The Partnership

Cyberbullying is one of the most complex challenges students face online. It rarely looks like the dramatic examples in awareness campaigns; more often, it's subtle, social, and deeply context-dependent. For educators, knowing how to open conversations about online behaviour without oversimplifying or moralising is genuinely difficult.

With the support of Palo Alto Networks, we developed a resource for the NSW Department of Education that would give teachers practical tools for addressing cyberbullying in their classrooms. The brief was to create something that could support National Anti-Bullying Week activities while remaining useful year-round – flexible enough to integrate into existing curricula or deploy in response to specific incidents.

An Activity Pack Built Around Real Behaviours

The Stand Up Against Cyberbullying activity pack explores the different ways online bullying manifests in students' lives – not as a single, easily identified behaviour, but as a spectrum of actions that range from exclusion and rumour-spreading to more overt harassment. The materials focus on empathy, responsible decision-making, and practical strategies for handling challenging situations online.

Resources Designed for Classroom Use

The pack includes:

• 10 student worksheets covering different aspects of cyberbullying—from identifying harmful behaviours to self-reflection exercises

• PowerPoint lesson slides to guide classroom discussions

• Classroom posters reinforcing key messages

• A teacher's guide with implementation strategies, facilitation tips, and guidance on leading sensitive conversations

What Students Learn

Through these activities, students:

• Understand the various forms harmful online behaviour can take

• Develop empathy for others in digital spaces

• Learn practical strategies for responding to concerning situations

• Practice being upstanders rather than bystanders

The emphasis throughout is on behaviours and choices rather than labelling individuals—and on the possibility for positive change.

Reaching Educators at Scale

The resource is available on the NSW Department of Education's intranet, making it accessible to educators across the state's public school system. This distribution model means the materials can reach classrooms without requiring additional training or external facilitation — teachers can pick up the pack and use it immediately.

The original version was published in 2022 to coincide with National Anti-Bullying Week. In 2025, we refreshed and updated the pack to ensure it remains current, reflecting changes in how students use technology and how online social dynamics have evolved.