New Zealand has passed new laws to address bullying and cyberbullying. The laws make it illegal to post grossly offensive, indecent or obscene online messages, with fines up to $2,000 or 3 months in prison. A new offense of incitement of suicide was also created, even if no attempt is made, carrying a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison. The document also discusses different types of bullying, including verbal, social, physical, and cyberbullying.

1. Jess Lynn

4. NEW ZEALAND BULLYING LAWS
• Making it an offence to send messages and post
material online that is grossly offensive, indecent,
obscene, menacing or knowingly false, punishable by
up to 3 months imprisonment or a $2,000 fine.
• Creating a new offence of incitement to commit suicide,
even in situations when a person does not attempt to
take their own life, punishable by up to 3 years
imprisonment.

5. “Any failure to treat bullying, abuse
and violence seriously, because it
occurs between students, within
schools, is a violation of a child’s
human rights.”

6. TYPES OF BULLYING
• Verbal. This type of bullying usually involves name calling and or teasing
• Social. Spreading rumors, intentionally leaving others out of activities on
purpose, breaking up friendships are all examples of social bullying.
• Physical. This traditional form of bullying involves hitting, punching, shoving
and other acts of intention physical harm.
• Cyberbullying. This method of bullying involves using the Internet, texting,
email and other digital technologies to harm others.