Our school days ought be among our happiest: the very first steps in our journey in formal education, the chance to form friends and bonds from a much bigger pool, being encouraged in our curiosity about the world. Tragically, for many this stage is marred by bullying, a scourge that affects more than one in five children.
There can be no tolerance of bullying among any age group, and we are heartened by research showing the number of school-aged children experiencing bullying has dropped by almost a quarter in the past seven years to 20 per cent from 27 per cent. This is an encouraging testament to programs in schools aimed at tackling bullying and building resilience. Educators are increasingly recognising the power of resilience – that ability to bounce back from adversity, to give things a try and to see the world from others' points of view.
Children will all encounter setbacks and challenges. Building resilience will help them cope with vicissitudes. It is crucial that schools continue their commitment to tackling bullying and building resilience, backed by funding and genuine support from governments. The reduction in bullying is welcome, and must be continued. The Age wholeheartedly endorses the research study's co-author, the University of South Australia's Ken Rigby, when he says bullying remains unacceptably high.
Bullies seek out the vulnerable. Children from the LGBTI community and those with a disability are common targets. Girls are more likely to be bullied than boys. Girls particularly report being deliberately ignored, teased and sent harassing texts. Boys are more likely to be physically harmed. The potential long-term harm caused by bullying in childhood has been well-documented. It includes humiliation, destruction of self-esteem and emotional and psychological scarring. Awareness and understanding of the importance of caring for our mental health has grown, underscoring the importance of preventing bullying. We have too often seen the trauma and damage. In Victoria, we have "Brodie's law", enacted in 2011, which makes bullying a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to 10 years. This law was prompted by the suicide of teenager Brodie Panlock in 2006 after relentless bullying at her workplace.
While we strongly support the work of schools in tackling bullying, we also sound a caution that programs and policies must be underpinned by credible, evidence-based approaches. Recently we saw parents raise concerns over religious groups such as the Planetshakers and Christians Helping in Primary Schools running anti-bullying, anxiety and mentoring programs in some Victorian state schools. Any group working in schools should be thoroughly scrutinised and vetted. The mental health of children is too important to be left to questionable groups or extreme ideologies.
So we lament that the Safe Schools Program, a successful and well-designed anti-bullying program aimed at reducing prejudice against LGBTI students, has been wound back after the Turnbull government bowed to pressure from conservative elements who mistakenly view it as social engineering.
Bullying is not a schoolyard tiff or a joke that we should "just learn to ignore". It is a pernicious problem that is robbing so many children of their happiness and potential and has been shown to cause serious long-term damage to mental health. Children ought not have to endure such destructive behaviour, and while progress is being made, we must ensure schools and governments remain committed to properly tackling bullying and promoting resilience. We now know it really can be achieved. Innocent young lives are at stake.
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