Cyberbullying news stories

Harmful content reports have risen by over 25% since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, according to Netsafe.

 "Although the report indicates the web is still awash with harmful and inappropriate content, it is a positive sign public awareness around this important issue is increasing."

“This has taken an enormous strain on me and my family. I took on TechnologyOne because what they did was simply not right," says Benham Roohizadegan.

To address some of the more negative aspects of online life, pet food brand Pedigree and a bunch of New Zealanders have created a new app that asks people to post pictures of their pets. 

A new report finds that Australian parents are aware of digital threats, but they lack confidence when it comes to knowing how to deal with safety.

This Friday May 17 is Pink Shirt Day, which is a colourful way to raise awareness about a serious and in some cases tragic issue: cyberbullying.

Have you experienced online hate speech? The problem affects New Zealand adults more than you might think.

According to Sticks ‘n’ Stones founder Karla Sanders, everyone should have the right to be their real selves.

Can you put a dollar figure on the damage cyberbullying causes New Zealanders? One economist says that cost is around $444 million every year.

Online abuse, bullying and harassment are continuing to cause harm to New Zealanders nationwide, and more people are reporting incidents to Netsafe.

In the wake of the mass digitisation taking homes by storm, cyberbullying and online harassment has accelerated 60 percent with no signs of slowing.

“Parents can now protect their children against dangers such as cyberbullying and online predators..."

"We are spending more and more of our lives online and it's no surprise that Kiwis are concerned about possible negative effects..."

#keepitkindonline is a new social media campaign aimed at exposing the nasty side of the internet and encouraging people to making it a kinder place.

"The service is designed to protect everybody’s rights – to free speech and to participate online without being harassed and abused."

"As a society, we can’t think about the online world as something that isn’t “real life”. How we behave online can have a huge effect on others."

"The wellbeing of our children and young people is essential. Students who are happy and engaged at school are much more likely to be learning."

"It’s important schools work with parents and the wider school community to get the message out that bullying is never OK."

"This chatbot works well as a way of informing people about their options in a conversational way. It’s very quick to respond."

Steps towards responsible digital citizenship have been made as a student led programme receives funding to tackle online bullying head on.

“We need to teach and model appropriate online behaviours, how to keep safe and where to get help if it’s needed."

Online hatefulness has been normalised and in some cases lauded. This is not a healthy development.

"As long as your child is connected to a device, a bully can connect to them."

A lot of kids and parents ignore online bullying through fear of the unknown or due to the fact they don't consider it to 'real' if they can't see it.