Bullying in New Zealand Schools

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A keyword search on the most popular New Zealand news website nzherald.co.nz reports 783 articles including the keywords “Bullying in Schools” dating as far back as 1999 (Alexia Internet Inc., n.d.; The New Zealand Herald, 2014) . In 2013 alone there were 82 articles written using the same keywords, which equates to atleast one being reported every week. In 2012 there were 135 matches or atleast 2 a week. It is safe to say this is a sizable national issue. Not all of these articles reported on national news topics but even some of those who didn't, explained the link the issue has to New Zealand's own problems (Huck, 2012). By looking at these articles we can see why it has been a hot topic for so long. Strong trends in these articles are stories of suicide, self-harm, depression and anxiety disorders. Although these are all very deeply complex topics, we cannot ignore the role bullying in schools plays on those suffering. Students who are bullied generally show higher levels of loneliness, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, to name a few (Nansel, T.R., Overpeck., M., Pilla, R.S., Ruan, W.J., Kimons-Morton, B. & Scheidt, P., 2001). The impact of bullying can have lasting affects with studies showing frequent victimisation can predict anxiety disorders in adults. Furthermore, there can be negative effects for the bullies themselves who are more likely to struggle with antisocial personalities, substance abuse, depression and anxiety disorders later in life. Additionally, people who are both victims of bullying and bullies themselves have a higher risk of developing anxiety and antisocial personality disorders in their adult years (Sourander et al., 2007). Media More recently media reports appear to be focused on the diff... ... middle of paper ... ... not giving them the resources to deal with bullying, because for the most part schools are under resourced. However, children have the right not to be bullied at school. It has negative consequences for both their mental and physical health, immediately and in their futures. Governments, schools, teachers and parents have an obligation to work collaboratively to ensure that children's rights are upheld. There needs to be progressive change towards resourcing our schools with the tools to help prevent and respond to bullying. Equal rights between adults and children is questionable, the power imbalance that is created has a significant negative impact on a child's right to be free from harm and their right to participate in school. Moreover, as a society we have a moral obligation to reflect on the social pressures we are creating, that our children have to face.

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