This report examines whether the Queensland Department of Education’s (the department) strategies are effective in protecting students from bullying. The audit specifically focused on the role of the Department of Education in setting the strategic direction, providing support and monitoring the implementation of bullying prevention initiatives across Queensland state schools.

The audit involved site visits to five schools, analysis of student behaviour data, and consultation with stakeholders including parents, teachers, principals and peak bodies.

Key findings

• The department’s strategies and procedures are effectively designed in line with better practice research on bullying, and these provide its schools with an evidence-based approach to manage bullying on a day-to-day basis. However, the department could be more explicit and better communicate how its strategies are intended to address bullying.
• The strategies lack specific objectives, targets, and measures for monitoring progress.
• Communication of school codes of conduct could be improved. The codes of conduct are lengthy and often omit mandatory elements, such as details about staff training and reporting thresholds.
• Data collection on students who experience bullying is limited, hindering the department's understanding of the extent and impact of bullying and its ability to provide targeted support.

Recommendations for the department

1. Clearly document its approach to bullying.
2. Support more effective communication of schools' codes of conduct.
3. Enhance data collection to include information on students who experience bullying, including cyberbullying.
4. Enhance monitoring of student bullying by: collecting and analysing information on experiences of bullying, establishing processes for monitoring school implementation of bullying policies, and evaluating the effectiveness of its policies and resources.
5. Review the Parent and Community Engagement framework to provide specific guidance on engaging parents on complex policy issues such as bullying.
6. Provide readily available resources for school staff on preventing and responding to bullying behaviour.