CLAIMS BULLIED STUDENTS DON’T FEEL SUPPORTED

CHILDREN have been made to feel “ashamed” and have lacked support months after serious emotional and violent bullying incidents, Labor MP Michelle O’Byrne has said.

Ms O’Byrne raised bullying incidents over the last financial year with Education Minister Sarah Courtney, including the “brutal bashing” of a young girl nine months ago.

“Her emotional wellbeing continues to suffer. She has said that she is still being hounded (online) about the incident,” Ms O’Byrne said.

She said another primary school student had missed school for 10 weeks, avoiding excursions and experiencing hampered literacy learning, following alleged emotional and physical bullying.

She said the child felt ashamed for reporting the bullying after allegedly being “scalded” by teachers for not staying a safe distance away from the aggressors.

“(The children’s) families say they haven’t had any engagement,” Ms O’Byrne said.

Ms Courtney said “there has been a lot of engagement” between the Department of Education and bullied students.

She said 86 per cent of students between Years 4 and 12 felt safe at school and that bespoke initiatives such as Working It Out, A Fairer World and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation also combated bullying.

Department of Education secretary Tim Bullard said issues were being closely monitored, with support offered to both victims and the students who had bullied them.

Ms Courtney said an extra 100 Tasmanian students would receive trauma support through an additional $8m in funding, meaning 256 students in total would receive tailored support this year.