With one in four Australian school-aged kids experiencing bullying, the Bullying No Way: National Week of Action, which runs until 15 August, comes at a critical time.
Parenting advocates Triple P − Positive Parenting Program revealed that according to a recent survey of parents, bullying and online safety have become one of the top parental challenges in the last two years, tripling in prevalence.
Carol Markie-Dadds, Triple P international country director, says childhood bullying can seriously impact a child’s mental health and wellbeing throughout their school years.
“The National Week of Action’s theme is ‘Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up,’ which reminds us that stopping bullying isn’t just about responding to incidents – it’s about proactively building a culture as a community where kindness thrives and every child feels safe, valued, and empowered to speak out,” Carol says.
“The solution lies in empowering parents and carers, who remain the most influential figures in a child’s life, to confidently support their child if they’re experiencing bullying.
“By building positive school-family partnerships and having access to free, proven to work parenting support like Triple P, families can learn to recognise and address bullying behaviours while helping children develop confidence and resilience,” Carol added.
For families who have bullying concerns, available support networks include school staff, GPs, psychologists, and school counsellors as well as eSafety Commissioner (esafety.gov.au) and Kids Helpline (kidshelpline.com.au).
Delivery of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program to parents and carers of children in Australia is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Parenting Education and Support Program. Parents and carers can access free, online parenting support 24/7 at triplep-parenting.net.au