Bullying Calls Dominate Counselling Service Statistics

5 May 2002

Bullying is the number one problem for pre-teens and the second biggest problem for 5 to 18 year-olds calling What’s Up, the professional telephone counselling service for children and young people launched last September.

What’s Up collects non-identifying information on all the calls it receives. Over 73,000 calls have been answered and logged by the service since it began last year. Although 35 problem types are tracked, bullying alone has caused 38% of the callers aged 5 to 12 to ring. Thirty percent of these callers reported frequent or continual harassment.

"Data from a number of different sources in New Zealand are all pointing to the great concern of bullying to our children," said Grant Taylor, Executive Director of What’s Up.

"All kids have a right to feel safe from harm or threats of harm. Bullying is a form of violence just as much as domestic violence or emotional abuse among adults. It matters to young people that they are treated fairly and can feel close to others and part of the community, both in and out of school," he said.

"Bullying is a significant contributor to anxiety, lowered self-esteem and decreased learning opportunities in our children and young people. If it is not addressed in a timely and sensitive manner, bullying can lead to depression and thoughts of self-harm in adolescence."

Mr Taylor added, "Violence affects not only those being bullied, but also those who witness it."

He said if bullying incidents were not correctly handled by schools, parents and others, a child’s emotional security, well being and ability to learn can be greatly affected.

"Failure to deal with the problem effectively has long-term social costs for everyone.

Bullying Calls

"It is crucial that adults take reports of bullying seriously – to listen, believe and support the children involved. Trivialising, minimising or ignoring the issue adds to the child’s sense of isolation and exclusion. Children need to be encouraged to talk about bullying whenever they see it and should not be expected to cope with bullying on their own."

Mr Taylor said when it comes to dealing with bullies, it is very important that anti-bullying strategies are adopted and modelled by adults’ behaviour at home and in schools.

"Reacting with anger or punishment to children who engage in bullying is self-defeating, and serves to model the very behaviour we want to stop. These children also have a right to be treated with respect. Their bullying can be a way to try to deal with a complicated and difficult situation."

He said one 15 year old boy called What’s Up to say he was worried about being suspended from school because of his tendency to get in to fights.

"He was worried that if he did not finish school, he would not be able to get a job and would end up a loser. He believed that if he stopped fighting, he would be branded as a loser as well, and get hassled even more than before. But if he fought and won, he would not be picked on as much.

"We adults need to show children the way by handling power within our own relationships and within our own environments in ways that are consistent with the anti-bullying messages we give to children."

Mr Taylor said there are some good resources available for children and adults concerned about bullying, including the Police/Telecom website www.nobully.org.nz, the Kia Kaha anti-bullying programme for schools and the "Stop Bullying" video available from video hire stores".

What’s Up is a confidential, professional telephone counselling service for all people in New Zealander aged 5 to 18. Callers can speak free of charge to a trained counsellor between noon and midnight, seven days a week from any telephone in New Zealand, including mobile phones. Callers are welcome to ring with any issue, no matter how small. They can even ring with concerns about a friend.