Called Spotlight on Cyberbullying, the resources are designed to further boost resilience among families and schools.

Community awareness of cyberbullying and how to respond continued to grow last financial year, with eSafety saying it has received 2693 actionable cyberbullying complaints in 2023-2024 – a rise of 37 per cent.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said while it is concerning that cyberbullying is on the rise – a pattern the government organisation has observed since the pandemic – it’s also heartening that more people know what to do when it happens, including reporting it to the eSafety website.

“The Spotlight on Cyberbullying resources we’re launching today are designed to support that growing awareness,” Inman Grant said.

“Every one of these complaints represents serious potential trauma to a child in our community but the most important message we can give is that harm can be minimised through better understanding and management of the problem.”

Spotlight on Cyberbullying promotes a whole-school approach, offering tailored resources for principals, educators, parents, and children.

Educators can access teaching and learning activities and professional development resources to integrate cyberbullying awareness into online safety education programs and curriculum, while parents and carers can also benefit from practical advice on monitoring and supporting their children’s online activities and children can access interactive content to learn about online safety and how to report incidents.

Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland said there was no place in Australia for harmful online behaviour, including cyberbullying.

“The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring all Australians – particularly young people – are safe online,” Rowland said.

“While social media is great tool for younger Australians to connect and engage with their peers, we also know that it can be a place where harmful online behaviour, like cyberbullying can spread.

“It’s important that all Australians have access to practical resources to address online harms, and I encourage children, parents and schools to head to eSafety.gov.au to find out more.”

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said her Government was prioritising young people’s online safety, and working to ensure children could stay safe online.

“These new online resources are a helpful tool for families, who may struggle with how to help when their children become victims of cyberbullying or other harmful online behaviours,” Car said.

Professor Cross said young people were more likely to be cyberbullied outside school hours.

Spotlight on Cyberbullying offers free professional learning and initiatives designed for educators working with children and young people, in addition to support for education sector leaders. 

“It is vital that parents and carers have evidence-informed digital skills, knowledge and the tools they need to support their children,” Cross said.

“These are nation leading resources that ensure quality evidence is used to inform its approach to tackling cyberbullying and other behaviours influenced by social media.”

 Inman Grant said education remains a cornerstone of eSafety’s work.

“Our focus on prevention and early intervention though initiatives like Spotlight on Bullying is central to these efforts,” she said.

“Spotlight on Cyberbullying delivers a one-stop online shop aimed at preventing online harms and collaborating closely with education sectors and schools, nationwide.”

Cyberbullying is a problem globally.

French prosecutors are investigating an online harassment complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif after receiving online criticism and claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics.

The champion boxer filed a lawsuit against X, formerly Twitter, over racist and sexist abuse she experienced on the platform following her gold medal victory in Paris.

Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael ‘RayGun’ Gunn has also been subjected to unrelenting and often vicious online trolling and cyberbullying since her divisive performance in Paris.

Fellow Olympian Jessica Fox, who claimed gold in both the women’s slalom C-1 and women’s slalom K-1 events at the Games, said the criticism Raygun has received in the wake of her performance last week had taken its toll on the 36-year-old.

Gunn scored no points from the judges across all three of her pool matches in the first women’s breakdancing competition at the Olympics.

“To see the toll... she is human and it is massive what she has been through over the last week. She has definitely been feeling it,” Fox told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“There is a human behind all that, and people are so quick to be awful. She doesn’t deserve that.”

eSafety is hosting a range of events during August, including Virtual Classrooms for primary students; teacher professional learning and parent/carer webinars and parent/carer webinars.

For more information on Spotlight, click here.

For more on Bullying No Way: National week of action, click here.

Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800)