The Wellbeing Page 

Bullying No Way! 

Report bullying

If you are concerned that your child, or another child, is being bullied at school, the first step is to report to their class teacher and then to Jo May (joanna.may@smps.vic.edu.au).

Reporting to other authorities

Some bullying may necessitate reporting to other authorities outside the school.

Reporting serious online bullying

If you are concerned that someone is experiencing serious online bullying, the material can be reported to the eSafety Commissioner External link.

For bullying on social media sites, the site provides information on how to report online bullying directly to the social media service External link.

For other websites, you can flag or report inappropriate or offensive content to the website administrator. Administrators can remove posts and content from an account which they agree are inappropriate or against their terms of service.

Reporting behaviours that may be a crime

Bullying in person and online can sometimes include behaviours that are against the law. These include if someone:

• is physically violent
• intimidates or threatens violence
• stalks another person, which means following, watching or contacting the person repeatedly in a way that scares them
• damages or steals belongings
• accesses personal accounts without permission
• spreads lies to hurt a person's reputation (defamation)
• encourages someone to commit suicide
• shares inappropriate sexual images.
• seriously harasses a person because of their:
  • race
  • gender identity
  • sexuality
  • religion.

If you feel you a child is in immediate physical danger, call the police in your state or territory.

If you think the behaviours might be against the law, keep notes on what happened and when, evidence of screen shots, account details or messages that have been received.

Getting further help

You might want to read more to get more ideas about what to do.

Your jurisdiction's website is often the best place to get information relevant to your school and your situation.

Here are the websites for Victoria:

Department of Education External link

• Bully Stoppers External link
• #Ihaveyourback External link

Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd External link

Independent Schools Victoria External link

You may also want to visit some other reputable websites in Australia which provide information, advice and stories about other people's experiences of dealing with bullying:

• The Australian government's eSafety Commissioner External link is a comprehensive resource for all issues related to online safety and online bullying, and includes a reporting and complaints service for online bullying and harassment.
• The Australian Psychology Society's page on Parenting guide to helping children managing conflict, aggression and bullying External link provides advice and strategies for parents.
• Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gay Students External link (PFLAG) is an international peer support group that has been operating in Australia for over 30 years.
• Raising Children Network External link is an Australian parenting website providing links to a range of national and state resources, services and support organisations for parents and families of all kinds.

For more information

Youth Law Australia External link provides free, confidential legal information and help for young people under 25.

If you are being harassed or discriminated against you can contact the Australian Human Rights Commission External link or call 1300 369 711. You need to contact them within 12 months of the incident you are reporting.

Your state or territory may also have an Anti-Discrimination Commission

Remember, bullying is serious. Tell someone about it.