Principals need help with cyber bullies

Cyber bullying is a rising threat

Victorian school principals need more help to cope with the rising threat of cyberbullying, an Auditor-General's report has found.

The report released on Wednesday says 769 principals from state primary and secondary schools surveyed identified cyberbullying as an "emerging or increasing" risk.

Despite extensive, updated information on cyber safety provided by the education department, an approach for dealing with bullying on the internet has not been provided to schools, the report says.

Engaging parents on the issue is also proving tough, according to the principals surveyed.

It recommends the education department develop its understanding of cyber safety issues in schools, offer clear guidance on the best approach to dealing with cyber safety and support schools with training.

The report also found:

• On average, about 167 students are injured in school a day across 1559 schools.

• There were 339 personal injury claims made in the five years to 2009, with 104 successful claims averaging a payout of $45,700.

• Alleged assault and sexual assaults fell by 26 per cent, or one incident a day in 2009, compared with 1.3 every day in 2007.

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