This page might include information, links, and events that are specific to 2019. It will be updated as soon as 2020 information becomes available.
Bullying-Free NZ Week 2019 starts on Monday 13 May and ends on Friday 17 May. This year’s theme is ‘Whakanuia Tōu Āhua Ake! Celebrating Being Us!’ which encourages students to celebrate what makes them unique – such as talents, interests, appearance, disability, culture, race, gender, or sexuality – and encourages schools to build environments where everyone is welcome, safe, and free from bullying.
Schools that encourage respect, celebrate difference, and promote positive relationships make it difficult for bullying to be tolerated. Our events page includes resources, ideas, and stories to help students, staff, parents, whānau, trustees, and communities work together to create a positive school culture and prevent bullying behaviour.
Whakapūpūtia mai ō mānuka, kia kore ai e whati.
Cluster the branches of the mānuka, so they will not break.
Links to the NZC
Bullying-Free NZ Week provides a useful context for meeting the intent of The New Zealand Curriculum.
Students can:
- demonstrate the curriculum vision of being confident, connected, actively involved learners
- experience a curriculum that is underpinned by the principle of inclusion
- consider the NZC values of diversity, respect, integrity, community, and participation
- make use of key competencies, especially relating to others, and participating and contributing
- achieve learning outcomes in a range of learning areas, especially health and physical education.
Bullying-Free NZ Week resources
Bullying-Free NZ school activity pack
This year's free Bullying-Free NZ school activity pack is the biggest ever, with a wealth of bullying prevention-themed ideas and classroom activities, to mark Bullying-Free NZ Week.
Bullying-Free NZ Week posters (PDF)
Use this set of four posters to help students understand what bullying is, and what they can do about it. The posters include spaces to add what you do at your school.
Bullying-Free NZ framework
Find out more about the nine elements of an effective whole-school approach to preventing and responding to bullying.
Tackling bullying - a guide for parents and whānau
Information for parents and whānau on supporting their child, and working with schools on reporting and resolving bullying behaviour.
Tackling bullying - a guide for Boards of Trustees
Read more about how Boards can build on existing good practice and help identify actions for your school.
Student voice: a guide
This guide sets out the importance of student voice in finding solutions to bullying and aims to promote good practice in student participation.
Bullying-Free NZ Week 2018
See how schools throughout New Zealand took part in Bullying-Free NZ Week and Pink Shirt Day 2018.
Pink Shirt Day
Bullying-Free NZ Week ends with the Mental Health Foundation's Pink Shirt Day on Friday 17 May. Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying, after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Register for Pink Shirt Day and receive suggested Pink Shirt Day activities and information on how to obtain posters, toolkits, event packs, t-shirts, and other resources.
Resources for school-wide bullying prevention
Bullying prevention and response: A guide for schools (PDF)
This Ministry of Education publication provides practical information for schools to support effective prevention and management of bullying behaviour.
Wellbeing@School
The Wellbeing@School website is designed to support schools to engage with the whole school community in a process of self-review. The W@S self review tools explore how different layers of school life contribute to creating a safe and caring climate that deters bullying.
Kia Kaha
Kia Kaha is a comprehensive anti-bullying programme in which children and young people learn and apply a range of safe practices that they can use when interacting with others.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
The Positive Behaviour for Learning School-Wide framework, otherwise known as PB4L School-Wide, is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life. The framework can be tailored to your school’s own environment and cultural needs.
Instructional Series
The following texts from the Instructional Series could be used in your classroom to develop understandings around bullying, inclusion, and respect.
Frog School
Play
Junior Journal 41
At Frog School, Freddie Frog is feeling hopeless compared to his classmates, who freely boast about their abilities.
Scaredy Crow
Narrative
Junior Journal 42
In this narrative, told mainly through dialogue, Scaredy Crow is teased by the other crows because he is frightened of the scarecrow.
MeMe and Me
Narrative
School Journal Level 4 May 2016
Life with a new phone spins out of control.
Badge of Honour
School Journal Level 4 May 2015
Isaac’s thrilled to be made school captain; his friend Tomasi isn’t so sure.
More stories about bullying.
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