The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Australian Government’s Anti-Bullying Rapid Review. The APS strongly supports the development of a consistent national standard to prevent and respond to bullying in schools and address its underlying causes.
As our submission outlines, investing in school psychologists is one of the most practical, scalable and high-impact ways to translate investment into impact. Psychologists not only provide direct support to students but also act as change agents who strengthen school-wide capacity for sustained improvement in student wellbeing and safety.
Our key recommendations include:
Psychologists in Schools – Embed psychologists in all primary and secondary schools, funded to meet the Productivity Commission’s recommended benchmark of one psychologist for every 500 students.
Whole-School Anti-Bullying Approaches – Leverage psychologists’ expertise to guide whole-school strategies that are tailored to the needs of diverse student populations, including students with disability, First Nations students, and those who are culturally, linguistically or socioeconomically diverse.
Workforce Investment – Expand and adequately resource the school psychology workforce, including improved data collection and access to high quality supervision and professional development.
View submission