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Amelie Grivell (This was her Year 9 Community Project topic). amelie.grivell@encounter.sa.edu.au

Mrs Reid: Leah.reid@encounter.sa.edu.au

-find out the actions she takes to travel sustainably

Interview local tourist providers (where do they see the great negative impacts locally? What changes do they see are required?

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Sustainable Tourism - Corporate - Tourism Australia

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Tourism Australia (TA) is the Australian Government agency responsible for growing demand for Australia as a tourism destination, both in Australia and overseas. Our corporate purpose, as laid down in the Tourism Australia Act 2004, is to grow demand and foster a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.

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There are many terms that float around that may sound similar but actually refer to something distinct.

Definition of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry. It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It aims to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive ones.

Negative impacts to a destination include economic leakage, damage to the natural environment and overcrowding to name a few.

Positive impacts to a destination include job creation, cultural heritage preservation and interpretation, wildlife preservation landscape restoration, and more.

Sustainable tourism is defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as "tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities."

Additionally, they say that sustainable tourism "refers to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability" ( UNEP & UNWTO, 2005: 11-12. Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy Makers).

Definition of Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas. The term emerged in the late 1980s.

Fennell described it as such: "Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-consumptive, and locally-oriented. It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to the conservation or preservation of such areas" (Fennell, 1999: 43. Ecotourism: An Introduction).

The Mohonk Agreement (2000), a proposal for international certification of Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism, saw ecotourism as "sustainable tourism with a natural area focus, which benefits the environment and communities visited, and fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and awareness."

The ecotourism definition by the Global Ecotourism Network (GEN): "Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (visitors, staff and the visited)."

Definitions of Responsible Travel

Responsible Travel refers to the behavior of individual travelers aspiring to make choices according to sustainable tourism practices. The behaviors usually align with minimizing the negative impacts and maximizing positive ones when one visits a tourism destination.

Travelers that want to learn more about how to be a responsible traveler can visit the section on the GSTC website For Travelers.

Summary of the difference between Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism, and Responsible Travel

Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas.

Sustainable Tourism does not refer to a specific type of tourism, rather it is an aspiration for the impacts of all forms of tourism to be sustainable for generations to come.

Responsible Travel is a term referring to the behavior and style of individual travelers. The behaviors align with making a positive impact to the destination rather than negative ones.

Sustainable Tourism and the GSTC Criteria

The GSTC Criteria serve as the global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising. They're used for policy-making, measurement and evaluation reasons and as a basis for certification.

They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. They are categorized in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; (D) Environmental impacts.

These standards were built on decades of prior work from industry experts around the globe. During the process of development, they were widely consulted in both developed and developing countries. They reflect our goal in attaining a global consensus on sustainable tourism.

The process of developing the Criteria was designed to adhere to the standards-setting code of the ISEAL Alliance. The ISEAL Alliance is the international body providing guidance for the management of sustainability standards in all sectors. That code is informed by relevant ISO standards.

Finally, the GSTC Criteria are the starting goals that businesses, governments, and destinations should achieve. Tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws. Therefore, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.

There are two sets of Criteria

Learn more about Sustainable Tourism

Reading one article is not enough. The GSTC website offers those interested in learning more about sustainable tourism the needed resources. Make sure you visit the relevant pages for you:

1. GSTC Industry Criteria = relates to the sustainable management of private sector travel industry, focusing currently on Hotels and Tour Operators.

2. GSTC Destination Criteria = relates to sustainable management of Tourism Destinations.

You can also join one of the regular GSTC courses:

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What is Sustainable Tourism? There are many terms that float around that may sound similar but actually refer to something distinct. Definition of Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry. It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both

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What is sustainable tourism? Why sustainable tourism management is so important

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5 Examples Of Sustainable Tourism Around The World

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*maturity required (language)

*what can you learn from this perspective?

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5 Examples Of Sustainable Tourism Around The World

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Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure schools support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer, questioning and asexual (LGBTIQA+) students.

Summary

It is unlawful under state and federal laws to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

Schools must take reasonable steps to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex, gender and sexuality.

Schools should ensure that their policies, practices and activities are inclusive and take positive action to eliminate discrimination or harassment of students on the basis of their sex, gender or sexuality.

Schools must work with students affirming their gender identity to prepare and implement a student support plan.

Details

Schools must take reasonable steps to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex, gender and sexuality. The department requires schools to support LGBTIQA+ students by:

providing a positive, supportive and respectful environment

respecting privacy and confidentiality in relation to all students

supporting students who want to affirm or transition gender identity at school

challenging all forms of homophobia and transphobia to prevent discrimination and bullying

giving proper consideration to the impact of any requirement to participate in school activities according to gender identity or an assumption of heterosexuality (for example, school formals, sports activities, camps)

inviting the young person and a family representative/carer to be part of the formulation of a school management plan (in cases where the student is a mature minor, refer to ).

Schools should:

ensure that their policies, practices and activities are inclusive and do not have the effect of treating any student adversely because of their sex, gender or sexuality

take positive action to eliminate discrimination or harassment of students on the basis of their sex, gender or sexuality.

For free staff professional development, resources, tailored support, planning, and further guidance on how to actively and positively support LGBTIQA+ students - refer to the site for contact details.

Gender affirmation student support plans

Schools must work with students affirming their gender identity to prepare and implement a student support plan.

The plan should be developed in consultation with the student and their parents or carers, where possible, and should be reviewed periodically to ensure that it reflects the needs of the student at the different stages of their transition, and at the different stages of their education.

It is important that the student is at the centre of creating their own support plan, and consulted in all decision making. In preparing the plan, the school should consider the following:

catering to the students' affirmed gender identity

that the support plan reflects this policy

adopting a common sense approach

developing the support plan over staggered sessions to allow time for trialling and opportunities for adjustments to occur

the best timing to undertake a gender affirmation process, such as term break

maintaining appropriate privacy and confidentiality - consider the privacy of the student, and only share information to those who have an appropriate reason to know. In consultation with the student and family, determine whether key staff members, such as a student welfare coordinator or the physical education teacher, need to be advised in order to effectively support or teach the student. Make a list of the names of staff members who know of the gender identity change.

the referencing of and recording of student's affirmed name, gender identity, and pronouns (he, she, they and so on)

the use of toilets, showers and change rooms that meet the needs of the student. This should be based on the student's gender identity and whichever facilities they will feel most comfortable using. Students without a disability should not be required to use disabled toilets or facilities

the appropriate uniform that reflects the gender identity of the student and meets the school's dress or uniform code

developing a communications plan that includes what information staff members and other students need to know to best support the student

make plans to address potential community concerns, ensuring students' right to privacy is maintained

providing support to staff through professional learning and briefings on the arrangements for the student where appropriate

updating school policies to include support for transgender and gender diverse students and responses to transphobic bullying

consider scheduling regular student support groups to support, guide and monitor the student's progress

Note: a letter from a gender identity specialist may be requested by the school to support them in developing the plan. This letter is not a conditional requirement for the school in providing support to the student, but it may help to ensure that schools can adequately discharge their duty of care to a student by planning appropriately. Gender identity specialists are available through Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Medical Centre.

Parental consent

There may be circumstances in which students wish or need to undertake gender transition without the consent of their parent/s (or carer/s), and/or without consulting medical practitioners.

If no agreement can be reached between the student and the parent/s regarding the student's gender identity, or if the parent/s will not consent to the contents of a student support plan, it will be necessary for the school to consider whether the student is a mature minor.

If a student is considered a mature minor they can make decisions for themselves without parental consent and should be affirmed in their gender identity at school without a family representative/carer participating in formulating the school management plan.

Department policy addresses situations in which students, though under the age of 18 years, may be sufficiently mature to make their own decisions, (refer to ).

Legal considerations

It is unlawful under state and federal laws to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

Anti-discrimination laws:

require schools to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status, including by taking positive steps to promote an inclusive school environment

prohibit direct and indirect discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

Direct discrimination occurs when a person treats a person with a protected attribute (such as a gender identity, intersex status or sexual orientation) unfavourably because of that attribute. Direct discrimination may occur if the school denies or limits any access to any benefit provided by the school or subjects the student to any other detriment. For example, excluding a transgender student from using the toilet that matches their gender because of the sex they were assigned at birth, may limit or deny that student's access to the benefit.

Indirect discrimination occurs where a requirement, condition or practice is applied to all students equally but its application is likely to have the effect of disadvantaging students with a protected attribute (such as gender identity, intersex status or sexual orientation), and it is not reasonable. For example, it might be indirect discrimination for a school to apply a uniform policy with only 'male' and 'female' options to all students equally without regard to a student's gender identity. The result of that policy might be a student with a non-binary identity would be required to wear the uniform of their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity, and the requirement to do so is unreasonable.

Definitions

Lesbian
A woman who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to other women.

Gay
A person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of the same sex and/or gender as themselves. This term is often used to describe men who are attracted to other men, but some women and gender diverse people may describe themselves as gay.

Bisexual
A person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of their own gender and other genders.

Transgender
A person who's gender does not exclusively align with their sex assignment at birth.

Gender diversity
Gender diversity refers to a range of gender expressions and identities. This term includes those who may identify as transgender, gender diverse, gender-fluid, or who otherwise feel that their gender identity does not align with the sex assigned to them at birth and/or society's expectations of gender.

Intersex
Intersex means the status of having physical, hormonal or genetic features that are:

neither wholly female nor wholly male or

a combination of female and male or

neither female nor male.

Being intersex is about biological variations, not about a person's gender identity. People with intersex variations share the same range of sexual orientation and gender identities as people with no intersex variations.

Queer
An umbrella term for diverse genders and sexualities.

Questioning
A person who is still exploring or questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation, or doesn't want to be locked into a label.

Gender identity
Gender identity is defined in legislation as meaning the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of a person (whether by way of medical intervention or not) with or without regard to the person's assigned sex at birth.

Gender transition/affirmation
Gender transition/affirmation refers to the process whereby a transgender or gender diverse person socially and/or medically affirms their gender identity. There is no single moment of gender affirmation; it is an ongoing and individual process which may or may not involve medical support.

Sexual diversity
Sexual diversity refers to a diverse range of different sexualities, identities, and romantic or sexual attractions. This term includes those who may identify as same sex attracted, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning or who may use other terms.

Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is defined in legislation as meaning a person's sexual orientation towards:

persons of the same sex or

persons of a different sex or

persons of the same sex and persons of a different sex.

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Embrace: Kids (2022) ⭐ 5.6 | Documentary

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Use the links to explore how people can be proactive

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Guides

The following guides have been developed based on the recommendations of young people throughout this report. They have been designed to help those who work and interact with LGBTQIA+ young people to create a safe, supportive environment. We encourage you to use them and share them with others to build support for LGBTQIA+ young people.
Download How to support LGBTQIA+ young people in education 2022 Download How to support LGBTQIA+ young people in health services 2022 Download How to support LGBTQIA+ young people in your community 2022 Download How to support LGBTQIA+ young people in your workplace 2022

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Office of the Advocate for Children & Young People

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The following guides have been developed based on the recommendations of young people throughout this report. They have been designed to help those who work and interact with LGBTQIA+ young people to create a safe, supportive environment. We encourage you to use them and share them with others to build support for LGBTQIA+ young people.

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Why is online gaming so addictive?

Most online games are designed to keep you hooked or might meet some needs that you're not getting in real life. Some things games do to keep you hooked or meet your needs include:

Rewarding you for playing

Helping you to relax or have fun

Connecting you to a community

Making you feel part of a team

Helping you cope with problems

Giving you a sense of belonging

Creating a unique identity or profile

Helping you dull emotional or physical pain

Giving you a sense of achievement or success

Providing you with a purpose or goals to work towards

Giving you an escape from stress or issues in your life

Creating an environment where you feel safe and in control

Giving you the thrill of being in a fantasy world or a part of a complex story

Allowing in-game purchases to keep you online or to give you an advantage so you keep playing

What are the warning signs?

Some signs that your gaming might become a problem are:

Playing even though you're no longer enjoying it

Not being able to quit or play less, even when you want to

Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel good

Continuing to play even though it's causing you problems

Having problems at school, home or work because of your gaming

Feeling unable to focus on other activities when you're not gaming

Using gaming to forget or cope with problems or negative feelings

Lying to people close to you about how much time you spend playing

Feeling sad, angry, moody, anxious or irritable when you can't play

Having problems or arguments with family, friends, or your partner

Thinking about gaming all the time, even when you're not playing

Having lost friends, a job or a school opportunity because of gaming

Losing interest or not wanting to do other things that you used to enjoy or like

Craving more time to play to get game items, make progress or improve your status

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Worried that your online gaming is becoming a problem? Here's what you need to know about gaming addiction.

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Did you know that gaming addiction is now classified as a disease by the world health organisation? Video game disorder or game addiction is real as it affects 67% of Australians of all ages. The International Classification of Diseases and Health-Related Problems (ICDHRP) classified game disorder as a disease that will be adopted in 2022. With this, you can easily identify the gaming addiction in your friend or loved one.

For a free consultation about video games addiction treatment in Perth, reach out to Energetics Institute!

What is Gaming Addiction

According to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the world health organization, video game addictions are defined as the pattern of digital or video gaming that is characterised by impaired control over gaming. A person with game disorder gives priority to gaming over activities that can result in social and educational impairment and drastic changes in other aspects of life.

However, there have been studies that suggest gaming addictions affect only a small fraction of digital and video gamers including young people. It is important to be aware of the symptoms of such a condition for you to seek treatment on time and achieve a favourable treatment result.

What are the Symptoms of Gaming Addiction

why are video games addictive? In most cases, it could be hard to identify video game addiction symptoms as it may look like someone is just passionate about his/her hobby - video games. Here are a few signs of game disorder that you should watch out for:

Excessive playing games (including online games)

Feeling frustrated and disappointed if you can't play

Spending too much time playing to make you feel good about yourself

You do not want to quit playing nor play less.

Change of habit due to gaming

Feeling distracted at work, school, or home due to gaming

You play to ease your mood and feelings

Lying about how much you spend time playing

Mental health-related issues

There is nothing wrong with someone who likes to play video games, however, if your loved one is exhibiting these signs and symptoms of game addiction, convince them to see a therapist NOW. Prolong addiction entails a long treatment process and mild addiction can be easier to cure.

What Causes Video Game Addiction

According to the world health organisation, the cause of game addiction is unknown. However, experts believe that when you are playing video games it increases dopamine in your brain. While the dopamine level increases, the gaming impulse increases, as well. It is the action of playing that satisfies a game addict. It is also believed that people with personality disorders and disabilities are more prone to game addiction.

Video games and online games are designed for you to get challenged and hooked to them. Video game designers spent a lot of time conceptualizing how they can create addictive digital or video games as it is their way of generating money.

Types of Gaming Addiction Help

There are different types of gaming addiction help such as medication and therapy. Combined medication and therapy is the most effective game addiction help. However, you should be aware of the side effects and be able to handle them well.

Additionally, you should also know that recovery from a video games addiction is not easy. Remember that your first aim is to overcome the urge of wanting to play a game. You should also learn to recognise the game addiction symptoms, understand your condition, and aim for a full recovery.
The bottom line...
Self-assessment is an effective way of diagnosing yourself for game addiction. If you think that you or your loved ones are exhibiting the symptoms of game addiction, encourage them or yourself to minimise playtime or seek medical help for gaming addiction treatment so your overall mental health will improve.

Contact Energetics Institute for addiction counselling in Perth!

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What Should you Know about Gaming Addiction? Did you know that gaming addiction is now classified as a disease by the world health organisation? Video game disorder or game addiction is real as it affects 67% of Australians of all ages. The International Classification of Diseases and Health-Related Problems (ICDHRP) classified game disorder as a ...

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Warning signs include sleep problems, difficulty completing homework and social isolation

More than half of GPs have seen at least one, and often several, patients in the last month who are exhibiting signs of excessive game use, from disturbed sleep to school struggles to social isolation and even aggression and violence, a Healthed survey of more than 1700 doctors indicates.

Video game addiction, overuse and related behavioural issues are more common than you might think. Macquarie University research found 3% of Australian kids can be classified as having a gaming disorder, and 10% fall into a hazardous category. The figures are in line with other Western countries, particularly for children aged between 10 and 16 years old.

In Healthed's survey, 52% of GPs had seen one of more patients experiencing problematic effects of too much gaming, and 8% had seen six or more, in the past month.

And it's not just kids who are gaming to excess-14% of GPs said the problem was often reported by the person's partner, suggesting that some adults are getting caught in the tech industry's sticky web.

People who excessively game are withdrawing socially and from their families, and experiencing disturbed sleep and impacted academic performance, more than 60% of surveyed GPs reported.

Weight problems and antisocial behaviour were also commonly cited. More than a third of GPs had seen patients who exhibit violent or aggressive behaviour, which they believed resulted from excessive gaming. And more than one in five had patients who were gaming so much it impacted on their ability to hold down a job or contributed to financial difficulties.
How to assess for 'problem gaming'
Brad Marshall, a psychologist and director of the Screens and Gaming Disorder Clinic in Sydney, says in his experience sleep disturbance is the key warning sign, and he has some tips for determining changes in social activity and academic performance among kids.

"Reduced social activity is tricky to gauge, given adolescents spend significant time socialising online. I half joke to parents that in the last holidays, if your teenage son or daughter didn't leave the room and your social life was more interactive than theirs, then that's a warning sign," Marshall says.

"For academic performance, what I encourage GPs and clinicians to do is to not screen for a drop in overall marks, but to look for issues with completing homework, and especially assessments."

Marshall says the IGDT-10 screening tool is a good start for assessing patients. As it can be quite clinical, he layers more parent-friendly questions on top.

Psychiatrist Dr Kim Le uses the WHO criteria for gaming disorder, which characterises a lack of control, prioritisation of gaming over other activities, and continued gaming despite negative consequences.

"Ask how much time they're spending in games over a week. If the hours are similar to a full time job, that is excessive gaming," says Dr Le.

A crucial factor to keep in mind is comorbidity. Singapore's National Addiction Clinic, where Dr Le spent time working, showed that 42% of teenagers who game excessively had a previous mental heath diagnosis, most commonly ADHD.

"Even before video games were invented, young people suffered from social phobia. Throw in a pandemic and a diagnosis of autism or ADHD, and young people will want to escape those distressing feelings," he says.

"I get the diagnosis and understanding right first. It's only really if they have comorbid major depression, generalised anxiety disorder, ADHD, or autism that I would consider medication. If they are young, I'm quite conservative about starting medication."
Parents need to set limits
The Healthed survey also found that in most cases GPs see a parent of the person with a problem, but 29% typically see the person themself, and 14% typically see the person's partner.

When parents come in on their own, it's important to first help them understand that their child's behaviour isn't a personal attack.

"About 3% of Australian kids qualify for this disorder. Do they know that's 120,000 kids? And how these games are made to be addictive?" Marshall asks.

"It takes the onus away from 'you have a child who is being nasty to you and hates you', to 'you have a child who needs help because they are being preyed on by the tech industry'. That's a powerful first step."

"The next step is about how to put healthy boundaries around tech use in place in the home, like limiting mobile data on their mobile phone and managing the home WiFi better. Taking away a phone or Xbox in isolation doesn't work, and screen time apps can be hacked by tech savvy kids."

Dr Kimberley O'Brien, a child psychologist, says discussions around limiting access can provoke a negative and sometimes violent response, but a negotiation can always be reached.

"I encourage parents to set time for gaming. Maybe just Friday afternoons or Sunday afternoons after the weekend has been enjoyed outdoors or with family," Dr O'Brien says.

"We try to fill the gaps from gaming with lots of structure. After six weeks, if a patient has not been gaming, you see all those lovely social skills coming back. So we know it works when they push through the withdrawal."

Dr Le says consulting with the parent first can help to avoid a situation where they shame or berate the child, and can also provide a more objective picture of the extent of the problem.

Dr Le also consults a number of 'Warcraft widows' at his private practice.

"The partner feels like they're doing all the housework and there's lack of intimacy. They'll give the person gaming an ultimatum: choose the game or me. Often people cannot see that the game is actually causing a wedge between them and their partners," he says.
A problem that is not going away
"It's become normalised to game every day and game quite excessively," says Dr Le.

"In Asian cultures, it gets picked up a lot earlier because there's a higher focus on academic performance, but in Australia, there's not as much emphasis on performance. So people aren't coming for help. They're seeking help for other things, like school refusal or anxiety or ADHD."

"By the time they come to me, the parents have tried every strategy under the sun. It's really by chance or by the clinician being aware of the problem and referring on."

At Dr O'Brien's Quirky Kid clinic, behavioural issues related to gaming and screen time are the second most common referral, after anxiety-related issues.

"I think it's more common than parents would like to admit and is underreported because of the stigma associated with gaming," she says.

"When we're doing all the background checks with parents, it's about 45 minutes in where they'll say the child has got some pretty serious screen withdrawal symptoms. Parents need to have a significant amount of trust before they'll share those details with a GP. We need to normalise the problem and make more help available."
What's next?
Brad Marshall and Associate Professor Wayne Warburton of Macquarie University are trialling a new parent and child friendly screening tool for gaming disorder that they hope will supersede the IGDT-10. Marshall anticipates it will become available in around 12 months.

They are also running a trial involving 2,500 school kids, the largest trial to date, to determine the degree of the problem in Australia since the pandemic. Results will be made available later this year.

"What we're going to see is some pretty astronomical average screen use per day," Marshall says.

Results from a three-month intervention program to reduce gaming time in Australian teens will also be available later this year. Associate Professor Warburton is overseeing the program, which is based on German research. He and the program were recently featured on Australian Story.

Survey conception and design - Dr Ramesh Manocha

Writing and reporting -Ben Falkenmire

Survey analysis and visualisation - Yasmin Clarke

Editing - Lynnette Hoffman

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Video game addiction a major issue - Healthed

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Warning signs include sleep problems, difficulty completing homework and social isolation

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Australia’s ‘Hidden Population’ of Gaming Addicts - BTN High

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Why 1 in 10 Aussie Kids Are Addicted to Games

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What is bullying? - National Definition of Bullying

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Anti-Bullying Alliance Definition of Bullying

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If you are being bullied and need support, it is important that you read this factsheet and go to the Get Help section. If you know or see someone being bullied go to the Supportive Bystander Fact Sheet to find out how to help them.

What is bullying?

Bullying is when people repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually done by people who have more influence or power over someone else, or who want to make someone else feel less powerful or helpless.

Bullying is not the same as conflict between people (like having a fight) or disliking someone, even though people might bully each other because of conflict or dislike.

The sort of repeated behaviour that can be considered bullying includes:

Keeping someone out of a group (online or offline)

Acting in an unpleasant way near or towards someone

Giving nasty looks, making rude gestures, calling names, being rude and impolite, and constantly negative teasing.

Spreading rumours or lies, or misrepresenting someone (i.e. using their Facebook account to post messages as if it were them)

Mucking about that goes too far

Harassing someone based on their race, sex, religion, gender or a disability

Intentionally and repeatedly hurting someone physically

Intentionally stalking someone

Taking advantage of any power over someone else like a Prefect or a Student Representative.

Bullying can happen anywhere. It can be in schools, at home, at work, in online social spaces, via text messaging or via email. It can be physical, verbal, emotional, and it also includes messages, public statements and behaviour online intended to cause distress or harm (also known as cyberbullying). But no matter what form bullying takes, the results can be the same: severe distress and pain for the person being bullied.

Types of bullying

Face-to-face bullying (sometimes referred to as direct bullying) involves physical actions such as punching or kicking or direct verbal actions such as name-calling and insulting.

Covert bullying (sometimes referred to as indirect bullying) is less direct, but just as painful. It means bullying which isn't easily seen by others and is conducted out of sight, such as excluding people from groups or spreading lies or rumours. Because it is less obvious, it is often unacknowledged by adults.

Cyberbullying occurs through the use of information or communication technologies such Instant Messaging or chat, text messages, email and social networking sites or forums. It has many similarities with offline bullying, but it can also be anonymous, it can reach a wide audience, and sent or uploaded material can be difficult to remove. Most people who cyberbully also bully off-line.

How can bullying affect you?

Bullying affects everyone in different ways. But there are common feelings that come up when you are being bullied.

How bullying can affect individuals:

Feeling guilty like it is your fault

Feeling hopeless and stuck like you can't get out of the situation

Feeling alone, like there is no one to help you

Feeling like you don't fit in with the cool group

Feeling depressed and rejected by your friends and other groups of people

Feeling unsafe and afraid

Feeling confused and stressed out wondering what to do and why this is happening to you

Feeling ashamed that this is happening to you

How bullying can affect other people:

Bullying can have a negative impact on everyone - it is not just a problem for victims and bullies. If you see or know of others been bullied you may feel angry, fearful, guilty, and sad.

You may feel as bad as those who are being bullied.

You may also feel worried that the bullying could happen to you.

When bullying isn't stopped or challenged by anyone it can create an environment where bullying is accepted and where everyone feels powerless to stop it.

Know your rights

You have a right to feel safe and to be treated fairly and respectfully. Bullying is a serious problem with serious mental and physical impacts. Bullying can violate many of your human rights including:

your right to be free from mental, emotional and physical violence

your right to education

your right to a safe work environment

For more information about your rights go to the Know Your Rights Fact Sheet.

Why do people bully others?

People bully for different reasons. Those who bully persistently are likely to do so in order to dominate others and improve their social status. They may have high self esteem, show little regret for their bullying behaviour and not see bullying as morally wrong.

Other people may bully out of anger or frustration, they may struggle socially and coul d have also been victims of bullying.

What can you do to stop bullies?

If you know or see someone who is being bullied, access our Supportive Bystander Fact Sheet.

If you are being bullied, you should talk to someone you know well and trust; they will give you much needed support and will often have suggestions you hadn't considered for helping with the situation.

You might feel more comfortable taking a friend with you to talk to the bully or when seeking help. If you feel you might get too nervous to speak, write down what you'd like to say on paper or in an email.

If you feel safe and confident, you should approach the person who is bullying you and tell them that their behaviour is unwanted and not acceptable.

If you are being bullied while at school, it is a good idea to seek help from a friend, or to talk to a teacher or counsellor to see if they can help.

If you are being bullied at work, check out our Workplace Bullying Fact Sheet.

Getting help

If you have been bullied or witnessed others been bullied:

Further reading
This Violence, Harassment and Bullying fact sheet was developed in partnership with the ReachOut.com, 2011

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Violence, harassment and bullying fact sheet. Recognise bullying, its impact, and how to seek help. Understand your rights and responsibilities.

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US Department of Health and Human Services

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Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)

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Bullying can negatively impact mental health and well-being.

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This website uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best user experience. If you choose to continue using this website, you agree to our use of cookies.

Although there are three main groups that are affected by bullying behaviour - tthose who are bullied, those who display bullying behaviour and the bystanders who see it happen, bullying behaviour encompasses and affects the entire school community, families and friendship groups.

Bullying behaviour creates a culture of fear and has a negative impact on everyone involved. Being bullied can seriously affect a person's physical, emotional, academic and social well-being. Many sufferers of bullying lack confidence, feel bad about themselves, have few friends and spend a lot of time alone.

Being bullied is hurtful and stressful and is something many people find it hard to speak about. Those who are bullied continually ask, why me? They may feel ashamed and embarrassed that is happening to them.

Bullying behaviour can have devastating effects on a person which can last into adulthood. At its worst, being bullied has driven children and young people to self-harm and even suicide.

Effects of Bullying on the Bullied

Those who are bullied may:

Feel disconnected from school and not want to attend

Have lower academic outcomes, including lower attendance

Lack quality friendships at school

Display high levels of emotion that indicate vulnerability and low levels of resilience

Avoid conflict and be socially withdrawn

Have low self-esteem

Become depressed, anxious and lonely

Have nightmares

Feel wary or suspicious of others

In extreme cases, have a higher risk of self-harm and/or suicide

Effects of Bullying on those who display bullying behaviour

People who display bullying behaviour towards others may:

Display high levels of aggressive behaviour which can impact on their future

Struggle to develop and maintain effective relationships

Have difficulty integrating into education settings or the workplace

Have low self-esteem

Have difficulty understanding boundaries and limits

Effects of Bullying on Bystanders

Those who witness bullying behaviour may:

Be reluctant to attend school

Feel fearful, scared and guilty for not doing anything

Experience pressure to participate in the bullying

Become anxious and worried

Need to talk?

If you are being bullied or are concerned about someone who is, you can receive help and support from one of our trained Mentors through our e-mentoring service.

If you would like a Mentor to email you, please contact: mentorsonline@bulliesout.com

If you would rather speak to someone over the telephone, you can call Childline on: 0800 1111

For any community-related issues, such as anti-social behaviour, we would suggest contacting your landlord, the local police or your local environmental health department (where applicable), as we are unable to deal with these types of complaints.

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This website uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best user experience. If you choose to continue using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. Although there are three main groups that are affected by bullying behaviour - tthose who are bullied, those who display bullying behaviour and the bystanders who see it happen, bullying behaviour encompasses and affects the entire school community, families and friendship groups.

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Bullying. No Way! provides trustworthy and practical information about bullying for educators, families and young people. Bullying. No Way! is the trusted government source of quality resources for creating safe and supportive learning environments.

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Posted by RICHARD TINKER

Referees play a critical role in maintaining fair play and sportsmanship in all athletic competitions. It is imperative that we create an environment where all individuals involved in sports, regardless of the sport they participate in, feel comfortable and respected. Unfortunately, instances of referee abuse and disrespectful behaviour are not uncommon, making it essential to address this issue across all sports.

Did you know? Basketball Victoria just started:
"IF THEIR WHISTLE IS GREEN, THEY ARE UNDER 18"

Introducing the Concept of Green Whistles for Refs under 18 years of age.

Inspired by the successful initiative by Basketball Victoria - - we believe that implementing a concept like the "Green Whistle" can be a significant step in the right direction to promote respect for referees in all sports. The Green Whistle serves as a symbol of our commitment to providing a supportive environment for young referees under the age of 18.

Recognising Young Referees

In every sport, we expect that all referees are treated with respect and courtesy. However, we acknowledge that it is particularly crucial to behave appropriately around referees who are children or teenagers. It's often challenging to discern the age of a referee solely by appearance or judging their abilities, which is why we have introduced the Green Whistle as a simple identifier to protect these young officials. This is the concept that Basketball Victoria has, and is a great idea that can cross into other sports.

Refereeing Across Sports

Referees under the age of 18 are a significant portion of the officiating community in various sports. Therefore, it is inevitable that some of these young referees may encounter negative behaviour in a supposedly safe and supportive sporting environment. It's important to recognize that adults who lose perspective in the heat of competition can have detrimental effects on the experience of all participants, particularly those under 18.

Community sports heavily rely on referees under the age of 18, both from an economic and logistical perspective. Furthermore, we understand that there is often a shortage of adult referees to cover all the games and sports events that take place at the community level each year. The fact that we depend on young referees to enable us to enjoy the sports we love places a significant responsibility on us to ensure they are protected and feel safe while officiating.

Our Responsibility is to Protect Young Referees. It's about Being Positive Role Models in Sport.

In all sports, we can be positive role models for referees, players, and fans alike. Consider these steps to contribute positively to your sports community:

Acknowledge and Appreciate Referees: Regardless of the sport, when you see a referee, especially if they're under 18, take a moment to express your appreciation for their efforts. This encourages them to continue and do their best.

Cheer Positively: Create an environment filled with great sportsmanship by cheering for both teams. Positivity on the sidelines contributes to a better sporting atmosphere.

Highlight Young Referees: In all sports, appreciate and highlight the contributions of young referees, officials and athletes. Your support and acknowledgment go a long way in ensuring they continue to feel valued.

Team and Coaching Etiquette: If you're part of a team or coaching staff, make it a standard practice to thank the referee for their efforts, no matter their age.

When you see a Green Whistle being used in any sport, pause and reflect on what you can do to enhance your game experience and the overall atmosphere. Together, we can create an environment of respect and sportsmanship that benefits everyone involved in sports.

Need a Green Whistle? Shop for the best whistles with Fox 40 whistles here:

Fox 40 Whistles have the Green Whistle: FOX 40 Classic Whistle

Fox 40 Lanyards: FOX 40 Lanyards for Whistles

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Respect to Referees: Green Whistles are a Win!

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Respect for Referees in Sports: Green Whistles are a Win! Basketball Victoria says: "IF THEIR WHISTLE IS GREEN, THEY ARE UNDER 18". We discuss the importance of junior referees in sport and what we can do to improve our game.

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Cale Matthews, BTN Reporter: A couple of years ago, I rocked up late to my midweek basketball game after going to the wrong stadium. I subbed into the game midway through the second quarter, got called for two offensive fouls, argued with the umpire, got a tech foul, argued again, got my second tech foul and was ejected from the stadium before halftime. Hmm. As you can tell from these messages, I was frustrated. I think everyone who has played sport has had a moment of frustration like this, but these outbursts are creating bigger problems in community sport.

Bailey Dyer, Referee for Basketball SA: There's definitely been heated arguments and stuff off the court and people getting reported and tribunals and, you know, parents being banned for a certain amount of weeks or time or seasons. But I've definitely seen people take extended breaks and just step away for a little while because like, mentally they just, they can't do it anymore.

Bailey umpires district basketball in South Australia. He says the last year or so has been pretty disrupted.

Bailey: Having spent the best part of 11 or 12 years refereeing, this is the, over the last 12 months or so, is the first time that I've ever seen games actually cancelled, particularly at the district level due to shortages of referees and officials out there on, on game days.

For the record Bailey has umpired me as well. What am I like?

Bailey: Ah yeah, pretty good, pretty good for the most part.

Do I get out of control?

Bailey: Oh, I would say occasionally. Yeah, definitely.

Earlier this year, Basketball SA said they were missing a third of their regular umpires and teams have had their games postponed or even cancelled throughout the year. Experts say it's not just basketball though.

Stirling Sharpe, PhD Candidate: There are a lot of different sports and competitions that are struggling to find enough umpires on a week-to-week basis. I mean, almost every sport has an example of that around the country. My name is Sterling Sharpe. I'm a lecturer in Sport Management at the University of Canberra and completing a PhD focusing on match officials.

According to Stirling sports are struggling for a few main reasons.

Stirling: Some of them come down to the player base expanding too quickly. We're seeing that a lot with women's sport, particularly AFL and Rugby Union and NRL and all those newer women's sports so to speak. We also just see people leaving the volunteering world and umpires are you know classified as volunteers and people just aren't as willing to give up their time. But then the big ones that we normally think about the abuse that referees and umpires are subject to almost every single game.

Michaela, Junior SANFL Umpire: I've seen people that have started especially younger, and then after a few games, and have gone I don't really want to umpire anymore because we just get yelled at every week, like people don't respect us. It's hard to do it. It definitely is hard to do it.

Michaela is a junior umpire at the South Australian National Football League. She says umpire abuse can get out of hand.

Michaela, Junior SANFL Umpire: Some people can get really upset and aggressive towards the umpires and maybe cross the boundary and come onto the field, which has never happened to me personally, but I've definitely heard stories about it happening to other people out there, and it's something really scary, especially for younger kids.

Sitrling: Umpire abuse has become far more common in the last few years, particularly over COVID. You know, people have had so many different pressures put on them and I think when people get on the sport field, it's a, it's one place where it's become accepted to release your emotions, to release your anger and match officials are often the people that are in the firing line for that.

Across the country. Some amateur leagues have tried to come up with ways to tackle the issue, including different whistles for underage umpires and launching different campaigns against abuse.

Stirling: We've seen, I mean season long campaigns like a season of respect and generally when those sorts of initiatives happen they have, you know great results, the players tend to enjoy themselves more, and the match officials certainly do as well.

Bailey: Referees have different coloured shirts or different types of uniforms that they're wearing to try and distinguish that they're still learning and coming through and you know, maybe take it a little bit easier on these guys

Michaela: In the SANFL we have something called a blue card in the SANFL juniors which we can use if we feel that spectators, that abuse is just over the top like they're yelling threats or things like that. We can use the blue card which gets them kicked out.

Eleni Tee, AFL and AFLW Umpire: But also nationally, we've got lots of different leagues, trying different things about making sure reminding people as we know that umpires are just humans, they're doing the best they can and they're gonna make mistakes.

Eleni Tee umpires in the AFL and AFLW and is currently the only female umpire in the men's game.

Commentator: Eleni gets to bounce the ball in the middle of Etihad Stadium for the first time.

She says, even in the big leagues, there is immense pressure on umpires.

Eleni: For me, it's pretty easy to identify when I'm on the field. So at the moment being the only girl field umpire in the AFL, and so, you know, people will say, 'oh you know, that was the girl that maybe made that mistake.'

Commentator: Bang for the goal! He's got it!

But also the fact that now at AFL level, you've got 17 different cameras, and you know how many football shows, talking about your decisions and talking about football all day, every day.

Presenter, The Footy Show: It's as big of a mistake as I can remember.

So that mental side of things about being really strong and resilient, um, does come into it really significantly.

Eleni says rules against umpire abuse that the AFL has implemented has had an affect on junior leagues.

Eleni: By the AFL demonstrating that this type of behaviour is not acceptable, people see that and they understand okay, well this is how I should behave or if I don't, I'm going to be penalised.

Referee: If I hear you shouting for anything again, I will be penalising you. This is not soccer. Is that clear?

Stirling: So the culture of questioning referees or abusing them directly to their face is different in every sport.

NRL Player: Who you call that to? The Captain calls it.

Stirling: I think rugby is a great example where there's a lot more respect um, and you'll often hear players calling the umpire Sir, asking a respectful question and just accepting the decision, whatever it might be. I mean, we need the cooperation of a lot of people to change culture. It's going to be the players, the captains, the coaches, the clubs themselves, and the governing body or the organising body for competition

Just like players make mistakes, so do umpires.

Michaela: These people umpiring are just humans, of course they're going to make mistakes. They're not going to be right on the ball every time and if the spectators are thinking that they would be right making their decisions all the time as an umpire, then they are wrong.

While there is a long way to go to completely stamp out umpire abuse and fix umpire shortages. Everyone I spoke to said the positives of umpiring outweigh the negatives

Eleni: For young people especially it's about developing confidence, resilience, all those different things that you know, you won't necessarily learn in everyday life.

Michaela: I'd say if you're nervous for umpiring just give it a shot. Some of the things that I've learned through being an umpire is a good communication, especially with adult, adults, especially because as a child, it can be hard to talk to older people and communicate effectively.

Bailey: Everyone's allowed to have emotion. We're all human, you know? You're not making all your shots. I'm not, I'm not calling it 100 percent all the time. So yeah, the human aspect I think if more people understand that, or more people communicate like humans, um, we get on so much better.

I promise not to yell at you next time you ref me.

Bailey: Thanks mate.

We'll see though.

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Australia's Referee Shortage - Behind The News

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Why are Australian amateur sports struggling to find referees?

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What is Mental Health & Mental Illness | headspace

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What is mental health? Understand the difference of good mental health, and signs of any problems. Learn more about the affects of mental health and how you can get help from headspace

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Mental health problems affect a child's emotions and behaviour, and can be worrying for the child and their family.

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Does mental health feel like a confusing concept? Although it's discussed now more than ever, it's OK if you're still unsure of what it means. Mental health is different for everyone, and communicating about it can bring up strong emotions. In this story, Kids Help Phone shares a structure for understanding mental health and mental disorders to help you feel more empowered to connect with others about them.
You can tap on the video below to view an interpretation of this story in American Sign Language (ASL).
What is mental health?

Mental health is a range of thoughts, feelings and experiences that make up your overall mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Your mental health can be impacted by a number of different things that are unique to you, so no one person's experience is the same.

Some factors that can influence your mental health include:

your physical health

school / work

your community / social supports

your family, friends and other relationships

spirituality

experiences of prejudice / discrimination (e.g. colonialism, racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, etc.)

past trauma / ongoing traumatic experiences

gender

age

race

abilities

ethnicity

access to services and support (e.g. income, food insecurity, housing, job security, etc.)

tools you've learned for coping with tough emotions

stigma / barriers that impact your ability to get support

and more

What are mental health challenges?

Because so many things can impact your mental health, it's common to experience challenges from time to time. Things in your life such as school, family / community, work and physical health may all seem separate, but are actually all connected. When one thing changes, it can affect other areas of your life and as a result, impact your mental health. For example, if you're not feeling well and can't visit your friends or participate in activities you enjoy, you may feel sad, lonely, stressed, worried, etc. No matter how you're feeling, your experience is valid and you can connect for support when you need it.

What are mental disorders?

Sometimes, when people experience mental health challenges, they can develop a mental disorder. Mental disorders are common. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, in any given year, one in five people in Canada will experience mental health challenges or a mental disorder.

Mental disorders can affect anyone. You may experience them personally or know someone who experiences them such as a family / community member, friend or classmate. A mental disorder is a clinical diagnosis (e.g. depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.) that can only be made by a doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Try to remember that it's not your fault if you develop or experience a mental disorder. They're usually caused by a combination of things happening in your body as well as in your environment (i.e. in your own life and in the world around you).

It's possible to live with a mental disorder and be mentally healthy. For example, you may have a diagnosis of depression, and with the management options (e.g. counselling, medication, etc.) and / or coping strategies that work for you, you can attend school / work, maintain relationships and live an enjoyable and fulfilling life. Even if two people have the same mental disorder, it may be and feel different because everyone's options and coping strategies are different.

Mental health is a spectrum

Experiencing moments where you feel mentally unhealthy doesn't automatically mean you have a mental disorder. It may be a signal to you to practise more self-care, learn new ways to manage challenges and / or connect for help from others. It may be helpful to take a minute right now to think about the support and tools available to you and reflect on what helps you to feel better when you're going through difficult times. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, there are options available for support. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of mental health, you're not alone.

Resources to support your well-being

When you start to experience mental health challenges and difficult feelings, it can be helpful to try activities you enjoy, practise self-care and / or use coping strategies that work for you. Your coping strategies might include breathing exercises, practising mindfulness, communicating with a safe adult or friend, connecting with your community, journaling, being creative, communicating with a counsellor, etc.
Learning about mental health can empower you with language to communicate how you're feeling and take care of your well-being. If you ever need support for your mental health, you can communicate with a friend, Elder, counsellor, teacher, parent / caregiver or someone else you trust. For free, private, 24/7 support with anything on your mind, you can contact Kids Help Phone.

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Kids Help Phone shares information about mental health and mental disorders to help young people feel more empowered to communicate about them.

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Tips for a healthy headspace | headspace

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There are a number of things you can do to help you look after and maintain your mental health and wellbeing.