My daughter has endured relentless bullying and harassment from both her peers and teachers. This year alone, she has been mocked, stared at, laughed at, and pointed at by a teacher, all of this was with another member of staff. My daughter has been denied access to buying water and lunch at the tuckshop simply because she needed to use her phone to pay, having lost her card. In another distressing incident, she was texting a suicide prevention professional for support in a moment of need and was told "there is nothing wrong with you, you do not need to talk to anyone." Such insensitivity and lack of support are unacceptable.

Bullying is a pervasive issue in schools and it is imperative that not only students but also teachers, who are meant to be protecting our children and being role models, are held accountable. 

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website, a study in 2016 found the following:

 -Data from the Longitudinal (LSAC) in 2016 shows that 7 in 10 children aged 12–13 experienced at least 1 bullying-like behaviour within a year.

- According to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015, 1 in 5 Year 4 students experience bullying on a weekly basis.

- 1 in 4 children aged 8–12 who completed the eSafety Commissioner’s Youth Digital Participation Survey showed experienced unwanted contact and content while online.

- Data from LSAC in 2016 found that almost half (46%) of children aged 12–13 who experienced at least 1 bullying-like behaviours within a year also used bullying-like behaviours against another child.

Both teachers and students need to be aware of their responsibilities and must be held accountable for their actions, with serious consequences for their actions. 

I'm calling for a systematic review and revision of current school policies to ensure that:
1. Teachers receive mandatory training on recognizing and addressing all forms of bullying and harassment.
2. Clear and enforced protocols are established for students and teachers to report bullying incidents openly without fear of retribution.
3. Support systems are put in place for victims, like my daughter, including accessible mental health resources and counseling services.
4. Regular assessments and feedback mechanisms are instituted to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and refine them as needed.

5. Teachers that are found to be bullying students, need to held accountable and the appropriate actions taken including the loss of their position in a school environment. 

6. The phone policy needs to change to account for children with severe mental health issues, that may need immediate help or management to prevent self harm or suicidal thoughts. 

My daughter has endured so much at her school at the hands of teachers and other students that she now has depression and anxiety. 

Because of these mental health struggles and her inability to cope with the pressures of school and the bullying and harassment she had to put up with, she ended up in hospital following a mental health crisis which resulted in an overdose. 

When raising concerns about one teacher in particular this year, My emails were ignored. On Friday 24th April when the principal rang, I raised my concerns again. She spoke over me, ignored me and told me she didn't ring to discuss this, which proved to me that she didn't want to know anything about it, therefore enabling this behaviour even further. 

Too many of our kids are taking their own lives because of bullying. We need to stand up and take serious action before more lives are lost. 

By signing this petition, you can help ensure a safe and supportive environment for ALL students, where bullying and harassment are not tolerated, and where everyone, including teachers, is held accountable for creating a nurturing educational space. Please sign and support this vital cause for change in our schools. With enough signatures, maybe someone in the Education Department will take notice.

Together, we can make a difference.