Today marks the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA): a day for IEU members, schools, students and the community to say Bullying. No Way!
As the country’s key bullying prevention initiative, the NDA aims to connect schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence.
Take Action Together
This year’s theme for NDA is Take Action Together, which aims to elevate students’ voices and empower young Australians to join the conversation.
IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the NDA is an important occasion for schools to raise awareness about the widespread harm bullying causes and to remind staff and students they should demonstrate a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and violence.
“Today is an important opportunity to remind students about the damaging short and long-term consequences of bullying and to initiate conversation about how best to deal with instances of bullying,” Mr Burke said.
“Unfortunately, bullying is a problem which occurs in all sorts of settings and environments, but if we are able to educate students to prevent bullying, recognise it and deal with it appropriately, we can equip them with essential life skills, so they develop into empathetic and resilient adults,” he said.
“The 2021 theme of Take Action Together is very fitting, as we know collective action is a powerful way to make positive change and speak out against injustice and wrongdoing.”
Community-wide issue
“Adults must teach and model respectful behaviour to students and demonstrate zero-tolerance for bullying and violence to children from the earliest age possible, to help eradicate the scourge of bullying,” he said.
“School students are not the only demographic group in schools affected by bullying, as our union is well aware,” Mr Burke said.
According to the 2020 report of the ongoing Teacher-Targeted Bullying and Harassment (TTBH) by students and parents study, Teacher-targeted bullying by students and parents remains a significant problem in Australian schools.
Bullying is always unacceptable
Recent demonstrations and rallies held around Australia as part of the March 4 Justice movement have also shown the community will not tolerate perpetrators of gendered violence, bullying and other anti-social behaviour.
The official Bullying. No Way! website has a wealth of information and resources on the topic of bullying, including understanding bullying, responding to bullying, preventing bullying, teaching students about bullying and where to go for further support and advice.
Members can access a variety of resources and activities suitable for students of all ages, including fact sheets for primary and secondary schools, lesson plans, videos and a catalogue of age-appropriate teaching resources here.
IEU-QNT members are encouraged to take action together with your IEU Chapter and school community in joining the national conversation to help address bullying.
To find out more visit https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/
