Victim’s parents speak out on bullying:

Brodie, a waitress, took her own life in 2006 after being subjected to workplace bullying at a Melbourne cafe.

Speaking at the launch of a campaign to raise awareness of Victorian workplace bullying laws, introduced one year ago, Rae and Damien Panlock fought back tears as they described their compassionate and beautiful daughter.

"What we need to do is educate and prevent; it doesn't need to go where we went," Mr Panlock said.

More than 8000 schools, workplaces and police stations will receive posters and pamphlets containing information about Brodie's Law and bullying.

The Victorian parliament unanimously voted to make workplace bullying a criminal offence and offenders now face penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment if found guilty of bullying.

Mrs Panlock said 19-year-old Brodie had set out on an adventure into the workplace to gain her independence, but what she found was a toxic environment that led to the end of her life.

"She was a beautiful young girl full of life and compassion," Mrs Panlock told reporters at the launch of the anti-bullying campaign.

"Bullying is a scourge and it really needs to be stamped out."

Nobody has been convicted under the new laws, but Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Steve Fontana said a number of investigations were underway.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said the law sent a message that bullying would not be tolerated.

"Brodie's law is having its effect," he said.

"It now needs to be backed up by a campaign."

He said ideally there would be no prosecutions because there would be no crimes, but making bullying a criminal offence sent a clear message to perpetrators.

"It was vital to have that law on the statute book because the previous law did not make it clear bullying (was) a criminal offence," Mr Clark said.

Psychologist Evelyn Field said bullying was the reality for more than one in three employees and the government was showing leadership by introducing criminal consequences.

Lifeline Melbourne manager Terry Keating said many of the 550,000 phone calls Lifeline tool each year were from young people seeking counselling about bullying.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.