Dandenong High School
Students attended a forum with the Greater
Dandenong Council that focused on leadership,
creating positive relationships, anti-bullying and
family. They also assisted in the creation of an idea
for a social media campaign.
Tell us about Dandenong High School
Dandenong High School is a co-educational school from Years 7 to 12 with an enrolment of
approximately 2,000 students. The school is highly multicultural with 77 nationalities and 83 different
language groups represented. It has a team of 200 teaching and 55 non-teaching staff.
What is the project?
The project involved a Student Action Team made up of 8 students from Year 8 to Year 12 working to
develop an anti-bullying program that can be delivered to Year 7 students at Dandenong High School. In
addition, the Student Action Team, named the No Bull Committee, assisted in the creation and
promotion of an anti-bullying social media campaign.
What were the key objectives?
The project aimed to create a peer to peer connection that teachers and elders might not be able to
achieve. The overall aim of the program was to decrease peer to peer bullying at the school.
How was it implemented?
The Student Action Team was formed through a combination of self-election (through an application
form) and teacher recommendations. The group of 8 students began meeting and discussing the
potential of the program.
The students were sent to an all-day forum working with the Greater Dandenong Council that focused on
leadership, creating positive relationships, anti-bullying and family. These were identified by the council
as the areas of most concern to young people in the area. During this day, the No Bull Committee
assisted in the creation of an idea for a social media campaign for the Greater Dandenong area to be
run on Instagram throughout October. The social media campaign was promoted by the group back at
school through posters, flyers and a lunchtime concert. The students were also photographed for the
local paper (Dandenong Leader) in regards to this positive campaign.
Case Study | © 2014 | Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
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The students have continued to have regular meetings at school where they have been working on the
creation of an anti-bullying program to be run with the Year 7 students.
Has the project been a success?
The program has met its objectives in a number of ways. The No Bull Committee has increased in
confidence and has been demonstrating what they have learnt about leadership. Their meetings are
insightful and well thought through. They are interested in helping other students.
The wider school community has benefited as they have been exposed to a social media campaign
promoting anti-bullying and have been made aware of who the anti-bullying committee are if they want
someone to talk to. Posters, flyers and a lunchtime concert also helped to promote anti-bullying. The
Year 7 anti-bullying program is being written and work is being done by the group to ensure it will be
sustainable.
What is the future of the project?
The program will be sustainable in that each year new Year 8 students will be invited to join and the
Year 10 students from the previous year will become the Year 11 leaders. The group will continue to
work towards decreasing bullying at Dandenong High School.
Contact
Katie Yaghmoor - yaghmoor.katie.v@edumail.vic.gov.au
Case Study | © 2014 | Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
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