Kids Helpline, Instagram team up to stop teen bullying

KIDS Helpline is calling for urgent action to stop the rise in bullying among Australian teens, with their recent survey revealing 85 per cent of young people have experienced bullying.

In the past year, more than 3,000 Kids Helpline counselling sessions were directly related to this issue, highlighting the need for more intervention.

Australia ranks second highest for teen bullying among 24 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Kids Helpline has teamed up with Instagram to launch “How Do You Mean?” (kidshelpline.com.au/how-do-you-mean), a campaign to empower young people to recognise, report, and seek support for bullying.

The Instagram series features Australian content creators Ben McIntosh (@benjmcintosh), Brock Valesini (@brockvalesinii), Sasha Tyers (@sashatyers) and Taz Zammit and Alessia Allfree (@tazandalessia), sharing their own experiences and practical tips to support young people experience bullying online and in their lives, with helpful tips on how to activate Instagram features to support wellbeing online.

Kids Helpline virtual services manager Tony FitzGerald said education was key to helping teens understand, recognise, and respond to bullying.

“‘How Do You Mean?’ provides practical strategies and encourages open conversations to create more compassionate, safer spaces for everyone.”

More than 178,000 individuals have looked up bullying-related information on Kids Helpline’s website this year.

Mr FitzGerald said the campaign was essential to not only educate young people but also to reassure those experiencing bullying that there is a way through it.

“The mental health impact of bullying can be profound, impacting self-esteem and overall wellbeing, which is why it’s vital to remember that support is always available.”

Meta regional director of public policy Mia Garlick said Meta recognises the importance of protecting the wellbeing and safety of young people on their platforms.

“Our policies prohibit bullying and harassment and we invest significantly to prevent it on our services.

“We work closely with experts and organisations like Kids Helpline to ensure that our efforts are effective.”

Kids Helpline’s practical steps for managing bullying:

• Get social support – Spend time with friends who value you for who you are or focus on building new friendships
• Do what you love – Engage in enjoyable activities to reduce stress
• Focus on strengths – celebrate your uniqueness and talents, rather than letting bullying define you
• Seek professional help – Experts can provide tailored advice and support
• Report it It’s important to report bullying to a trusted adult or through online tools. The only person who benefits from you not reporting is the person doing the bullying, and
• Remember it gets better – Bullying is a temporary challenge; many have overcome it and so can you.

Kids Helpline is available 24/7 for any reason. Young people can phone 1800 551 800 or chat online at kidshelpline.com.au