-The Chief Coroner is backing proposed law changes to crack down on "cyber-bullying" because of concern that it is helping to fuel New Zealand's high rate of youth suicide.
Judge Neil MacLean says bullying by mobile phone texting or on social media such as Facebook is "often a background factor" in suicides coming before coroners.
"We know it's certainly a risk factor for suicide, and we know that adolescents often talk about interpersonal problems when investigators are looking into not necessarily completed suicides but self-harm."
He said recent Law Commission proposals to create new offences of incitement to suicide, maliciously impersonating another person, and publishing intimate photos without consent all "deserve the attention of the legislature".
The commission also recommended amending the Harassment, Telecommunications and Human Rights Acts to make it clear that they covered internet-based racial, sexual and other harassment and using a computer "for the purpose of disturbing, annoying or irritating any person" - an offence which now applies only to using a telephone. "I think they are simple, practical steps that could help," Judge MacLean said.
-Bullying is happening everywhere and the chances that your child, or you, will encounter it are high. Around the world, statistics are being collated on the impact and prevalence of bullying, particularly within schools and online in cyber space.
With all schools talking about bullying and the media regularly reporting on latest research, it could seem like we're in a bullying epidemic. But, it's not all bad - the incidence of bullying, particularly the traditional face-to-face style, according to expert Dr Toni Noble, is not increasing.
"It's a controversial area but with the effective communication of the message that bullying is unacceptable, it's just now more likely to be reported," says Dr Noble, a member of the National Centre Against Bullying, who works with the Federal Government on National Safe Schools Framework being rolled out into all schools later this year.
"Cyber-bullying, on the other hand may be increasing with recent research suggesting that 1 in 10 kids have been cyber-bullied."
Here is why bullying, and policies and strategies to combat it, are such a high priority for communities and governments.
- One student in every four in Australian schools is affected by bullying, says recent research commissioned by the Federal Government.
- An estimated 200 million children and youth around the world are being bullied by their peers, according to the 2007 Kandersteg Declaration Against Bullying in Children and Youth.
- Kids who are bullied are three times more likely to show depressive symptoms, says the Centre for Adolescent Health.
- Children who were bullied were up to nine times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, say some studies.
- Girls who were victims of bullying in their early primary school years were more likely to remain victims as they got older, according to British research.
- Children who were frequently bullied by their peers were more likely to develop psychotic symptoms in their early adolescence, says more UK research.
- Girls were much more likely than boys to be victims of both cyber and traditional bullying, says a recent Murdoch Children's Research Institute study.
- Children as young as three can become victims of bullying, says Canadian research.
- Young people who bully have a one in four chance of having a criminal record by the age of 30.
- Bullying is the fourth most common reason young people seek help from children's help services.
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