Schools set to team up in new plan to stamp out bullying following Charlotte O'Brien tragedy
Private, public and religious schools across NSW will unite for the first time in a bid to stamp out schoolyard bullying under a new state government plan.
The move has been welcomed by the family of Charlotte O'Brien, who took her own life after relentless bullying at a Sydney Catholic school.
Ten weeks after their 12-year-old daughter took her own life after years of relentless school bullying, Kelly and Mat Howard are determined to teach schools and governments to handle complaints with care, calling for zero tolerance.
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The move has been welcomed by the family of Charlotte O'Brien, who took her own life after relentless bullying at a Sydney Catholic school. Nine
"Modern day bullying isn't about cuts and bruises, there may be none," her father Matt O'Brien said.
"I think parents need help, I think teachers need help, I think principals need help. Bullying looks different today than when we all went to school.
"It needs to be one set of rules for all kids irrespective of what school they go to."
"We're not against building resilience at all, but for children who are more vulnerable they definitely have a harder time brushing things off," Kelly, said.
"It has to be a community."
NSW Education Minister and Deputy Premier, Pru Car, agrees.
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Ten weeks after their 12-year-old daughter took her own life after years of relentless school bullying, Kelly and Mat Howard are determined to teach schools and governments to handle complaints with care, calling for zero tolerance. Nine
"It shouldn't matter where you send your child, that child should feel safe," she said.
Right now, public, private and independent schools, follow different rules.
Charlotte's school, Santa Sabina College, had it's anti-bullying policy approved by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority, one it was required to display online.
The State Government is beginning work on a standardised approach.
This will see 3000 schools following one anti-bullying policy, which the deputy premier says will be a government priority moving into the new year.
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Charlotte's death has already brought change, with the Federal Government raising the legal age of using social media to 16.
But the family and state government are hitting back at the revelation that one app, Snapchat, could be exempt.
"Allowing your child to have Snapchat is allowing your child to have a weapon," Kelly said.
"Policies are useless unless we are acting on them."
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