.

The value of early intervention of mental health and victimisation has been recognised as crucial within the recent Anti-Bullying Rapid Review Report. My Mind Check - a student wellbeing monitoring app - was used as a case example demonstrating an evidence-based national approach that pairs routine early detection with guidance for educators on follow-up actions.

Partnerships
Bullying prevention requires genuine partnership between schools, families, and the broader community.

Effective partnerships start with shared understanding and open communication, and by putting the student at the centre of the approach.

This means genuinely listening to students' experiences and involving them in developing solutions, not just making decisions about them. When students have a voice, they become partners in creating positive school environments.

Practically, this looks like schools offering routine opportunities for students to share their experiences, facilitating regular conversations between students, families, and educators about what respectful relationships look like and how to maintain them, and modelling them. It means creating opportunities for students to share their perspectives on school climate and safety, and ensuring these insights inform decision-making and support.

When issues arise, effective partnerships involve joint problem-solving where students, families, and schools work together to understand what's happening and develop coordinated responses.

Monitoring and Check-ins
What do teachers and school leaders are on the front-line need? Beyond respect and support, educators need practical tools that make their complex job more manageable. This means clear, step-by-step frameworks that outline what to do when they identify concerning behaviours or when students disclose bullying experiences. They need training that builds their confidence to have difficult conversations and recognise early warning signs.

They also need time and support to implement these approaches effectively, not just another program added to their already full plates.

When we give educators both the knowledge and the practical resources to identify, understand, and respond to bullying and mental health concerns early, we empower them to create the safe, supportive environments where all students can thrive.

My Mind Check is supporting schools across all states and territories, with participation spanning primary, secondary, and combined schools. Forty percent of those are in regional and remote areas.   

Just a year since check-ins began, we are already seeing the benefits of proactive mental health and bullying check-ins across the board.

Anecdotally, we are hearing stories of positive conversations between students, educators and carers, and seeing the tangible improvements that can be achieved when early detection is coupled with taking action to share outcomes and provide early information and support.

Photo by Christian Diokno