Australian schools will be required to act on bullying complaints within 48 hours to nip worrying behaviour in the bud.
State and territory education ministers have backed the key recommendation of the national anti-bullying plan following a meeting on the Gold Coast on Friday.
Teachers will be supported with extra training and tools to deal with bullying and act on it earlier, with the federal government tipping $5 million into resources for educators, parents and students.
"While parents have told us they want action earlier, teachers have told us that they need the tools and the training so that they can do the job," federal Education Minister Jason Clare told Channel Nine on Saturday.
"They have such a heavy workload."
Another $5 million in federal funds will go towards a national awareness campaign.
Early intervention is intended to stop repeat harm.
The anti-bullying rapid review says punitive measures such as suspensions or expulsions "can be appropriate in some circumstances" for bullying children.
The best results, however, typically involve taking steps to help repair relationships and address underlying causes for the harmful behaviour.
One in four students between years four and nine have reported bullying every few weeks or more.
School-age children or teens who have been bullied are more likely than their peers to experience mental health and wellbeing issues.
Cyberbullying is also prevalent amongst young people, with reports to the eSafety Commissioner surging more than 450 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
Preventing online bullying is one of the motivations behind the Australian government's incoming social media ban for under-16s, due to come into force on December 10.
Artificial intelligence is another emerging frontier, with chatbots found to be bullying children and even encouraging them to take their own lives.
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