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Tilly Rosewarne ’ s mother Emma Mason with NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell . Photo : John Feder
‘ A step in the right direction ’
NSW holds first antibullying roundtable .
The NSW government has held its first anti-bullying roundtable to improve schools ’ response to youth mental health needs and antisocial behaviour .
Led by Education Minister Sarah Mitchell , the meeting was the first of an ongoing series that aims to tackle issues such as cyberbullying and youth suicide .
Mitchell first assembled the anti-bullying taskforce in April after she met with the parents of Bathurst teenager Matilda ‘ Tilly ’ Rosewarne .
Rosewarne , who was 15-years-old , took her own life in February after her school peers doctored and spread false nude images of her on social media .
Mitchell said the taskforce will help develop recommendations on how schools can better work to prevent and respond to cyberbullying .
“ Bullying prevention and anti-bullying approaches that show the most promise confront the problem from many angles , and involve the entire school community to create a culture of respect , acceptance , and inclusion ,” she said .
“ Following the Roundtable , school resources will be developed for staff , parents , carers and students to improve awareness of bullying in and out of schools offline and online .”
Attending the meeting were youth mental health workers , social media organisations , teachers and student representatives .
Year 11 Smith High School Student Lachlan Gilles , who spoke at the event , said changes must occur “ from the ground up ” and include the input of students .
“ The anti-bullying roundtable meeting was a step in the right direction ,” he said .
Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor also announced the state government will fund ‘ Let ’ s Talk ’ suicide camps for children aged from seven to 17 – the first of its kind seen in Australia .
The camps will be run by mental health charity Feel The Magic and will focus on helping kids come to terms with the effects of suicide . ■
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