COMMUNITY awareness of cyberbullying and how to respond to it continued to grow last financial year, with reports to eSafety rising by 37 per cent.
During national week of action (August 12-16), eSafety launched new resources designed in collaboration with child wellbeing expert and NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor, Professor Donna Cross.
Spotlight on Cyberbullying is aimed to boost resilience among families and schools. “While it’s concerning cyberbullying is on the rise – a pattern we’ve observed since the pandemic – it’s also heartening more people know what to do when it happens, including reporting to us at eSafety.gov.au,” eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said. “The Spotlight on Cyberbullying resources we’re launching today are designed to support that growing awareness.”
eSafety received 2,693 actionable cyberbullying complaints in 2023-2024, a 37 per cent increase from the previous year.
“Every one of these complaints represents serious potential trauma to a child in our community but the most important message we can give is that harm can be minimised through better understanding and management of the problem.”
Spotlight on Cyberbullying promotes a whole-school approach, offering tailored resources for principals, educators, parents, and children.
Educators can access teaching and learning activities and professional development resources to integrate cyberbullying awareness into online safety education programs and curriculum.
Parents and carers can benefit from advice on monitoring and supporting their children’s online activities.
