Lucy, an eight-year-old second grader in Tasmania, faced severe bullying at school. The bullying began with exclusion on the playground and escalated to body shaming and hurtful comments. Lucy's mother, Bree, reported that social media became a platform for further abuse, with peers calling her daughter names like "fat" and making comments about her appearance.

Now ten years old, Lucy struggles with body image issues and social anxiety. Bree shared a note Lucy wrote, expressing her desire to leave school due to the bullying. In it, she detailed her feelings of isolation and the lack of support from teachers. "My teacher does nothing to help me getting bullied," Lucy wrote. The situation became so dire that Lucy expressed thoughts of self-harm, prompting her parents to take action.

Bree and her husband attempted to address the bullying with the school, seeking discussions with the parents of the bullies. While a teacher initially responded to their concerns, Bree felt that the school's actions were insufficient. Lucy was moved to a different seat in class and advised to report incidents, but Bree noted that without parental involvement from the other students, the school felt limited in its ability to intervene.

"Our daughter was at a point where she just didn't want to go to school," Bree said. "She was scared and worried about the things that were being said." Lucy missed several school days due to anxiety related to the bullying. Bree used the school's reporting system to document these absences, but when there was no response, she requested a meeting with the vice-principal.

During the meeting, the vice-principal reviewed the reports and acknowledged the lack of a system to alert staff about Lucy's distress. Despite their efforts, Bree felt increasingly distressed and ultimately decided to withdraw Lucy from the school. "We thought that her mental health was more important," Bree said.

Psychologist Charlotte Keating is co-chairing a federal review aimed at establishing a national standard for addressing bullying in schools. "It would provide, essentially, children and families with greater confidence that regardless of where a child attends school, any experience of bullying will be addressed," Dr. Keating stated.

Tasmania has reported higher rates of bullying compared to the rest of Australia. A recent study indicated that Australian teenagers experience the second-highest rates of bullying among 24 countries. The Tasmanian Education Minister expressed support for reinstating a previous inquiry into bullying in schools.

In Tasmania, schools are required to have policies addressing bullying, but these policies can vary significantly between government, independent, and Catholic schools. The Office of Education Registrar (OER) can facilitate a formal process called "compulsory conciliation conferencing" if a child is not attending school due to bullying.

After transferring to a new school, Bree reported that Lucy has started to regain her confidence. "It's great, but I think the bullying is going to have a long-term impact," Bree said. The family hopes for more effective measures to protect children from bullying. Bree emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, stating, "Unless the government and the school associations want more little people to fall victim to this, something has to be done."

If you or someone you know needs help, various support services are available, including Lifeline and Kids Helpline.