IT JUST HAS TO STOP

MINISTER VOWS TO TACKLE BULLYING

EDUCATION Minister Jeremy Rockliff says he is determined to put a stop to schoolyard bullying in all forms — and he wants Tasmanians to tell him what should be done.

In an exclusive interview, Mr Rockliff said he was constantly shocked at the extent and severity of the stories of bullying and violence in schools right across the state.

It was time, he said, for all Tasmanians to engage in an open conversation about the topic — and he was open to any ideas.

“Bullying ... is a crime,” said Mr Rockliff, right.

EDUCATION Minister Jeremy Rockliff says he is determined to put a stop to schoolyard bullying — and wants Tasmanians to tell him what should be done.

In an exclusive interview yesterday, Mr Rockliff said he was “aware of … and disturbed by” stories of bullying in the state’s schools.

It was time, he said, for all Tasmanians to engage in an open conversation about the topic — and he was open to any and all ideas.

“I, as Minister for Education, am always open to ideas from the community as to how we can ensure that we send a very clear message not only to individuals that bullying is not OK but also bystanders as well, where people see bullying behaviour that they call it out,” Mr Rockliff said.

The Mercury revealed on Monday that police were responding to a filmed schoolyard brawl where a student had his head stomped on while lying motionless on the ground.

Tasmanian Principals Association president Malcolm Elliot later said cyber-bullying was a “very significant issue” that must be tackled by the whole community.

Youth Network of Tas- mania chief executive Tania Hunt yesterday said: “We know that it is prevalent and we know it has a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the community.”

The Government has released draft legislation that would have bullies proven as wanting to cause serious mental or physical harm to their victims facing possible jail time.

Mr Rockliff said that once the law changed to criminalise bullying, schools would inform their students that “not only should we always be kind to people, but that bullying of such nature … is a crime”.

To bullies, Mr Rockliff said: “Stop.

“Whether they’re the person that is the bully or the person that is the bully bystander, [they should] do as much as they can walking in the person’s shoes that is being bullied and get an understanding of what it would be like from their perspective and think about that long and hard and the consequences that’s having on the person’s mental health and wellbeing.”

emily.baker@news.com.au