This workshop is part of our ‘Behaviours that challenge’ workshop series. Attendance at the foundational “Behaviours that challenge: What lies beneath” workshop is required before attending this workshop. 

Bullying is often seen as a behavioural issue, but what if it is also a signal of something deeper? Across schools, homes, and community settings, children and young people are navigating complex emotional worlds shaped by trauma, identity, belonging, and safety. Supportive adults are frequently faced with behaviours that can be reactive, harmful, or difficult to interpret, while also trying to support children experiencing exclusion, conflict, or victimisation. 

As parents and caregivers, we may find ourselves wondering: Why is my child acting this way? Why do they keep finding themselves in conflict? Why do they seem withdrawn after social interactions? What should I do if my child is being bullied? What if my child is engaging in bullying behaviour? These questions rarely have simple answers. 

As professionals, we may find ourselves holding strong emotional responses to bullying behaviours. We may feel protective of children experiencing harm, frustrated by repeated incidents, uncertain about how best to intervene, or concerned that our responses are not creating lasting change. These experiences can influence the way we interpret behaviour and shape the interventions we choose. Creating space to reflect on our own assumptions, reactions, and understandings is an important part of developing responses that are thoughtful, relational, and responsive to the needs of all children involved. 

This workshop responds to a critical gap: moving beyond surface-level responses to bullying and towards understanding the underlying drivers, including trauma, developmental factors, relational experiences, and unmet needs. It also acknowledges the dual reality that children who engage in bullying behaviours may themselves be experiencing harm. 

Together, we will apply the Behaviours that challenge framework to the subject of bullying, focusing on how supportive adults can respond in ways that strengthen connection, safety, and understanding. Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation of the complexities surrounding bullying and greater confidence in supporting children through these challenging experiences. 

This workshop applies a trauma-informed lens to bullying and relational harm, helping participants recognise underlying drivers, respond effectively, and support safety, connection, and behaviour change in children and young people. This workshop builds on the foundations of “Behaviours that Challenge: What Lies Beneath”. 

About the facilitator
This training is delivered by experienced professional trainers with expertise and experience in trauma-informed intervention and practice. Our trainers have a strong understanding of trauma and its impact on children and families, translating this knowledge into practice in a range of professional contexts. A focus on application to practice via discussion and strategy is a core component of the workshop. 
 

This workshop is aimed at people working with and caring for children and young people who have experienced trauma, including child protection practitioners, mental health and allied health professionals and other therapeutic practitioners, educators and early-learning staff, family support services, and out-of-home care staff.