Schoolchildren combat cyberbullying
A group of Manawatu¯ schoolchildren are working to combat online bullying.
The Rotary Club of Palmerston North’s youth ambassador programme has created an online database to help prevent cyberbullying of schoolchildren and help those who have been bullied.
The database will have a list of organisations providing support for people who have been bullied and show the best way for young people to seek help. The ambassadors have also created posters and brochures to go into schools.
Aadesh Ganugapati, 13, of Palmerston North Boys’ High School, is one of the group.
‘‘Cyberbullying is a problem because unlike normal bullying you can be bullied 24-7 and it’s impossible to figure out who is making the hurtful comments,’’ he said. Aadesh wants to spread the message in schools and cover all youth in the region.
Aadesh’s schoolmate Luke Cherrington, 13, said older people might not realise how much of a problem cyberbullying was.
Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School pupil Danielle Storrier, 12, said many schoolchildren had been cyberbullied or know someone who had been.
‘‘Cyberbullying has got so big, so many people don’t know how to speak out about it.’’
Damien van den Berg, 13, of Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, said cyberbullying was more dangerous than physical bullying because someone from the other side of the world could make hurtful comments and do it from different social media accounts.
Cyberbullying had increased with the rise of online games like Fortnite, he said.
Their cyberbullying work comes after they saw a 2016 study showing more than 30 per cent of 236 respondents had been victims of cyberbullying and many had told no-one.
The study showed almost one in two young people reported a negative experience due to cyberbullying. The common consequences were feeling sad, angry or lonely, and not wanting to go to school.
The youth ambassador programme is meant to develop leadership in young people and it has students from Intermediate Normal, Boys’ High, Palmerston North Girls’ High School and Awatapu College.