IEU Speaks: addressing bullying in schools is a society-wide issue
20 October 2025
On 18 October 2025 the Australian Government Department of Education released the Final Report from the Anti-Bullying Rapid Review.
During the 6-month consultation period, IEU officers and members took advantage of several opportunities to consult directly with the Review’s co-chairs and lodge detailed submissions confirming our union’s support for reform and emphasising the importance of consultation with the education sector and the school workforce through every step of the eight recommendations.
The increasing prevalence of bullying between students, and aggressive and violent acts aimed at teachers, should be a concern for the whole community. Teachers, school leaders and education support staff have struggled to manage problematic behaviours that jeopardise the health and wellbeing of staff and students and interfere with teaching and learning on a daily basis.
The Review’s final recommendations that include a suite of resources, consideration of school context, targeted public awareness campaigns, and support for schools to take meaningful action, are welcome. However, the success of a national framework will depend on genuine and ongoing consultation with the teachers and school leaders who will bear the burden of implementation. Appropriate training must be provided during release time for all education staff.
School employer adherence to anti-bullying programs has at times been the weak link in preventing and addressing problematic behaviours. School communities need to have confidence that employers, education authorities, and the broader community will actively support the implementation of behaviour management and anti-bullying policies at the school level.
Building the national evidence base through ongoing monitoring of the impacts of implementation will also be an important driver to maintain momentum and support schools who are working with students, parents, carers, and school staff to bring about change.
School communities don’t operate in a vacuum. Responsibility for preventing and addressing bullying behaviours will need to be shared jointly and tackled jointly, with the community, employers, education authorities and schools all playing their part.
Only through genuine collaboration and unwavering support for those working directly with students can we ensure that schools are safe and welcoming learning environments for everyone.
