A new one-stop-shop to help families navigate the difficult world of cyberbullying has been launched today in a collaboration between the NSW Government and federal eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

The Spotlight on Cyberbullying website brings together free and easily accessible cyberbullying prevention resources for parents, carers, teachers and schools.

The launch comes after NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car tasked NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor Professor Donna Cross to develop an evidence-led suite of anti-cyberbullying resources as part of her role, as NSW develops a nation-leading approach to social media and its role in bullying and violence among young people.

As part of the NSW Government’s ongoing work to address the harms posed to young people by social media, Prof Cross worked with eSafety Commissioner Inman Grant to develop the free and easy-to-use tools, resources and webinars for parents and carers, school staff and the wider community.

The new best practice resources include frameworks, toolkits, videos, classroom and family learning materials, guides on how to respond to specific online situations, and advice and support for parents/carers and teachers, available to all states and territories.

Cyberbullying prevention and online safety have been prioritised in NSW by the government, with initiatives including:

• Implementing a mobile phone ban in all NSW public schools from Day 1, Term 4, 2023.
• Partnering with the South Australian Government to host a social media summit to explore formulating a public health response to minimising the harms caused by social media. The upcoming summit will be attended by Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen.
• Launching a $2.5 million research fund to investigate the impacts of excessive screen time, video games and mobile phone use on young people and their learning.
• Delivering new syllabuses for teachers that explicitly address respectful relationships, online safety, cyberbullying, consent education and harassment or abuse.

A comprehensive Evidence Review highlighting effective evidence-based policies and practices to reduce cyberbullying, led by Professor Cross, has also been released today, which the NSW Government will consider in the lead up to the October Social Media Summit.

The new site can be used by teachers in addition to existing anti-bullying resources available through the NSW Department of Education.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“Our Government is prioritising young people’s online safety, and working to ensure our children can stay safe online.

“These new resources will help families, who may struggle with how to help when their children become victims of cyberbullying or other harmful online behaviours.

“I thank eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and our NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor Professor Donna Cross for their work in establishing these practical resources.”

NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor Professor Donna Cross said:

“We know that young people are more likely to be cyberbullied outside school hours than at school – so it is vital that parents and carers also have evidence informed digital skills, knowledge, and the tools they need to support their children.

“These are nation leading resources that ensure quality evidence is used to inform its approach to tackling cyberbullying and other behaviours influenced by social media.”

E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said:

“Education remains a cornerstone of eSafety’s work.

“Our focus on prevention and early intervention though initiatives like Spotlight on Cyberbullying is central to these efforts.

“Spotlight on Cyberbullying delivers a one-stop online shop aimed at preventing online harms and collaborating closely with education sectors and schools, nationwide.”

• eSafety is hosting a range of events for the National Week of Action against Bullying and Violence, including Virtual Classrooms for primary students (esafety.gov.au/educators/webinars-for-schools); teacher professional learning and parent/carer webinars (esafety.gov.au/educators/training-for-professionals/teachers-professional-learning-program#staff-meeting-series and parent/carer webinars: esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars).