La Trobe Bendigo education lecturer Dr Jennifer Masters said children in kindergarten were being taught to look after each other so as to develop a sense of social responsibility.

"We really want to target students from a young age," she said. 

"Young people should know about cyber safety as early as possible."

Dr Masters said the biggest change in bullying had occurred in the past two decades with the rise of the internet.

"There is now continuity occurring with bullying," she said. 

"In the past a student who was being bullied could escape once they got home.

"There was a haven where they didn't have to face bullying.

"Whereas now, with the online sphere, it can occur all the time.

"People say that students don't have to access that world but I don't think that's a fair comment.

Dr Masters said a unique place where cyber-bullying occurs is on the school bus.

"Students may receive text messages when they are on the bus," she said. 

"The bully who sent the taunting message may watch on as the student reads the message.

"They may get other students to watch on and laugh too.

"It is completely humiliating." 

A number of techniques are being employed to address bullying in schools.

Dr Masters said there was a focus on building resilience in school children. 

"We want to empower kids to stand up for what they believe in," she said.

"If they see someone being bullied online we want bystanders to feel as though they are able to speak up."

The state government is also doing its bit to tackle bullying in schools. 

Education Department spokesman Liam Carter said he was overwhelmed by the response to the Bully Stoppers campaign.

"We challenged Victorian schools to be bold and creative in their approaches to take on bullying," he said. 

"The response was incredible.

"We received pitches for anti-bullying billboards, anti-bullying dances, schoolyard peace-keepers and film nights showing student made anti-bullying films." 

100 Victorian schools, including many in regional areas, shared in $450,000 worth of grants.

Rochester and Elmore schools launched their Bully Stoppers campaign last week. 

Rochester Primary School, Rochester Secondary College and Lockington Consolidated School came together to create a DVD to address aggressive behaviour on buses. 

Rochester Secondary College welfare coordinator Leesa Ross said bullying was not a problem in the schools but the campaign looked to produce preventive measures. 

"We don't have bigger issues with bullying than any other school," she said.

"This campaign was really about taking steps before it becomes a problem."

"We wanted to address minor issues.

"There were some students who felt uncomfortable, especially on their bus journeys. 

"We spoke to students and bus drivers about to best ways to tackle this small problem." 

The DVD, which will be sent out next year to all students who travel by bus, provided a series of techniques to address aggressive students.

Ms Ross said the schools had re-evaluated the role a bus captain played.

"In the past we found students were unsure of what to do when they faced bullying," she said.

"We have brought in procedures so students know who to talk to (the bus captain) when they witness or experience bullying."

Bus captains were senior students who travel a far distance on the bus.

They are generally nominated by a school bus driver. 

Rochester Primary School bus driver Judi Houlden said she knew first-hand what bullying felt like.

"I'm glad bullying is being addressed from a young age," she said. 

"I never want any kid to experience to what I went through."

Rochester Secondary College principal Bernie Altmann said it would be naive to think bullying didn't occur in schools.

"Again, it's not a huge problem," he said.

"We have always had bus captains.

"We found, because there was no teacher supervision on bus trips, that students did not know how to report any issues they had.

"In the past bus captains just ensured everybody got home.

"Now there's a focus on empowering bus captains to stand up for what is right."

Bullying doesn't just involve the bully and the student who is being bullied.

There is often an assistant who aids the bullying behaviour, a supporter who encourages the bullying, a silent bystander and a defender, who may intervene. 

Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological aggressive behaviour by a person or group directed towards a less powerful person or group that is intended to cause harm, distress or fear. 

Students who experience bullying are more likely to do poorly at school, have lower self esteem, nightmares, experience depression, anxiety, and in extreme cases have a higher risk of suicide.