ASSIGNMENT 3: REPORT

Background to the issue and what is known about how it impacts on children/young people/families

Bullying is a pertinent issue in Australian schools today. It is an issue that is consistent and regular in and outside of the classroom. My focus is going to specifically relate to covert bullying in primary schools which includes school social and verbal bullying.  “Research in Australia has indicated that approximately ten percent of school students reported being bullied most days or even every day at school. These rates of bullying between students are among the highest in the world.” (Cross, D., Shaw, T., Hearn, L., Epstein, M., Monks, H., Lester, L., & Thomas, L. 2009, intro). This is an area that must be treated seriously and actively at school as statistics are alarming and the effects on all students can be highly damaging and distressful impacting on all areas of a student’s life. “Bullying affects everyone involved, including people who witness it. It can have serious and long-term emotional or psychological consequences in addition to the immediate harmful effects”. (Bullying FAQ, n.d., p.5)

Bullying can be understood to occur in three forms: “face-to-face bullying, covert bullying and online bullying” (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2017, p.3). Bullying is always in the headlines and becoming a major daily issue for children. Extensive research demonstrates that “bullying can have serious short-term and long-term consequences” (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2017, p.3) including “feeling unsafe at school, psychological distress, lower levels of academic achievement and lower levels of school attendance”. (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2017, p.3). Schools have the responsibility of supporting students and having processes and procedures in place as well as guidelines and support agencies that can assist students, teachers and families in crisis.

“Covert bullying has been broadly defined as a subtler, often hidden, form of non-physical, aggressive behaviour aimed at inflicting harm through peer relations, feelings of acceptance, friendships, and self-esteem that can result in social and psychological bruises that are equally, if not more painful than physical ones”. (Cross, D., Shaw, T., Hearn, L., Epstein, M., Monks, H., Lester, L., & Thomas, L. 2009, p. 18). For many students, this type of bullying can play tricks on their minds and be very hard to prove which makes its long-term effects particularly to those already with social and emotional worries, even mo