Growing Connections - Key To Tackling Bullying

Parent, teacher, student, community member - everyone has a role to play in preventing bullying of children and young people according to yourtown Chief Executive Officer, Tracy Adams.

Tomorrow is National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, so what can we do?

Connecting children to help through yourtown’s free Kids Helpline @ School program is an excellent way to help primary-aged children build strong social skills to stop bullying behaviour and support those who are experiencing bullying.

The program is delivered by qualified Kids Helpline counsellors via video link to school classrooms and is free to all primary school students across the country.

Teachers can book a free session through schools.kidshelpline.com.au.

Last year, one in 10 Kids Helpline @ School sessions delivered by counsellors to primary schools focused on bullying or cyberbullying.

“At Kids Helpline we talk to young people every day about not being a bystander when they witness bullying, but being an upstander instead,” Ms Adams said.

Ms Adam’s said that when a young person reached out to a trusted adult to tell them they are being bullied, they should be heard and taken seriously.

Parents play a critical role in bullying prevention by modelling positive behaviours and providing the space for their children to connect and talk openly about the issue.

“We encourage parents not only to lead by example by demonstrating respect, but to educate themselves about how and where bullying is conducted, including online, and to look out for the signs that something might be worrying their child,” she said.

“A really good way to ‘open the connection’ with children is to go through some of the tips and information on the Kids Helpline website.”

Get support – counselling can help children and their parents gain insight and perspective on bullying and violence.

Even more importantly, by getting help, speaking out, and collectively working together, we can put a stop to bullying behaviour when it happens.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, confidential 24/7 support service that protects and safeguards the mental health of children and young people in Australia by providing young people with a choice of counselling options and accessible self-help tools when they need them.

Kids Helpline is specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. www.kidshelpline.com.au or free call 1800 55 1800.

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