There Is Another Way: What the Research on Bullying Tells Us About Learning Environments
New Zealand has the highest rate of school bullying in the developed world.
That's not a headline designed to shock. It's the finding of the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, whose 2024 report ranked Aotearoa worst among all developed nations for bullying in schools.
And it gets harder to read from there.
Ministry of Education data shows that around 36% of Year 5 students and 38% of Year 9 students reported being bullied on a monthly basis. PISA 2022 found that 28% of New Zealand students reported being bullied at least a few times a month, compared to an OECD average of around 20%.
A 2013 survey of New Zealand teachers found that 94% said bullying occurs at their school. Not some schools. Their school.
What Bullying Actually Does to a Child
The statistics matter. But what they represent matters more, because behind every number is a child who is carrying something they shouldn't have to carry.
Research is unambiguous about the impact. Children who are bullied are significantly more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. A large-scale study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that bullied children had lower cognitive scores, greater behavioural difficulties, and poorer academic grades compared to their non-bullied peers.
The academic effects are particularly important for families to understand. Research tracking children across their school years has found that peer victimisation disrupts academic achievement particularly in the foundational years, and most significantly in maths. A separate longitudinal study found that bullying experienced at age 9 predicted lower academic scores at age 15, mediated by the psychological distress it causes along the way.
And then there's what doesn't show up in the data: the child who stops raising their hand. The one who fakes a headache on Monday mornings. The one who comes home quiet, and stays that way.
Why the Environment Matters as Much as the Curriculum
Research into what protects children from bullying victimisation points consistently to two factors: parental support and a strong sense of belonging. When children feel seen, safe, and supported by the adults around them, the risk goes down significantly.
That finding sits at the heart of why many families are choosing a different path.
Learning at home with a parent alongside, in a space that feels safe, removes a child from the environment where bullying most commonly occurs. It replaces the social unpredictability of a large school playground with something calmer and more contained. It puts a trusted adult within reach, not at the other end of a busy corridor.
This doesn't mean sheltering children from the world. It means being intentional about the environment in which they build their confidence, develop their skills, and learn who they are, before they're asked to navigate more complex social terrain.
What We've Built with That in Mind
At Mt Hobson Academy, every learning pathway has been designed around the idea that children learn best when they feel safe. That's not an aspiration. It's a structural choice.
For our parent-led whānau, the parent is right there, a consistent, trusted presence woven into the learning day. Not dropping off and hoping for the best. Actually there.
And for families joining us through Emi, our hybrid programme for tamariki aged 6 to 8, the blend of online learning and in-person days is designed to build confidence gradually. Children develop social skills and real-world experience in supported, smaller settings, not thrown into the deep end of a large school environment before they're ready.
A Note to Families Who Have Already Lived This
If your child has experienced bullying, if they've come home changed, or stopped wanting to go back, you don't need a statistic to tell you how serious it is. You already know.
We want you to know that there's another way. One where your child's safety isn't something you have to hope the school handles well. One where you get to be part of the solution, not just the person waiting at the gate.
Learning should feel good. For every child. We've built our school around making that possible.
If you'd like to find out more about whether Mt Hobson Academy is the right fit for your whānau, we'd love to hear from you.