PARENTS living in the north-west are calling for more support to deal with cyberbullying as the state government prepares a new advertising campaign
to encourage young people to speak up.
Education Minister Martin Dixon said the campaign would be similar to the hard-hitting advertisements aimed at reducing the road toll.
His comments follow a 17-year-old student from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs taking her own life last week after she was bullied on social media site Facebook.
Brimbank’s Sheniz Erkan, 14, took her life on January 9 in similar circumstances.
Mr Dixon’s spokesman, James Martin, told the Weekly the campaign would prevent more deaths and injuries.
“Cyberbullying is a growing concern and we encourage young people to speak up before it’s too late,” he said.
“Rather than adults telling young people what to do, we want students to play a part in how the campaign is run.
”We are looking at getting young people involved in a documentary and short film. We’ll consult with student groups.”
But Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins said the government needed to provide more resources to educate parents who didn’t know the dangers of cyberbullying.
Hillside mother Amy Machell said she wanted to see more local forums to ensure students, parents and schools were on the “same page”.
“I took my son to an anti-bullying forum and I thought it was important that we did that together,” she said.
Keilor mother Karin Steinhoff said the school her children went to had issues with bullying but dealt with it by setting up a restorative justice system.
“They bring the bully and the victim together to talk about the issue and it has worked really well.”
Lifeline: 131114.
