Photo: Wellington Shire Youth Council team members Flora Gillies, Kaidance Green, Zaralee McAuliffe-Douthat in the Legislative Assembly at Parliament House of Victoria. Image supplied.
WELLINGTON Shire Youth Council members have brought their passion for bullying reform to the YMCA’s Youth Parliament chambers, introducing the ‘Bullying Intervention and Prevention in Schools Bill.’
Youth Parliamentarians Zaralee McAuliffe-Douthat, Flora Gillies, Kaidance Green, Nicole Danks, Charlotte Mansfield and Jarrah Parr have been drafting and editing the Bill since the start of the year.
The Bill was debated in Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Assembly and passed with a vast majority last Thursday.
It proposes a centralised bullying intervention and resource system across all Victorian schools, with the aim to establish a best-practice approach that equips schools, staff and parents with skills and resources to prevent bullying and ensure effective resolution.
The clauses recommend a designated Bullying Support and Prevention Officer for every school and a streamlined Bullying Awareness program.
It also outlines how to report bullying and conduct anti-bullying procedures across Victorian schools.
The young change-makers were inspired by personal experiences, witnessing all too often among their peers how the education system has struggled to provide a safe, accessible, and consistent bullying intervention and prevention system.
The team described the Bill as fundamental to an issue that affects almost, if not all, young people and remains a massive problem in school systems.
According to Bully Zero, 60 per cent of students have experienced bullying at least once in their school journey, with three in four feeling unsatisfied with bullying procedures.
“The issue of bullying doesn’t seem to be getting better; it seems to be getting worse,” Zaralee said.
“As the leading cause of suicide in young people, no student should be left wondering where to go or what to do when they are bullied.”
Flora agreed that if a centralised bullying intervention system existed, our school environments would foster a reliable and safe environment for students.
“Most of us would have had some sort of experience with bullying, whether we’ve seen it, heard about it or experienced it ourselves,” Flora said.
“But the result remains the same – it has detrimental effects on the mental and physical well-being of everyone involved.”
Aiv Puglielli MP, Greens Member from the Legislative Council, commended the advocacy and efforts of the Wellington Shire Youth Council.
Aiv holds a portfolio for youth and is a prominent advocate for youth issues and policies.
“Bullying is frankly an under-resourced issue that goes on day-to-day in our schools, and it has a lasting impact that transcends schooling life,” Aiv said.
“It’s important that there is an evenness in support that is able to be provided to all schools across the state, we owe it to schools, and we owe it to young people.”
Jarrah emphasised its potential to transform the legislative landscape.
“This Bill recognises the current barriers to handling bullying – by breaking down those barriers, the easier it will be to stamp out bullying for good,” he said.
The Bill will now be passed on to the Minister for Youth, MP Natalie Suleyman, for consideration in future legislation.
Cathryn Langley is from Y Victorian Youth Press Gallery.
