Saying 'no way!' to bullying

Today, on the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, parents are being urged to be positive role models within their family unit.

BREAKING THE CYCLE

Kids Helpline (KHL) Manager, Tony FitzGerald, says evidence suggests that bullying is a learned behaviour and it's critical that parents role model positive behaviours to break the cycle.

“The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (Friday, 18 March) is an opportunity to share anti-bullying strategies and ‘take a stand together’, beginning with how we behave around our children,” Tony says.

“Parents should be aware of how their behaviour is being observed by their kids, not just at home but when watching them on the sporting field or driving them to school.

“Too often we see examples of intimidation between adults, road rage or sadly, physical violence, that kids pick up on and mimic in the school yard.”

KHL receives more than 4,000 counselling contacts each year from children and young people concerned about bullying. There are also close to 29,000 visits to the KHL website’s bullying self-help ‘tip sheets’ for children and young people each year.

Close to one in five counselling contacts we receive from children aged 5-12 years is concerned about bullying. Tony FitzGerald, Kids Helpline

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

“Key to assisting children to grow is to teach them resilience by encouraging them to stand up for themselves when they’re being bullied and most of all, letting them know it’s ok to ask for help when they need it.”

“We need to ensure that children feel they can contact an adult for help, if not their parent, then another trusted adult or service like Kids Helpline.”

Today, we want to send a clear message to the community that bullying and violence is never okay.

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