New National Anti-Bullying Strategy Announced

At the start of 2025 the federal Minister for Education announced the appointment of a taskforce to conduct a review of what is currently working to prevent and respond best to bullying in Australian schools.

 

The Anti-Bullying rapid Review Taskforce received more than 1,700 submissions from parents, students, teachers, industry bodies, churches and community organisations across the country. It’s report was recently handed down and can be found here: 3872 Anti-Bullying Rapid Review Report_ACC.pdf 

 

The Anti-Bullying Rapid Review Report makes recommendations as to how schools can improve their handling of, and response to, bullying accusations. Since being presented, Education Ministers have agreed to a new national plan to address bullying as recommended in the Report. The report makes six recommendations:

1. Education Ministers commit to actions and reforms that set a National Standard for every Australian school to be a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment where:

   • bullying behaviours, including harmful antecedent behaviours (referred to as bullying and other harmful behaviours), as described in this report, are not accepted, and
   • the school workforce – including principals, school leaders, teachers, education support staff, specialist support staff and health professionals – is supported to take appropriate action.

2. Education Ministers consider the suggested principles-based National Standard included in the report for implementation across all school systems.

3. The Australian Government lead transformative national actions, including:

   • A targeted public awareness campaign, to be developed with experts in primary prevention and behaviour change, the education sector, the school workforce, and other stakeholders, to:
     • build community understanding of bullying and other harmful behaviours and their impacts, including cyberbullying and image-based abuse
     • equip the community to contribute to cultural change
     • support any national implementation of this Review’s recommendations, including the National Standard.

• • Consideration through the next Australian Curriculum review cycle of opportunities to enhance education on social, emotional, empathy, respect and relationship issues to equip students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to understand and prevent harmful behaviours from occurring.

4. Education Ministers, school systems, and school leaders support every school across Australia to implement clear, transparent, trauma-informed and responsive anti-bullying policies and procedures that:

• • Include a requirement that schools make reasonable effort to initiate safety and support planning and communication in response to observed or reported bullying or other harmful behaviours, within two school days of becoming aware of the behaviour, recognising further time may be required to fully address the issue.
  • Are developed for their local school context in partnership with students, parents and carers and the school workforce.

5. Education Ministers commit to actions to empower and equip school communities to work together to prevent and address bullying and other harmful behaviours and build safe and positive environments, including:

   • Trauma-informed training and resources for school leaders, teachers, teaching support staff, allied health and specialist staff on preventing and responding to bullying and other harmful behaviours.
   • Targeted resources on addressing cyberbullying, deepfakes and online harms, developed in consultation with the eSafety Commissioner.
   • Resources to help and support students, upstanders (those supporting others at risk of being harmed)and families, including families of students who have experienced or engaged in bullying and other harmful behaviours.
   • Ensuring the risk factors and needs of local school populations are fully considered, including the unique and intersecting needs of diverse student groups and school staff including First Nations people, those who identify as LGBTIQA+, people with disability, and other groups experiencing additional risk factors such as women and girls.

6. Education Ministers, school systems and school boards support local school action by providing:

   • Support for schools to analyse student-level data to enable the identification of bullying-related risks within their school communities to help inform targeted school-level prevention, early intervention and response and support activities, and to support continual improvement of approaches.
   • Clear guidance on evidence-based, whole-of-school and trauma-informed responses that help schools intervene early and appropriately to prevent the development and/or escalation of harmful behaviours.
   • Structured initiatives that provide all students with appropriate support, experiences, teaching and resources to positively and confidently engage in learning.
   • Targeted and evidence-based approaches that help support and change behaviours of students engaging in bullying and other harmful behaviours, including supporting the schools to work with parents/carers to cultivate their child’s prosocial behaviours.

In support of the recommendations, the Review recommends that six national standards be adopted to ensure all Australian schools share a common commitment to safety, inclusion, and respect. While each school has a unique context, implementation in each school should align with the elements of the National Standard. The recommended standards are:

 

Standard 1: Consistent anti-Bullying Requirements

Schools take clear and proactive steps to foster respectful and inclusive school cultures, where bullying and harmful behaviours are not tolerated. This includes making timely and appropriate response to incidents and upholding every student’s right to a safe learning environment.

 

Standard 2: Whole-of-school and locally tailored approaches

Schools adopt a comprehensive approach to bullying prevention and response that actively involves the school students, parents and carers, staff, and the broader school community. This includes co-developing school-specific anti-bullying policies, ensuring accessible information and engagement opportunities, and embedding behavioural expectations across school culture. Leadership must address the diverse needs of students and staff, including First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ individuals, people with disability, and others facing elevated risks. School systems are expected to embed support for decision-makers with appropriate leadership and resources.

 

Standard 3: Create clarity and confidence in school anti-bullying action

Schools maintain clear, publicly-accessible anti-bullying policies that outline how incidents can be reported, how responses will be managed and communicated, what support is available, and how escalation can occur. The Review called for the requirement of a comprehensive mandatory response to be initiated within two school days of of a school becoming aware of bullying or harmful behaviour, including safety planning and communication. Schools should be taking all reasonable steps to document all actions taken, communicate outcomes to those affected (while respecting privacy), and review their policies by 2027 and regularly thereafter to ensure effectiveness and compliance.

 

standard 4: intervening early and appropriately

Schools and school systems implement  a continuum of evidence-based strategies that include prevention, early intervention, and response to bullying and harmful behaviours. This means prioritising proactive measures that prevent escalation, ensure responses are trauma-informed and tailored to individual circumstances, and provide wellbeing support to all affected parties. Students who perpetrate bullying should be supported to understand the causes and impacts of their behaviour, to help break the cycle. Further, many submissions called for clear escalation frameworks when initial interventions are ineffective. School systems are responsible for equipping schools with the guidance and resources needed to implement these approaches effectively.

 

standard 5: Support the school workforce

Another major focus of the new strategy is building workforce capability. Research shows that many teachers feel underprepared to handle bullying incidents, despite their crucial role in prevention and response.

To address this, the federal government has committed $10 million in a national campaign and to new teacher training initiatives. Schools will be expected to provide trauma-informed professional development, ensuring staff can identify early warning signs, respond appropriately, and support both victims and those engaging in harmful behaviour.

Training will also cover emerging issues such as digital abuse, deepfakes, and online harassment. Importantly, staff will be supported with time, tools, and resources to undertake professional learning and wellbeing support for those impacted by bullying.

 

standard 6: reducing risks and fostering safe, inclusive and respectful communities

Schools and school systems address broader risk and protective factors through age-appropriate, culturally responsive education on respectful relationships, emotional skills, digital safety, and explicit teaching about bullying.

 

Looking Ahead

While specific law reforms are yet to be announced, schools can readily prepare their organisations by reviewing their own internal policies and procedures addressing bullying, and reflecitng on whether they take a whole of school approach to preventing and dealing with bullying, and whether the values of transparency and accountability are embedded.

 

Have a Question About The New Changes and How It May Affect Your School?

If you need assistance or legal advice regarding memorandum of understandings, Vocare Law can well assist. Contact our office on 1300-VOC-LAW / 1300-862-529 or email: enquiry@vocarelaw.com.au

This article was written by Eustacia Yates and Jack Macpherson.

**The information contained herein does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice and is for general informational purposes only.