- How to ask your friend if they are okay – use the script to help your students have a conversation
- What to do if someone is being bullied – how to support a peer in need
- Being different and responding positively – how to respond positively to situations
Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
Bullying No Way: National week of action is a bullying prevention initiative, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence.
In 2025, the Bullying No Way: National week of action will run from 11 to 15 August.
The objective of Bullying No Way Week is to encourage whole-school communities to work together to implement evidence-informed, positive and proactive solutions to prevent and address bullying and violence.
This year’s theme is 'Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.'
This theme supports schools to spread the word that everyone has a role in preventing bullying. Students and school staff are encouraged to speak up and foster safe spaces where everyone feels supported, respected and all voices are heard and valued. In school communities, speaking up against bullying is a powerful action against bullying.
Each year, thousands of schools from all across Australia join in to promote inclusion, respect and belonging. And it's not just schools getting involved. Individuals, early childhood providers, community groups and sports organisations also play important roles in the lives of young people – helping create places where they feel included and belong.
Please register as a school, or as a supporter, and make a stand against bullying.
Once registered you will receive an online toolkit. This will include an extensive range of resources for schools to download. These include lesson plans, engagement activities, event materials, social media content and much more.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, student or member of the broader community, we invite you to join us. Everyone has a role to play in bullying prevention.
If you or someone you know are experiencing bullying and need support, visit https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/contact-us/need-help-now.
2025 eSafety Commissioner live virtual classrooms
We are also working with the eSafety Commissioner and co-hosting live virtual classrooms for NSW public primary school classrooms, to support the delivery of the Bullying No Way: National week of action in our schools and communities.
Schools can register for the live virtual classrooms:
Years 3 and 4 – Be an eSafe kid: Being online should be fun for everyone! Wednesday, August 13 2025, 2pm to 2.45pm.
Students will learn about online friendships and cyberbullying using everyday school situations. They will discover how to check in on a friend and show kindness, respect, and understanding to build better relationships with their classmates online. This will help make a more supportive online environment for everyone in your classroom.
Register here: Being online should be fun for everyone!
More information, including links to open sessions available to all Australian schools, is available at Be an eSafe kid: Being online should be fun for everyone!
Years 5 and 6 – Be an eSafe kid: Your choices in chats! Thursday, August 14 2025, 2pm to 2.45pm.
Students will look at how their choices in online chats can help their friendships and the wellbeing of their peers. They will go through situations like fake accounts and harmful group chats and learn how someone can choose to be kind and respectful. This will serve as a useful guide for creating more positive and supportive relationships among students in your classroom.
Register here: Your choices in chats!
More information, including links to open sessions available to all Australian schools, is available at Be an eSafe kid: Your choices in chats!
What is bullying?
Bullying is when someone with more power than you deliberately and repeatedly tries to upset or hurt you. It can involve one or more of the following:
- the misuse of power in a relationship
- is intentional, ongoing and repeated
- behaviours that can cause harm.
Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. Bullying can be easy to see (overt), or hidden (covert). Cyberbullying is online bullying that involves the use of technology such as the internet or mobile devices.
Resources
You can visit the Anti-bullying webpage and Universal Resources Hub - Anti-bullying collection (staff only) for more support to identify, prevent and respond to bullying behaviours.
The department’s Inclusive Practice Hub resource also provides resources to support students with disability and additonal leaning and support needs understand bullying and cyberbullying. Students can also learn to be an upstander and help a friend who is being bullied.
Primary schools
Secondary schools
- How to ask your friend if they are okay – use the script to help your students have the conversation
- What is cyberbullying and how to get students to respond positively
- What to do when someone is being bullied - how to seek help and support others when they need it
- How to respond positively to situations - strategies to manage anxiety
- Going to high school from primary – what is the same and what can be different
The eSafety Commissioner offers free professional learning programs for teachers to support educators and those who work with young people to integrate online safety into their programs and student wellbeing planning. Professional learning includes:
Webinars (NESA accredited)
Other webinars (not accredited)
Staff meeting series
Online modules for lower primary teachers
More support and teaching resources can be accessed at Classroom resources | eSafety Commissioner.
- Downloadable parent resources to help you start the chat about online safety issues and strategies with your child. Resources include videos, books, information sheets, audio files, family tech agreements, activities.
- Parental controls video to help with device management and online safety.
- Online sexual harassment and image-based abuse video to help your child overcome harmful behaviours online and how to support them.
- Cyberbullying and online drama video to help you support your child if they experience cyberbullying.
Cybermarvel resources
As a part of the department’s Cybermarvel Online Safety Awareness program, we have collated resources for teachers. A small section is relevant to addressing cyberbullying in schools.
Educators can use these as they see fit for their students.