Week of Action Against Bullying and Violence – Cobblebank Campus

At Cobblebank Campus this week, we are participating in a national week of action against bullying and violence.

The theme for this year's campaign is Everyone Belongs. It highlights the importance of creating a sense of belonging and inclusion for students.

We recognise bullying often thrives in environments where individuals feel marginalised or excluded, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student feels valued and respected.

Our Catholic community is enriched when we respect everyone’s differences and stand up to unkindness. Belonging means that we all have a role to play in preventing bullying.

Our schools should be places where everyone is empowered to speak up and create a safe space where everyone feels supported and respected and their voices are heard and valued.

Early next term, Cobblebank students will watch a live performance by Brainstorm Productions exploring resilience, respect, anti-bullying, and conflict resolution.

Sticks and Stones shines a light on issues such as cyberbullying, image-based abuse and coercive control.

It provides students with practical strategies for emotion regulation, assertiveness, conflict resolution, resilience, help-seeking and breaking the cycle of violence.

The performance also highlights the importance of positive role models and providing space for all students to express their feelings in healthy and authentic ways.

I encourage you to have open and honest conversations with your children about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support.

If your child tells you about things at school or you observe something in public that involves conflict or bullying, take the opportunity to talk about what bullying is. You can learn more about what defines bullying at bullyingnoway.gov.au.

Questions you could ask:

• What do you think bullying is?
• Have you seen it? How did you feel?
• Have you ever felt scared at school because of bullying?
• As well as me, who are the other adults you would talk to when it comes to things like bullying?
• Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
• Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happened again?

Remind your child that bullying is never okay and discuss how they can respond safely if they experience or witness it. Encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult and keep seeking support if needed.

By promoting open communication, we empower children to stand up against bullying and create a safer environment where everyone can feel they belong.

You can access the College bullying prevention policy to learn more about our prevention and response process.

If you have concerns that your child is being bullied, please contact your child’s Mentor teacher in the first instance.

If you believe the behaviour constitutes a crime or is a serious incident of cyberbullying, please refer to the Bullying No Way website for information on how to report to other authorities and access wellbeing help.

For more information about Bullying No Way Week and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying No Way website.