Opinion: Anti-bullying policy worthless if not enforced

Blaming educators alone for instances of school bullying is unfair, but policies that look good on an Education Queensland website are worthless if they are not enforced, writes Kylie Lang.

Anti-bullying policies mean nothing if not enforced.

Real change must happen in the classroom and school grounds, and through rigorous education about responsible use of social media.

Instead, we read with alarming frequency about children being casualties of an ineffective and unaccountable school system.

Words that look good on an Education Queensland website do not translate into action – and our children are paying the price.

Whole families and communities are negatively impacted.

So too are the perpetrators of bullying behaviour.

Schools must act when instances of bullying are raised.

Like youth crime and other social scourges, doing precious little allows the sore to fester.

It must be acknowledged that many children arrive at school as damaged goods.

They have been bullied themselves at home – abused, neglected, made to feel worthless.

They have not been taught how to respect others or themselves, or why respect even matters.

So it is unfair to lay the blame squarely on educators to pick up the slack for poor parenting.

But it does fall to schools to act on the policies they espouse, and when those policies are found lacking, to immediately improve them.

Education is about more than academics; it’s about turning out well-rounded individuals who can contribute to society and, indeed, make life better for future generations.

Never should it be about allowing cycles of abuse to be repeated and become entrenched.

It takes a village to raise a child, but when that village is hostile and unsupportive, kids don’t stand a chance.