Students say phone ban helps battle in-school bullying - but more work needs to be done

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls' deputy head girl Tatjana Hanne, 16, head girl Karleigh Moir, 17 and wellness captain Abby Meyer, 16, wearing their pink shirts for Pink Shirt Day on Friday, May 17. Photo / Alyssa Smith

Stratford students say while the Government’s ban of cellphones in schools has eliminated cyberbullying at schools, more can be done to stop bullying altogether.

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls’ head girl Karleigh Moir, 17, said the phone ban has created more opportunities for face-to-face interactions.

“The students are making more and new friends. It’s great to see people speaking to others they haven’t spoken to before.”

Deputy head girl Tatjana Hanne, 16, said taking away the distractions caused by phones helps students “live in the moment”.

“It means they’re not on their phones looking at other things.”

Wellness captain Abby Meyer, 16, said as well as eliminating cyberbullying at school, it stops students from comparing themselves to others.

“It takes away the distraction of having the phone accessible and also stops students from doom-scrolling, which is when they compare themselves to others - which can lead to bullying yourself.”

The theme for Friday’s Pink Shirt Day was “everyday upstander”. Meyer said the key to being a good upstander is using your voice.

Pink Shirt Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the issues of bullying, discrimination and harassment. It started in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand after a student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.

The day’s slogan is “kōrero mai, kōrero atu, mauri tū, mauri ora - speak up, stand together, stop bullying”.

“The best thing to do is speak to a trusted adult. You don’t have to shoulder it alone, and there are people that can help you.”

Hanne said the best thing to do is use your voice.

“If you speak up about bullying, it will inspire others to do the same.”

Moir said it’s important to do the right thing.

“Sometimes doing the right thing can be hard, but you have to do it.”

Stratford High School head girl Mackenzie Caskey and head boy Bryan Adam, both 17, dressed in pink for Pink Shirt Day on Friday, May 17. Photo / Alyssa Smith

Stratford High School head girl Mackenzie Caskey, 17, said while the phone ban means cyberbullying has stopped happening at the school, it hasn’t eliminated the problem entirely.

“It’s taken away the possibility of it occurring at school, but unfortunately, it can still happen after. I believe more work needs to be done to eliminate cyberbullying altogether. The key thing is standing up for yourself and others and working together to stop bullying.”

She said the phone ban has been great with respect to positive student interaction.

“You see students playing cricket or basketball during their lunch breaks now. It’s so nice to see everyone hanging out rather than being glued to their phones.”

Head boy Bryan Adams, 17, said he believes everyone has to work together to stop bullying.

“You have to be confident in yourself, and also confident you’re doing the right thing. It’s also about being courageous and talking to the right people, whether it be teachers, older people or, if you’re a junior, talking to senior students. When you have those support systems in place, it’s much easier to be an ‘upstander’ and combat bullying.”