Film-maker Christopher Benz with Copperfield College students from left, Rachel, Utkarsh, Girean and Michael, watched the cyberbullying awareness film Tagged as part of National Anti-Bullying Day on Friday.78640 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By LAURA WAKELY
BRIMBANK schools presented a united front last week for the second annual National Anti-Bullying Day.
The day asks people to wear orange and participate in discussions on all forms of bullying, from violence in the playground to spreading rumours and harassing people online.
Education Minister Martin Dixon visited St Albans Secondary College on Friday to launch the next stage of the Government’s $14.5 million campaign against bullying.
Mr Dixon announced a competition for students to name the campaign, which will include the development of short films, a road toll style campaign and education material.
Students who submit entries to name the anti-bullying campaign before Friday 1 June will go into the running to win iPads, an iPod nano or a $500 iTunes voucher.
“The one thing we want to make sure is that this campaign is for young people by young people,” Mr Dixon said.
He said he was impressed by the anti-bullying policy at St Albans Secondary, which includes a ‘name a bully day’, where students anonymously make teachers aware of any bullying at the school.
School psychologist Kellie Jasper said talking about bullying and its effects was an important part of education.
“People sit in their bedrooms and in their homes and think it’s (cyberbullying) all quite private,” Ms Jasper said.
“But… the person on the other end is capturing all that information. It’s there in writing.”
For more information about the government’s anti-bullying campaign and competition visit namethecampaign.com.au
