Bullying in Primary School: Prevention, Response and Support

Record the pattern without making the child relive it

Keep a factual record of dates, locations, people involved, witnesses, words or actions, injuries, screenshots and the effect on attendance, learning, sleep or wellbeing. Record what the school was told and what response was agreed. This can help identify patterns and evaluate whether safety measures are working.

For online content, save screenshots, usernames, URLs, dates and report numbers before blocking or deleting. Do not save or distribute sexual images of anyone under 18. Record the account details and URL and seek advice from the platform, police or eSafety Commissioner.

Contact the school with a clear request

Begin with the classroom teacher or the contact named in the school’s anti-bullying policy. Use a written summary and ask for a meeting if the concern is ongoing or complex. Focus on observable behaviour and impact rather than diagnosing another child’s motives.

Useful questions include:

• Who will be the child’s safe contact at school?
• What will change in the locations and times where harm occurs?
• How will staff supervise without drawing unwanted attention to the child?
• How can the child report a concern quickly?
• When will the school update the family?
• How and when will the safety plan be reviewed?

A response may involve increased supervision, timetable or transition changes, a safe check-in point, classroom work, individual support and consequences consistent with school policy. Moving the targeted child should not be the only solution, particularly if it removes them from friends, learning or activities while the harmful behaviour remains unaddressed.

Mediation or a joint apology meeting is not suitable when a power imbalance remains, the child feels unsafe or participation is pressured. Restorative approaches require preparation, genuine choice, accountability and enough safety for every participant. A child should not have to face the person who harmed them to prove they are willing to resolve the situation.

Use a whole-school response

The 2025 National Framework for Addressing Bullying in Australian Schools places responsibility on school systems and schools to build safe, inclusive cultures, respond promptly and improve practice through data and evaluation. This matters because bullying is shaped by peer norms, supervision, reporting confidence and adult consistency, not only by the skills of one child.

A large systematic review and meta-analysis found that school-based anti-bullying programs can reduce bullying perpetration and victimisation on average. Effects varied considerably across programs and settings. This supports coordinated prevention and response, but it does not guarantee that one lesson, assembly or policy will stop a particular case.

Support the child who has been targeted

Keep everyday routines, friendships and activities where possible. Check in without making bullying the only topic of family life. Ask what level of adult action feels manageable, while being clear that adults retain responsibility for safety.

Practise options rather than prescribing one brave response. A child might move towards a supervised area, use an agreed signal, stay near supportive peers, give one brief response or leave and get an adult. Directly confronting the child who is bullying can increase risk and should not be required.

Avoid advice that places responsibility on the targeted child to look less vulnerable, ignore everything or fight back. Confidence and friendship skills can be useful, but they do not cause or cure bullying. The environment and the behaviour of the child or group causing harm must change.

Help bystanders act safely

Peers can influence whether bullying gains attention and status, but children should not be asked to put themselves in danger. Safe bystander actions include:

• getting a trusted adult immediately
• inviting the targeted child to join another activity
• not liking, forwarding or commenting on harmful content
• saving evidence and reporting online material with adult help
• checking in privately after the incident
• giving a factual account to staff.

A direct statement such as “Stop” may be appropriate when the child feels safe, but it is one option, not a duty. Adults remain responsible for responding.

Support and hold accountable a child using bullying behaviour

If your child has harmed someone, stay calm enough to gather facts. Avoid defending the behaviour, shaming the child or describing them as a bully. Make the boundary clear: harm, humiliation and exclusion are not acceptable.

Explore what maintains the behaviour, such as peer approval, impulsivity, poor conflict skills, prejudice, status-seeking or exposure to violence. Understanding is not excusing. A plan should combine accountability, supervision, skill-building and repair that does not place further pressure on the targeted child.

Ask the school how behaviour will be monitored across settings and how recurrence will be addressed. Consequences alone may suppress behaviour temporarily without changing the peer dynamics or attitudes behind it. Support may include emotion regulation, empathy, social problem-solving, learning support, family work or mental-health care according to the child’s needs.

Name discriminatory bullying clearly

Bullying based on race, culture, religion, disability, gender, sexuality or another aspect of identity should not be reduced to a generic disagreement about difference. Name the racism, ableism or other discrimination, follow the relevant school policy and seek a culturally safe response.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, culturally safe support may involve an Aboriginal Education Officer, community liaison person or trusted community member chosen by the family. For children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, offer qualified interpreting and avoid asking another child to interpret sensitive information. Australian research links racism and discrimination with harmful health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, although study methods and measures vary.

Respond to cyberbullying

Online harm can spread quickly, follow a child home and remain visible to a large audience. Reassure the child that telling you will not automatically mean losing their device. Removing all access can cut them off from supportive friendships and make future disclosure less likely.

Help the child collect evidence, report the content to the service, block or mute accounts and review privacy settings. If serious cyberbullying affecting a person under 18 remains online after it has been reported to the platform, a complaint can be made to the eSafety Commissioner. The eSafety Commissioner recommends contacting emergency services when a child is in immediate danger or expressing thoughts of harming themselves or others.

Coordinate with the school when online behaviour involves students or affects school safety and participation. Online and face-to-face bullying often overlap, so separate plans can leave important risks unaddressed.

Monitor recovery and review the plan

Agree on a review date rather than waiting for another crisis. Ask the child what has changed, check the incident record and request the school’s observations. Improvement should include reduced harm, safer participation and confidence in reporting, not simply fewer disclosures.

Watch for persistent fear, school avoidance, sleep or appetite changes, physical complaints, withdrawal, falling concentration, panic, low mood, self-blame, aggression or loss of interest. A GP, paediatrician or psychologist can assess the impact and recommend individual support. The school counsellor or wellbeing team may help coordinate adjustments.

Seek urgent help if a child cannot stay safe, is in immediate danger or talks about suicide or self-harm. In Australia, call 000 for immediate danger. Children and young people can contact Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, and Lifeline is available on 13 11 14.

A practical response pathway

1. Listen, thank the child and check immediate safety.
2. Record facts, impact and online evidence without repeated questioning.
3. Contact the school and request named actions, responsibilities and a review date.
4. Support safe peer connection and bystander action.
5. Address discriminatory and online harm through the relevant specialist pathways.
6. Monitor wellbeing and escalate when safety or progress is inadequate.

Evidence note: Whole-school programs reduce bullying on average, but effects vary and much research cannot identify which component will work for an individual school or child. Definitions, culture and reporting practices also differ across studies. Use evidence to guide a coordinated plan, then judge that plan by the child’s safety, participation and wellbeing over time.

This information is general and is not a substitute for individual legal, medical, psychological or safeguarding advice.