Understanding and addressing bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying is intentional, repeated, and unreasonable behaviour directed towards an individual or a group, intended to cause harm, fear, intimidation, or distress. Even if the behavior is not intentional, it can still be considered bullying. Bullying can be verbal, physical, social or psychological, and includes:

  • offensive language insulting someone about physical characteristics
  • teasing or telling jokes hitting, hurting or shoving someone
  • continually intimidating, excluding or isolating another person

Bullying can happen anywhere. It can be in person or online (also known as cyberbullying) via social media, text, calls and email. Regardless of the form it takes, bullying can cause significant distress and pain for the victim. Seek help if you or someone you know experiences bullying.

What is not bullying?

It's important to distinguish bullying from other types of conflict or dislike between individuals. Bullying does not include:

  • A single, isolated incident (though this may constitute harassment)
  • Reasonable management actions taken in a reasonable way, such as directions to comply with policies and procedures, or providing relevant feedback on work or academic performance
  • Low-level conflicts, such as interpersonal disagreements or differences

What to do if you experience bullying?

  • Document the incidents: Take notes of all incidents including the date, time and what happened, and keep records of all calls, emails and messages, in case you need these later
  • Seek support: Talk to someone you know well and trust – family, friends or a Monash staff member. They will give you much needed support and may have valuable advice for managing the situation
  • Confront the bully: If you feel safe and comfortable enough to do so, tell the person you find their bullying behaviour offensive and inappropriate, and ask them to stop. You might feel more comfortable doing this with a friend or by preparing what you want to say in advance

Get help and support

  • If a situation becomes unsafe, call Security 9905 3333 or Emergency Services on 000
  • The Safer Community Unit provides advice and assistance on keeping yourself safe, accessing support and helping you make a report
  • The Respect Adviser Network helps students navigate conflict, disputes and unacceptable behaviour such as bullying. They can help you assess whether your situation is bullying and direct you to the support available.
  • Access free Counselling support at Monash, no matter where you are in the world. You can make an appointment, access help online or call for 24/7 phone counselling
  • Report cyberbullying and online abuse to social media platforms or the Office of the eSafety Commissioner

Being an active bystander

During your time at Monash, you may witness unacceptable behaviour such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, or abuse. Bystander intervention involves recognising a potentially harmful situation and acting in a way that could positively influence the outcome. Here are some ways to be an active bystander:

  • Ask for help: ask someone to help you to intervene, or if someone is at risk of being harmed on campus call Security 9905 3333 (or 333 on a Monash phone) or off campus call 000
  • Divert: draw the person’s attention elsewhere to stop their behaviour, or take the victim/survivor away from the situation
  • Step-in: ask the person to stop their behaviour, or ask the victim/survivor if they are ok
  • Report: keep a record of what happened and report to the Safer Community Unit, we can assist you to report an incident and support the victim/survivor
  • Check-in: talk to the victim/survivor after the incident, ask if they’re ok and how you can help support them

Whether in person or online, you can be an active bystander in many ways. Always intervene in a manner that feels safe and comfortable for you.

Help us create a safe, inclusive, and respectful community at Monash. For more information, complete the Call It Out: Actively Changing Campus Culture online module or join a free workshop. Find out more about bullying online, or download our bullying information sheet or information booklet.