"Our anti-bullying campaign is one small step towards a better world. It's about people learning to get along with other people. It's about finding peaceful solutions to differences and problems."

...Teacher

Our high school of 750 students is a comprehensive coeducational community school that focuses on effective learning through a diverse curriculum for both mainstream and support class students. Students come from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Where It Began... We believed it was important to recognise and reinforce to the school community that although bullying is part of many areas in society, it is absolutely unacceptable in our school. We wanted to highlight the impact of bullying both on people who bully and on those who experience bullying, and that we must all share responsibility for addressing the issue of bullying.

We wanted everyone to know what we meant by bullying behaviour and to develop a strong anti-bullying feeling in the school. Our target was to implement an anti-bullying campaign and to reduce bullying within the school environment.

Getting Started... We developed an anti-bullying campaign with guidance from state policies and guidelines. This school initiative focused on enhancing a positive learning environment for all students.

How We Went About It... We carried out a bullying survey among students in Years 7-10 to gauge their attitudes to and experiences of bullying. The survey results identified some areas of concern and helped teachers set targets for a cross-curriculum anti-bullying program.

To monitor behaviour, staff initiated an active bullying register to identify the students using bullying and individuals targeted for bullying. Workshops were provided to support students who were involved in bullying.

A second survey was part of an ongoing program to counter bullying behaviour and attitudes. We used this data to refine the overall anti-bullying program.

Our anti-bullying awareness week focused on the right everyone has to be treated with respect and dignity, without fear of being bullied at our school. We produced an information pack for students that included definitions and general statements about bullying. For that week, teachers were provided with lesson plans about bullying that highlighted the issue of power in relationships.

A new school magazine provides an outlet for students and staff to express their feelings about bullying and harassment, especially those students who do not normally have a voice. All students receive the magazine and can help in its production.

Like the magazine, student initiatives and participation have been the stimulus for so many of our activities:

• student participation and the involvement of the Student Representative Council (SRC)
• the student body's own surveys, which informed the school community's future initiatives
• the school's anti-bullying pamphlet
• the concept of 'Anti' our soft toy anti-bullying mascot, who also appears as a student in costume
• drama performances for school assemblies
  

What We Are Learning... The initial survey results showed that most students felt safe at school and believed that the staff acted effectively when students reported bullying.

Attendance has improved and continues to stay above state and district attendance rates.

There has been a noticeable decrease in bullying behaviour in the playground and classrooms.

More students are willing to tell and talk about bullying with teachers. Practical advice is more accessible for students whose confidence is enhanced, as victims say 'no way to bullies'.

What's Next... The school's anti-bullying campaign will increasingly become a starting point for curriculum and welfare initiatives in related areas such as anti-racism and gender equity.

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