Strategies to take if you believe your child is being bullied at school:
Department of Education principal liaison officer Mark Anderson
“Parents need to ensure they are able to convey their concerns on the issue, but if they are unhappy with how things are unfolding, the Department of Education has clear advice for parents on what they should do in these situations.
“Dealing with bullying is a two-way street: sometimes parents can only see things from one perspective, but it’s about finding out how are you going to support the school, and how are they going to support you.”
St Gabriels Primary School principal Paul Mulqueen
“If you do have concerns you need to go to school and find out some information first before you make any judgements.
“There are always two sides to every story and you need to find out exactly what the details are; young children won’t always be able to translate all the facts effectively.
“The first thing to do when children come home and you are concerned, you certainly want to look out for any changes in behaviour.”
Latrobe Valley Police youth resource officer Leading Senior Constable Darren Anderson
“The first port of call is communication with the school so everyone is on the same page, so you can look at what strategies they have and can put into place.
“Two way communication between teachers and parents is vital to keep things going; parents who go about their communication with schools as constructively as they can, should be able to expect the same from their schools.”