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UNIT DETAILS
Office use only
Unit name Public Policy in Australia Class day/time Thurs/10:30
Unit code POL30010 Assignment no. 2 Due date 30/09/2019
Name of lecturer/teacher James Murphy
Tutor/marker’s name James Murphy Faculty or school date stamp

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Mannix Isobelle 101585579
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Copies of this form can be downloaded from the Student Forms web page at www.swinburne.edu.au/studentforms/ PAGE 1 OF 1
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS PAPER

Isobelle Mannix (101585579)

Public Policy in Australia (POL30010)

Tutor: James Murphy

Swinburne University of Technology

30th September 2019 (midnight)

Word Count: 820 (750 +/- 10%)

 1

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS PAPER

Bullying in Victorian schools is at epidemic levels. The ramifications of this are

death, poor performance and development, health problems and billions of dollars

spent on cleaning up the impact of bullying (Tomazin 2010). Change is necessary

because so far little has worked. Past responses to bullying have been restricted by

people with vested interests in maintaining the status quo, independence from

government and a research-centric solution from the Victorian Government (ACBPS

2017, p. 182).

Bullying is a difficult topic to have a range in stakeholder positions. Therefore,

stakeholders have been grouped into sector categories. Their position, power,

engagement, response to change and coalition potential will be evaluated. ‘Parents’

as a stakeholder have been excluded as they have no established representative

bodies and little voice in coverage of the issue.

Table 1: Stakeholders in Bullying Reform in Victorian Schools.

Stakeholder Likely position on Level of power or Level of Strategies likely Coalition potential
issue influence engagement with to adopt in
issue response to
proposed
changes
Victorian Andrews’ Ability to set reform High by budget Changing laws for Minor parties and
Government Government for and decide funding allocations to anti- harsher penalties independents
increase in punitive bullying policy (Cook 2019)
measures (Cook Decides which (Urban 2019) Political party anti-
2019) schools get Imposing further bullying charities
registered and Tendency to deflect standard and
Opposition for delisted (DET specific actions up restrictions on State and territory
generalised anti- 2019) to schools (DET schools for program
bullying program 2019) registration cooperatives
rather than type-
specific (Cook
2018)
Health Schools are Have a high level of Beside policy Bullying Working with in-
Professionals responsible for responsibility more support and intervention should house school
teaching social and than power or recommendations, automatically be psychologists and
academic skills influence can only intervene implemented for doctors to enforce
(Merrell & Isava with bullying when students with whole-school anti-
2008, p. 26) Can treat all sides clients come to illness or bullying programs
of the issue (bully, them, like The oppression
Whole school bullied, parents, Royal Children’s (RACGP 2019)
responses are key staff) Hospital
(Vreeman & Carroll
2007, p. 78)
Law Enforcement Upholding law is Bleed into Overburdened with Increased penalties Legally should be
the priority, executive power number of civil for bullying require working with
therefore correct such as by claims against more court times schools, educators
reporting of bullying reporting schools to schools for bullying and resources to and health
is necessary registration body (Tomazin 2010) keep up with professionals
who fail to address current and regarding
Grey area bullying (Youthlaw Only engaged if grandfathering ‘mandatory
considering when 2018) contacted (e.g. cases (Tomazin, reporting’ laws
children are old reporting crime, Cuthbertson &
enough to commit Difficult to establish compensation Vedelago 2019)
crimes liability for bullying claims)
with private and
religious schools
being private
businesses
Faith Leaders Schools should not Questionable given Will focus more on Create own More obvious to
assume prime negligence and independence than ‘independent’ Safe stay with own sort
responsibility for failures to protect conforming with Schools (Nicholas in Catholic school
discipline over children as found in government 2017) networks over
parents (CECV the Royal standards (see to government
2019) Commission into Faith Leaders – Religious programs
Institutional Strategies) exemptions to
Responses to Child refuse gay and
Sexual Abuse transgender
(2013) students (HRLC
2018)
Corporate & Bullying measures Wealthiest and Reporting on Oppose state-wide Group with
Business could impede on greatest reach of all bullying and bans on mobile conservative
freedom of social stakeholders education debates phones in schools bodies wishing to
networking sites sells papers as this could oppose bullying
decrease goods bans and
Opportunities for Private and sales restrictions that
goods supply, such religious schools could adversely
as phone-ban are classed as impact business or
storage facilities businesses sign delivery
(Johnston 2019) contracts with
government
Educators Teachers need Labour power Professional and Students must be Partner charities
help to develop possible given legal responsibility taught to self- and community
professionally to strike history in require a high level manage bullying groups could
deal with bullying Victoria of engagement, (Ison 2019) provide the best
(Australian negligence claims resource support
Education Union in demonstrate this Need to be a larger rather than waiting
Jenkins 2011) engagement not allocation of for lacking
occurring resources to rural government-
Victoria (Bennett allocated resources
2019) (AEU 2018)

Students High reported Small power beside Will depend on Unpredictable – Working with Safe
instances of research what suits current may resist harsh Schools and
bullying, especially participation as social trends and changes or community groups
racial and there is no whether bullying embrace welcomed as they advocate
transphobic established student responses are a participation in for students more
bullying (Grieve unifying body or loss or punishment response to so than other
2019; Taylor 2019) representative in bullying groups
government
Charities & Bullying is a Empowered by Engagement is Government Working with other
Community Groups national concern donations and substantial but the funding and community groups
among young endorsements from quality of this endorsement to and professional
people (Mission government and besides surveys create more organisations to
Australia 2017) other organisations and campaigns resources to stop lobby government
like the RACGP does little in the bullying (Urban for change besides
Warning signs of face of what 2019) party affiliations
bullying going Examples include stakeholders closer
unnoticed (National Alannah & to the issue can do Every school’s
Centre Against Madeleine (e.g. teachers, bullying policy
Bullying in David & Foundation, government, should be made in
Flack 2019) Headspace, and students) consultation with
Kids Helpline parents and
students
(Headspace 2011)
 9

REFERENCES

Australian Education Union 2018, ‘Press Release: Vic Liberals mislead on bullying

for quick headlines’, Australian Education Union Victoria, viewed 29

September 2019, <https://www.aeuvic.asn.au/vic-liberals-mislead-bullying-

quick-headlines>.

Bennett, J 2019, ‘Shepparton students at greater risk: union’, Shepparton News, 9

September.

Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd 2019, ‘Your child’s health, wellbeing

and safety’, Parent Handbook Primary,

Child Health Promotion Research Centre 2017, The Australian Covert Bullying

Prevalence Study (ACBPS): Results of a quantitative survey of students and

staff, Edith Cowan University, viewed 28 August 2019,

<https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/australian_covert_bullyi

ng_prevalence_study_chapter_5.pdf>.

Cook, H 2017, ‘Catholic schools to launch plan to fight homophobia’, The Age, 1

June.

Cook, H 2018, ‘Libs vow to teach values’, The Age, 24 January.

Cook, H 2019, ‘Bullied students’ pathway to sue’, The Age, 26 April.

David, R & Flack, M 2019, ‘Bullying’s painful impact’, Sunbury Leader, 19 March.

Department of Education and Training 2019, ‘Bullying’, State Government of Victoria,

viewed 28 September 2019,

 10

<https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/safety/Pages/bullyin

g.aspx>.

Grieve, C 2019, ‘’Behind every number is a student’: survey find widespread racism

in schools’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 August.

Headspace 2011, ‘Position Paper – bullying and cyber-bullying’, Headspace, viewed

29 September, <https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Corporate/Bullying-

Position-Paper.pdf>.

Human Rights Law Centre 2018, ‘Discrimination in faith-based schools should go’,

Human Rights Law Centre, 27 November, viewed 29 September 2019,

<https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2018/11/27/discrimination-in-faith-based-

schools-should-go>.

Ison, S 2019, ‘Class phone ban a no-brainer’, The West Australian, 14 September.

Jenkins, M 2011, ‘VIC: Teachers lack training to handle bullying’, AAP, 12 April.

Johnston, M 2019, ‘How Victoria’s school phone ban will work’, Herald Sun, 26

August.

Merrell, K & Isava, M 2008, ‘How effective are school bullying intervention

programs? A meta-analysis of intervention research’, School Psychology

Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 26-42.

Mission Australia 2017, ‘Youth Survey Report 2017’, Mission Australia, viewed 29

September 2019, <https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/youth-

survey/746-youth-survey-2017-report/file>.
 11

Nicholas, 2017, ‘Catholic schools’ ‘alternative’ to Safe Schools isn’t al that

alternative’, The Conversation, 2 June, viewed 29 September 2019,

<https://theconversation.com/catholic-schools-alternative-to-safe-schools-isnt-

all-that-alternative-78744>.

Taylor, J 2019, ‘How children became the target in a right-wing culture war over

gender’, The Guardian, 25 August.

Tomazin, F 2010, ‘School bullying and injuries cost state millions’, The Age, 29

March, <https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/school-bullying-and-

injuries-cost-state-millions-20100328-r55a.html>.

Tomazin, F, Cuthbertson, D & Vedelago, C 2019, ‘Spike in claims against Church

prompts calls for Andrews to intervene’, The Age, 29 September.

Urban, R 2019, ‘Kids winners as $2.8bn pledged for schools’, The Australian, 28

May.

Vreeman, R & Carroll, A 2007, ‘A systematic review of school-based interventions to

prevent bullying’, Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, vol. 161,

no. 1, pp. 78-88.

Youthlaw 2018, ‘Bullying at school’, Youthlaw: Young People’s Legal Rights Centre

Inc., viewed 29 September 2019, <https://youthlaw.asn.au/learn-about-the-

law/bullying-at-school/>.