Rotorua's Mokoia Intermediate introduces 'Stopbully' email inbox

From left: Jackie Jones, Tiana Hunter, 12, Charlotte Wyndham, 11, Annemarie Hyde and Hayden Morrison, 12. Photo/Stephen Parker

A Rotorua school is making the most of the digital age in an attempt to tackle bullying.

Mokoia Intermediate has about 330 pupils and every student has a school email. Yesterday its pupils were introduced to the new "Stopbully" email address: stopbully@mokoia.school.nz.

The inbox is for complaints and questions from parents and students, and will be constantly monitored by staff.

Deputy principal Jackie Jones suggested the email approach.

She said an inbox would help quiet kids report bullying towards themselves or others, without having to do it in person, if they didn't want to say it out loud.

"Sometimes kids don't like to come to the office for fear of being a tell-tale."

"The biggest issue is that kids tend to fear a vendetta," said fellow deputy principal Annemarie Hyde.

The school's new principal, Rawiri Wihapi, has brought in a "zero tolerance" policy towards inappropriate behaviour.

Hyde said that didn't mean they were kicking children out; they were asking pupils to be "upstanding, not bystanding".

"At the end of the day, we just want them to feel safe. There are some things we can't prevent but we are having a good go at it," Jones said.

"It's not that something happened to spur the Stopbully inbox, for us it's about being prepared."

She said a written report of bullying was also more powerful for teachers, making it easier to identify hotspots and misunderstandings among the Year 7 and 8 pupils.

"It's the age where they are finding out who they are and that makes them more vulnerable to bullying.

"It's the age where you're more concerned about who you are in a group."

Hyde said there had been a positive response from parents when informed about plans for the email inbox.

"Parents saying things like 'I wish other schools had this' or 'what a fantastic way to have a voice'."

The school's ERAP (Eastside Rangatahi at the Park) leaders support the introduction of the new inbox.

Their leadership roles focus on preventing bullying and ensuring all pupils feel included.

Tiana Hunter, 12, said: "We're there to say it's okay, you can come with us."

Fellow leader Hayden Morrison, 12, said: "The best thing is knowing you've accomplished something."

Charlotte Wyndham, 11, said the inbox would help "make people happy no matter what's going on at home".

Rotorua Principals' Association president Briar Stewart said this was the first time she'd heard of a school offering a bullying email inbox for students.

"Each school has a different way of dealing with things. This is definitely appropriate for intermediate and high schools, where kids are active on social media too."

She said if students were bullied at Rotokawa School, where she is principal, they were encouraged to tell three people they knew would take action.

"It's about outing it early and telling someone that they know will do something about it, not just a friend or two."

Stewart said her pupils cannot use devices until they have a "digital licence", showing they know and use online safety strategies.