The rising trend of students "sexting" and the common use of the phrase "go kill yourself" has prompted discussions about what schools can do about cyber bullying.
A set of guidelines for schools to combat cyber bullying is set to be published in the coming months by the Ministry of Education's Cyber Bullying Workforce.
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh is chairman of the workforce and said cyber bullying was an ever-increasing issue for school-aged children.
"The majority of cyber bullying doesn't happen in school, but at home where students think they are safe from punishment. However, their actions have a constant effect in school.
"Cyber bullying is not just sending abusive messages; students as young as 13 are now 'sexting', which involves sending naked pictures to each other.
"Students this young do not understand that you can delete a photo off a device, but it can never be permanently deleted."
Mr Walsh said students often did not think about the consequences of their actions, particularly when using phrases such as "go kill yourself".
"That phrase is the most commonly used and as a result, students do not consider the implications of saying it - especially if it is said to a vulnerable student."
Mr Walsh said the draft guidelines being developed by the Cyber Bullying Workforce would clarify the law around the issue, empower schools and define policies for stopping it happening in the community.
Rotorua Lakes High School principal Bruce Walker said cyber bullying was a major concern for any school in Rotorua, and the country.
"The thing about cyber bullying is it happens 24/7. It used to be that if you were getting bullied at school, at least when you went home you were safe.
"Now, students have access to tools which allow them to remain in constant communication."
Mr Walker said teachers in his school often talked about cyber bullying and the importance of reporting it to an adult.
"We make sure the community is aware of the dangers of cyber bullying and know to keep records if it happens to their child.
"Unfortunately, some parents end up getting involved in the bullying themselves, exchanging threats, taunts and nasty comments over social network sites. Cyber bullying doesn't stop with teenagers, but we focus on them because they do tend to be more prone to it."
Mr Walker said having a clear set of guidelines would help schools feel more confident tackling the issue.
"With the guidelines there, we can see clearly the ways we can punish, overcome, and eventually prevent cyber bullying from happening."