Teachers need resources and training to help them respond to bullying incidents in schools. This is one of the key messages in the IEU’s submission to the federal government’s Anti-Bullying Rapid Review.
The union’s submission said adequate school resourcing, specialist staffing and sustainable working conditions were crucial for a meaningful and lasting response to bullying.
The submission also calls for:
- genuine employee consultation and participatory planning processes
- targeted strategies to address technology-facilitated harassment and deepfake abuse
- a stronger legal obligation on all school employers to model the values of tolerance and inclusion.
IEUA Federal Secretary Brad Hayes said bullying, violence, sexual harassment and emotional abuse are serious health and safety issues for school staff as well as students. Employers, policy makers and school communities must set the tone that such behaviour is not acceptable in any context.
“As a deeply complex issue, bullying demands coordinated action across multiple levels, along with a clearer understanding of the most effective strategies for prevention, early intervention and wellbeing programs,” Hayes said.
Teacher Consultation
The Anti-Bullying Rapid Review co-chairs, Dr Charlotte Keating and Dr Jo Robinson, will hold roundtable discussions to hear from teachers about current procedures and best practice approaches that address bullying in schools
They have asked the union to nominate 5-10 members to participate in the following sessions:
- 1 August – Canberra (2:00pm – 2:45pm)
- 5 August – Tamworth (Time – TBD)
- 6 August – Sydney (Time – TBD)
If you’re interested in joining one of these sessions, please email us: ieu@ieu.asn.au
Deepfake and online harassment
The union in its submission said it receives weekly reports of “disturbing cases” of GenAI deepfake and online harassment of female students and teachers.
“School employers and policy makers must take urgent action to address the growing threat of GenAI deepfake material being used as a form of gendered violence against female students and school staff,” the submission said.
In addition, harassment, bullying and technology policies must explicitly cover verbally and physically abusive behaviour by all members of the school community, including students and parents, image-based abuse and online sexual harassment.
“Anti-bullying school programs must include cyber-bullying and provide specific modules addressing respectful relationships education, domestic violence, sexual consent, misogyny and sexual harassment,” the submission said.
IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Carol Matthews said schools were legally obligated to implement measures to ensure employees are safe and free from harassment.
“This positive duty imposes a legal obligation on employers to take proactive and meaningful action to prevent unlawful conduct from occurring in the workplace, including behaviour by students towards employees,” she said.
National Approach
The review, led by Dr Charlotte Keating and Dr Jo Robinson, will examine current school procedures and best practice methods to address bullying behaviours. The review received submissions from parents, teachers, young people, state education departments and the non-government education sector.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare in June said the rapid review would assist in the development of a consistent national approach to bullying in schools.
“Bullying is not just something that happens in schools, but schools are places where we can intervene and provide support for students,” he said.
“All students and staff should be safe at school, and free from bullying and violence.”
Hayes said teachers, school leaders and support staff have a vital role to play in addressing bullying.
“However, real progress also requires a shared commitment from the entire community to foster a culture of safety and respect, both within our schools and across broader society,” he said.
Link with pay and conditions
The union believes there is a strong link between school staff pay and conditions and addressing bullying. The submission said understaffing, lack of time and insecure work are major wellbeing hazards for the education workforce:
“These conditions can undermine the ability of school staff to remain consistently alert to bullying and effectively prevent and address its impacts.”
School staff are overburdened with administrative tasks and excessive compliance workloads, the submission said. “The provision of additional paid time for school leaders and staff to attend any required professional development will be essential to the success of any new anti-bullying programs or strategies.”
Teachers and school leaders also need adequate release time to manage complex behavioural issues, including time to implement and enforce any new anti-bullying policies or approaches.
“School staff need the time and opportunity to debrief incidents and undertake coordinated follow-up with students, parents, external support services and other staff,” the submission said.
‘Whole school approach’
Recent research on bullying emphasises the importance of prevention – anti-bullying policies, classroom rules and discussions about bullying – and what experts call the “whole school approach”.
“Instead of bullying being seen as the responsibility of the principal or other senior teachers to deal with a few “at-risk” kids, it is the responsibility of all staff, students and parents – and even the broader community,” Victoria University researchers Fiona McDonald and Nina van Dyke wrote in The Conversation.
Special exemptions for faith-based schools to discriminate against staff and students must be reviewed to reflect community expectations and send a clear message that discrimination is wrong and damaging in all contexts.
“Research shows that LGBTIQA+ students experience far higher levels of bullying, have fewer sources of support and are at higher risk of self-harm,” the submission said.
Other issues raised by the submission include the impact of new anti-bullying procedures on workloads and the importance of safeguards against the bullying of teachers.
The ACTU’s Work Shouldn’t Hurt report highlights the dangers evident in education workplaces. The education industry recorded the highest percentage of workers with mental health injuries. The submission said reducing bullying in schools and ensuring students have the support of teachers delivering anti-bullying programs requires “meaningful government and employer investment in the education workforce and promotion of the teaching profession”.
“Addressing teacher shortages, improving pay and reducing workloads and burnout are essential steps toward creating safer school environments, where staff are respected and supported,” the submission said.