The latest data on bullying in English speaking countries has been revealed in the second report released by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) – and it names Australian children as the victims of some of the highest rates of bullying.
The release of the report on Tuesday this week analysed the freshest data from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test and showed Australian students felt less safe at school compared to the OECD average, with only students from Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the United States feeling less safe.
EducationDaily reached out to education expert in early childhood development at RMIT, Dr Elise Waghorn to find out why – and what can be done to turn the shocking statistics around.
More reporting is a positive thing
She says that, although the numbers demand action, the increased levels of reporting around bullying is a double-edged sword.
On the positive side, Dr Waghorn says the data shows Australian children are more confident to speak about bullying when it occurs.
“This report refers to children’s voices – which shows Australian children are more confident to let their voices be heard and knew it was important to talk about what had happened to them.”
But underpinning that truth-telling, Dr Waghorn says, is the disappointing reality that bullying – including social media bullying – is also rising.
Social media bans make sense, expert says
Easy access to social media platforms, she says, plays a significant role in the bullying experience for some children.
With news that some Australian jurisdictions are exploring social media bans for children under the age of 14, Dr Waghorn says she agrees.
“I’m a big believer in the idea that, if you know better, you do better,” she told EducationDaily.
“We do know better about the harm social media access can cause – so we need to take action. It won’t make me popular with my own children, but I am in favour of raising the age limit for children accessing social media because it can clearly be used as a tool for bullying – and it takes bullying out of the school yard and delivers it everywhere, creating less safe spaces,” Dr Waghorn told EducationDaily.
“It also disconnects our children in other positive ways, which can increase their social anxiety and make them more vulnerable to bullying because they are more socially isolated,” she says.
With the new report showing one in six students reported they have been made fun of by peers, Dr Waghorn says it’s important to understand what constitutes bullying – and the many forms it can take.
“Bullying is considered repeated and intentional use of words or actions against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their well-being,” Dr Waghorn says, adding that “one in six students reported they have been made fun of by peers”.
Four types of bullying behaviour:
- physical (hitting, pushing, shoving or intimidating)
- verbal/written (name-calling or insulting someone about an attribute, quality or personal characteristic),
- social (deliberately excluding someone, spreading rumours, sharing information that will have a harmful effect on the other person and/or damaging a person’s social reputation or social acceptance)
- cyberbullying (any form of bullying behaviour that occurs online or via a mobile device).
Education outcomes are impacted
Dr Waghorn says the impact of bullying on long-term educational outcomes for students who are exposed to bullying are concerning, with research proving “a strong correlation between disruptive and bullying behaviour and school performance”.
“Australian students with the highest exposure to bullying scored an average of 27 points lower than their peers, equivalent to a year of learning,” she says.
Disruptive behaviour in classrooms is also causing negative effects on other students, with the distraction of technology also having an impact on learning.
“Two-fifths of students in Australia (42 per cent) reported noise and disorder in most classes,” she says.
“High levels of distraction due to digital resources like smartphones and apps were reported by 40 per cent of students. One-third of students (33 per cent) claimed that their classmates didn’t listen to what the teacher said.”
Potential for lifelong consequences
With “many impacts of bullying, disorder and disrespect that go beyond the classroom – which include children feeling disconnected, missing school, experiencing lack of quality of friendships, lowered self-esteem, and increased depression and anxiety”, Dr Waghorn says parents can support children by affirming that “the bullying is not their fault”.
“When they tell you about instances of bullying, reassure them that you will not take any action without discussing it with them first,” she says.
“Do not encourage retaliation – such as violent acts. Instead, praise your child for reaching out and asking for help, remind them that they are not alone.”
