In Hamilton a group of teenagers tortures a man in his own home, some taking the lead while others stand and watch.

John Key would win a lot of Brownie points if he simply announced a high-powered Prime Minister's taskforce on youth employment.

NZ should hope John Key shows some common sense - tempered with heart - when he goes about trying to reduce from 328,000 the number of Kiwis on solo parent, sickness and invalid benefits, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

'Friendship bullying' is rife among female high school students with nearly half of Kiwi girls saying they have been bullied by their mates.