The following Biting Policy Example tailored for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Australia, drawing on best practice from ACECQA, Child Australia, and service-level procedures.

Over the past decade, many educators have observed a troubling trend: biting, pushing, and other aggressive behaviours among toddlers are increasingly normalized as developmental inevitabilities. While it’s true that young children often lack the verbal tools to express frustration or overwhelm, the sector’s growing tolerance for these behaviours—without deeper investigation or family collaboration—raises serious concerns about safety, equity, and emotional wellbeing.