Over the last 50 years, school education has increasingly become one of the most important areas for government policy. This is in part due to the recognition that a highly educated population is a key determinant of economic success. This has led countries to search for ways to improve the education of children and young people. Within schools, however, there is a significant barrier to learning that exists. Evidence is emerging of the negative impact of bullying has on the learning environment for children and young people.Teachers are at the forefront of witnessing and responding to bullying behaviours in school settings, yet many teachers feel less than confident in addressing such behaviours. Initial Teacher Education is an important time for potential teachers to learn about how to respond to behaviour management issues within the classroom. Several studies have examined teacher trainees’ knowledge and attitudes regarding bullying. No study to date, however, has conducted a longitudinal assessment of teacher trainees across their first post of teaching.This study will employ a longitudinal design that will follow a cohort of students in their final year of teacher training at the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education into their first year of teaching through the Teacher Induction Scheme, a paid year-long placement in teaching. 200 students will take an electronic baseline survey and follow-up surveys at 12, 18 and 24 months. In addition to the longitudinal surveys, 20 students from the study will be randomly selected to participate in a baseline and 24-month in-depth interview.This study will be the first of its kind to longitudinal examine issues of bullying and safeguarding as it relates to teacher training and support. This will also be the first study to examine these issues with teacher trainees in Scotland.