Victoria updates bullying policy in line with national framework

The Victorian Department of Education has released updated anti-bullying and cyberbullying guidelines for state schools, harmonising its existing policies with the recommendations of the national Anti-Bullying Rapid Review and the refreshed National Framework. The new guidance emphasises early intervention, clearer reporting pathways for incidents occurring on social media and messaging platforms, and enhanced training for school wellbeing staff to recognise and respond to online harassment that extends beyond the school gate.

Early intervention depends on early detection, and schools lack visibility into the direct-message channels where most cyberbullying unfolds. Guardii's anti-cyberbullying module detects harmful patterns as they develop in real time across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and Roblox, surfacing a conversation in crisis to school safeguarding teams or parents while meaningful intervention is still possible. As a Meta Business Partner, the platform integrates directly with the environments young Victorians use, reporting threat escalation and sustained targeting without creating a feed of private messages, enabling the rapid, proportionate response the updated guidance calls for and reducing the gap between policy ambition and operational reach.