KiVa Bullying Prevention Aotearoa

08/10/2026

One of the most powerful ways to prevent bullying? Helping young people become upstanders, not bystanders.

KiVa gives schools practical ways to grow courage, empathy and turn it into action.

06/10/2026

Kindness is powerful, and when it becomes part of school culture, it can change everything.

KiVa helps schools build environments where empathy, respect inclusion and kindness are the norm.

17/09/2026

Mā te reo, mā te manaaki, ka tupu te whanaungatanga 💛

This Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, we’re reflecting on the role language plays in building belonging. Te reo Māori provides connection, and promotes identity, respect and care for others, values that sit closely alongside the kaupapa of KiVa.

Kia kaha te kōrero Māori. Kia kaha te tiaki i a tātou tamariki.

16/09/2026

He taonga te reo. 💛

During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, we celebrate te reo Māori as a language of connection, identity and belonging. At KiVa, we know that when children feel seen, valued and included, they are more likely to feel safe at school and less likely to experience bullying.
Creating school environments where every child feels they belong is at the heart of bullying prevention, and language is a huge part of that.

Kia kaha te reo Māori. Kia kaha te manaakitanga. Kia kaha te tū kotahi.

15/09/2026

28/08/2026

Whether New Zealand proceeds with a social media ban for under-16s or not, one thing is clear: keeping our young people safe online will take more than one solution.

Restrictions and regulation may form part of the picture, but they need to sit alongside education, support and clear prevention strategies.

Young people need opportunities to learn how to navigate online spaces safely. How to communicate respectfully, recognise harmful behaviour, respond to cyberbullying, manage conflict, seek help and look out for others.

Parents, whānau and schools need the knowledge and tools to support them.

There is no single answer to reducing online harm. A multi-pronged approach combining appropriate safeguards with education, digital literacy, positive behaviour and strong support systems gives us the best chance of creating safer online environments for our tamariki and rangatahi.

Whatever happens with the proposed legislation, this mahi matters. What do you think?

The government is pressing ahead with its ban on social media for under-16 year olds, with the legislation set to be introduced on Monday.

23/08/2026

Our kids are growing up in a world where the playground doesn’t end at the school gate.

Cyberbullying can follow young people home, into their bedrooms and onto the devices they use every day. That makes conversations about online safety, kindness and responsible digital behaviour more important than ever.

At KiVa, we know bullying prevention is about building a culture where young people understand the impact of their actions, look out for each other and feel confident speaking up when something isn’t right, online as well as offline.

Talk with your kids. Know where they spend time online. Encourage them to be upstanders, not bystanders. And remind them that behind every screen is a real person.

Keeping our kids safe online is something we all have a role in. 💙

06/08/2026

Resilience grows when young people feel safe, supported, and connected at school. Preventing bullying helps to build that foundation — and KiVa gives kura practical tools to make that happen.

03/08/2026

Safe schools don’t happen by accident. They’re built by communities that choose respect, inclusion and connection every day.

KiVa helps schools create that community culture together.

22/07/2026

Here is an interesting article looking at New Zealand’s attendance data collection. Getting children to school is important - making school somewhere they want to be is essential.

‘The more important question, arguably, is how they respond when children are absent. There is a world of difference between telling a child "your attendance is worrying" and asking "we noticed you weren't here and we missed you, is everything okay?".
The first message is about compliance. The second is about belonging. It recognises that children are missing more than lessons when they are absent. They are missing friendships, play, opportunities to learn, and the everyday experiences that make school somewhere they want to be.
Ultimately, attendance is an important measure. But, for our school system, there is a risk in mistaking what is easiest to track for what matters most.
If New Zealand seeks to lift academic achievement, its goal should never be perfect attendance. It should be schools where every child feels safe, supported and that they belong.’

Analysis - Each morning, thousands of parents across New Zealand make the same tricky judgement call: is their child well enough to go to school?