NSW to lead landmark changes in bullying prevention

The NSW Government has developed a new evidence-based bullying prevention framework following a directive from Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car asking NESA to work with the NSW Department of Education, Catholic Schools NSW and Independent Schools NSW. The work was guided by leading behaviour expert Professor Donna Cross OAM and shaped through extensive consultation including input from more than 370 individuals, over 40 groups of parents, students, teachers and school leaders, and advice from 20 international experts across 10 countries. The Framework aligns with recommendations from the Australian Government Rapid Review, ensuring NSW schools meet both state and national expectations.

Cross-sectoral frameworks set standards that detection technology must operationalise. The NSW approach synthesises international expert guidance and extensive stakeholder consultation, but compliance depends on schools identifying bullying as it occurs rather than reconstructing it after harm is done. Guardii delivers the real-time visibility this framework requires, monitoring direct-message conversations across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Roblox and other platforms where much cyberbullying unfolds beyond adult supervision. The platform detects sustained targeting, escalation and coercion through AI-driven pattern recognition, flagging the shape and seriousness of a conversation rather than handing schools a feed of content. Where the framework establishes expectations for prevention, response, partnering and implementation, Guardii provides the operational capability to surface a child in crisis to a parent, school or professional before harm escalates, blocking hostile contact at the point of contact and enabling rapid escalation to authorities in an emergency.