One fifth of Whittlesea students bullied at school

“I have been bullied at my school this term”. It’s the statement put to Whittlesea students. And the data is shocking.

Twenty per cent of Whittlesea students say they have been bullied at school.

It’s a tough time to be a kid with 20 per cent of Whittlesea students saying they’ve been bullied at school, new data has revealed.

Students from years 5 to 9 revealed their pain as part of the Education Department’s Attitudes to School Survey 2017.

The statement “I have been bullied at my school this term” was put forward to more than 180,000 students across the state and more than a fifth of the kids — 36,766 — replied that they had.

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Of the 3035 year 7 to 9 students surveyed in Whittlesea, 664 reported they had been bullied.

Children as young as 10 weren’t immune with 587 of the 3186 local primary school survey participants affected.

Loddon came off the worst in Victoria, with almost 40 per cent of year 5 and 6 pupils saying they had been bullied, with Stonnington the hardest hit in metropolitan Melbourne at 22.8 per cent.

Roughly the same amount of boys and girls said they had been bullied.

The figures come as Leader recently revealed Whittlesea students were missing an average of 19 days of school a year.

Education Minister James Merlino said bullying was “completely unacceptable” and the State Government was spending $9.5 million on anti-bullying and mental health programs, such as Bullystoppers and eSmart Schools, to make schools safer and more inclusive.

“We’re also ensuring that every government secondary school in Victoria has access to a mental health professional so that every student can get extra support when they need it,” Mr Merlino said.

National Centre Against Bullying manager Stephen Bendle said physical bullying generally declined with age while verbal, social and cyber-bullying tended to increase between the ages of 11 and 15.

He warned parents to look out for changes in sleep or eating patterns, mood swings, kids feeling sick in the mornings or not wanting to go to school.

“Try to listen to the whole story without interrupting. Be empathetic, calm and show you understand what the child is saying. They might need to tell their story more than once,” Mr Bendle said.

“If your child asks to stay home from school, explain it won’t help — and may make things worse.

“Encourage your child not to fight back, but coach them to use neutral, or (if appropriate) joking language in response and help them explore other possible responses.”

TIPS FOR PARENTS

MAKE an appointment to speak to your child’s teacher or co-ordinator.

CHECK your school’s bullying/online bullying policy. This may be contained within the behaviour or wellbeing policy. It might be available on the school’s website or printed in the school diary. Note what the policy promises to do to keep children safe from harm and respond to the situation.

TAKE along your notes about the situation or screen-shots, texts etc. It’s often difficult to remember specific details.

FIND out if the school is aware of the bullying. Ask what is being done to ensure your child’s safety.

ASK for a follow -up appointment to ensure the situation is being addressed. The school may ask you to attend a restorative conference. If so, they will explain to you what is involved.

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