Bullying in New Zealand Schools

Is bullying an issue in NZ Schools?

 

Yes.

Research by the Education Review Office in 2018(external link) found that while almost all schools express commitment to preventing and responding to bullying, bullying does still occur to at least some extent in almost all schools. 

Bullying takes many forms - physical, verbal and social - and it can happen in person, online and even via text message. Children and young people who are bullied are more likely to feel depressed, lonely or anxious; to have low self-esteem and to struggle academically; dislike school and miss classes; distrust peers and have problems making friends; and experience declined mental and emotional health. 

Representative national data from the Youth 2000 surveys(external link), carried out in 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2019 by the Adolescent Health Research Group at Auckland University also found little change in rates of bullying in New Zealand schools over the decade to 2019, with the exception of cyberbullying which rose. 

In international context, New Zealand has one of the highest rates in the world of children experiencing bullying. This has been repeatedly evidenced from large-scale comparative education research studies, such as data since 2002 from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and since 2015 from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).  

Importantly, trends from these large-scale studies over the past two decades show very little change in bullying rates in New Zealand overall and even some rises in certain bullying types, alongside a related decline in feeling safe at school.  

A Ministry of Education synthesis of research studies(external link) found that the students who tend to experience the most bullying are lower achievers, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, boys, students with disabilities, and gender-diverse students. 

Schools' responsibilities: Legislation and guidelines

Under the Education and Training Act 2020 

Boards of Trustees are required to ensure that the school: 

(i) is a physically and emotionally safe place for all students and staff; and 

(ii) gives effect to relevant student rights set out in this Act, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990(external link), and the Human Rights Act 1993(external link); and 

(iii) takes all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying, and any other forms of discrimination within the school; and 

This includes cyberbullying and online harrassment. Developing and implementing robust bullying prevention and response policies will help schools to make sure they meet these obligations.  

What happens when bullying occurs outside of school premises?

Bullying often happens out of school grounds, after school hours or online.  Bullying ‘outside school’ can often continue inside school and vice-versa. Young people's relationships are not so neatly defined, and the concept of ‘outside school’ starts to become irrelevant when young people’s interactions are more and more a blend of in school, in their communities, offline and online.

Schools are increasingly involved in incidents where the activities of students at home or in their own time have an impact on the life of the school; for example creating and posting harmful content on social media, using their own smartphone or computer, whether at school or not. It can affect a student’s wellbeing no matter where it happens. 

Schools have the responsibility and power to act when it is reasonable to expect that what's occurred could have a negative impact on the school's learning environment. Trying to pinpoint where and when the bullying took place may be less helpful than asking ‘what effect is this having on the student/s involved and how will we respond?’

If signs of bullying such as absenteeism or other worrying behaviour are noticed by school staff, or if anyone reports bullying to school staff, it’s important to investigate and take action, regardless of where and when it happened.

Why does bullying occur and what are the implications for schools responding effectively to bullying?

Understanding why students engage in bullying is important, as it helps schools implement effective ways to build a safer and more caring school climate.

Previously, bullying has been mostly viewed as an interpersonal interaction between an initiator and a target.

As research on bullying grows, bullying is increasingly viewed as a socio-ecological phenomenon. This view looks beyond the individual and acknowledges the multiple risk and protective factors that exist within individuals, peer groups, families, schools, communities and the wider social environment. Therefore, it is important to explore how the community around students may affect their behaviour.

Therefore, systems-thinking or whole-school approaches to bullying are more likely to be effective rather than responses that only focus on individual students.

When bullying is viewed as a socio-ecological phenomenon it requires schools to implement a range of bullying prevention approaches. This includes fostering a safe and caring school climate where prosocial behaviours are promoted and students are offered opportunities to build their social competence.