The petition of residents of Queensland draws to the attention of the House that whilst there has been widespread public and systemic attention to youthful bullying practices, bullying by adult neighbours (“neighbourhood bullies”) remains a largely ignored problem. Vulnerable neighbours such as the elderly suffer the same emotional, physical, and mental-health ill-effects. The impact of neighbourhood bullies upon their neighbours with verbal abuses, physical intimidations, malicious slanders, and spurious calls to Council, causes severe mental and emotional detriment and physical injury, often requiring medical attention.

The categorisation of neighbourhood bullying as a mere ‘dispute' has additional negative impacts, including:

1. It allows agencies to avoid intervention. They offer ‘mediation' as the solutions: but bullies are not compelled to attend mediation.
2. It allows the police to avoid enforcing the applicable stalking legislation.
3. It also allows police to justify their inaction by suggesting the Peace & Good Behaviour Order issued through the courts.
4. This systemic failure to act further isolates and degrades the victim.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to take such action as is necessary to ensure that:

1. all ongoing neighbourhood bullying by adults is criminalized by introducing ‘bully-specific' legislation; or adding the word ‘bullying' to the present Criminal Code for ‘Stalking';
2. Queensland introduce the ‘Misconduct Restraining Order' (MRO) available in Western Australia; and
3. justice and law agencies be compelled to enforce the pertinent Stalking Laws in ongoing neighbourhood bullying situations.