Bullying: Tasmania Law Reform Institute Final Report No 22

The publication of this Final Report is made following consultation with the public. The consultation was performed by the release of an Issues Paper on this topic in May 2015. The Issues Paper considered the capacity of Tasmanian laws to address the issue of bullying and cyberbullying, legislative approaches of other jurisdictions aimed at addressing the problem of bullying and cyberbullying and options for any necessary reform. The Issues Paper noted that there are complexities when using the law to deal with bullying, including that: bullying is a complex social problem; bullying can manifest in a number of ways; bullying is difficult to define; and bullying often involves young people. The Issues Paper argued that a patchwork of laws are potentially enlivened by bullying behaviour. They are sometimes difficult to recognise and enforce. The Issues Paper canvassed a number of possible options for reform, including: reform of the criminal law through amendments to the crime of stalking or the creation of a specific offence of bullying; reform of the civil law by the creation of a civil offence of bullying, creation of ‘stop bullying orders’ or extension of the powers of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner; and regulations for education providers.