Pushing back

Often described as a ‘silent epidemic’, each year bullying impacts the lives of Australians of all ages and walks of life. From the school yard to the office, in person and online, bullying takes a very real toll on both personal health and wellbeing as well as having a significant economic impact. But through the efforts of organisations like Bully Zero, the problem is being tackled head on with programs designed to educate and empower those people who feel isolated or powerless to speak up, encouraging schools and workplaces to change their cultures and providing both young people and adults with the confidence to stand together against harmful behaviour.

The new partnership with Audi Foundation will provide funds to help Bully Zero to continue its work educating people about how best to deal with harmful behaviour, whether they be directly affected or are witness to instances of bullying.

For many, the term ‘bullying’ conjures visions of playground scuffles or relentless taunts. The archetypal bully is that of a physically intimidating individual, making life miserable for those they see as vulnerable and weaker, but in fact bullying and bullies come in all shapes and sizes and are certainly not confined to the playground.

The sad reality is that according to surveys, one in four children between Year 4 and Year 9 experience bullying on a regular basis and with the almost complete saturation of the online world particularly with teens, cyberbullying has grown exponentially, with a third of teens having had harmful interactions over social media, messaging apps or gaming platforms.

Nor is bullying confined to the younger generation, with nearly one in four employees having been targeted by repeated unreasonable behaviour and roughly seven in 10 Australians claiming to have experienced some form of bullying during their lifetime.

At its worst, the cost of bullying, particularly among young people – can be measured in lives damaged and even lost. Economically, the cost of bullying in the workplace in Australia is estimated in the billions of dollars each year, leading to lack of productivity, increased turnover of staff, absenteeism due to stress leave and often legal action. 

No one is immune to it and almost everyone has a story of encountering bullying behaviour – whether it’s something they went through themselves, witnessed at school, or have seen in their workplace. 

Bully Zero came into being in 2013 following the tragic death by suicide of Allem Halkic, the victim of relentless cyberbullying. Deeply impacted by his loss, but determined that it not be in vain, Allem’s parents Ali and Dina, joined with others of a like mind to form Bully Zero, what is now recognised as one of the country’s leading organisations combating bullying in all its forms.

Their mission from the outset was simple but ambitious and remains at the heart of the organisation today – to create a country where no one has to suffer in silence.

Bully Zero is about prevention and empowerment, the organisation working to stop bullying before it starts by educating schools and communities on what it looks like and to give people of all ages the tools to respond safely when it happens.

Whether directly affected or a witness to bullying, by teaching people how to respond, both instances of bullying and its impact can be dramatically reduced. The ultimate vision for Bully Zero is a world where everyone feels safe, included and respected – whether in the classroom, the workplace, online or in public spaces.

Education forms the mainstay of Bully Zero’s approach, along with advocacy and direct support. Using evidence-based programs for schools, sporting clubs, workplaces and community groups, programs are tailored to best serve each audience group and are delivered both in-person and online. That means focusing on cyber safety for younger school groups for example, while targeting toxic workplace dynamics for professional, workplace applications.

Advocacy too forms a major pillar of Bully Zero’s approach, the group engaging with governments, businesses and the public to keep bullying on the national agenda. They publish research, participate in awareness campaigns and lobby for stronger policies to protect those most at risk.

The organisation also delivers ongoing support through its website and partnerships which provide advice and resources to anyone experiencing bullying or concerned about someone they know who may be having difficulty. This might include steps for parents to take if their child is being targeted, advice for bystanders, or mental health support referrals.

Since its launch, Bully Zero has reached hundreds of thousands of Australians through its school, community and workplace programs as well as in its advocacy role at a national level. Its annual awareness campaigns – most recently the ‘Act on it’ campaign – also serve to keep the message out there that bullying is not just ‘kids being kids’ but that it exists across the board, and  is one that can be changed with the right strategies and support. Funding provided by the Audi Foundation will help Bully Zero to continue that important work to help create a cultural shift towards safer environments where mutual respect is the norm.