CANBERRA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has written to the nation's school principals, urging them to join the fight against bullying.
In the letter which was made public on Thursday, Turnbull said he was "profoundly affected by the death of teenager Dolly Everett" and implored principals to launch anti-bullying education programs.
Everett, 14, committed suicide in January after being subjected to relentless cyber-bullying and harassment.
Turnbull suggested a number of ways to educate children about bullying in the letter, which was posted on Wednesday, including conferences where children promise to "make their school free from bullying."
"While school and educators have a key role to play in tackling bullying, we also know the important role parents and families play," he wrote.
Turnbull asked every principal in Australia to register for a National Day of Action (NDA) against Bullying on March 16.
"This is our chance to stand together. Together we can reduce the incidence of bullying, whether inside the school or online, and eliminate it wherever we can," he wrote.
"We believe all students have the right to be safe at school. Bullying and violence have no place in Australia."
More than 2,300 schools with more than 1 million students have already registered to take part in the action day.
The NDA asks participating schools to "imagine a world free from bullying" and encourages students to share ideas about how to eradicate the behavior.
When announcing the establishment of the Home Affairs Department in July 2017, Turnbull said that tackling online bullying would be one of its major focuses.
