Auckland (The NZ Today)
A troubling new report has revealed the extent of harm faced by young people in New Zealand, with one in four experiencing bullying and about one in six reporting sexual harm at some point in their lives.
The findings come from the Ministry of Social Development’s Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025, which examined young people’s experiences of bullying, sexual harm, violence and victimisation. The report found that the most common form of sexual harm was being touched in a sexual way or being made to do sexual things they did not want to, followed by harmful sexting experiences.
Bullying remains a widespread issue, with one in four young people saying they had been bullied during the past year. Teasing, verbal abuse and social exclusion were among the most common forms, while nearly one in three young people reported skipping school at least once because of bullying.
Although female and male young people experienced similar rates of bullying, at 27 percent and 25 percent respectively, their experiences differed. Female young people were more likely to face social exclusion and online bullying, with 62 percent reporting exclusion, while male young people were more likely to experience physical bullying. More than half of bullied young people said they had experienced bullying online in the past year.
Researchers also noted that high digital engagement among young people who had experienced harm often exposed them to unsafe online environments.
Violence and conflict within the home also emerged as a major concern. Just over one in 10 young people reported being exposed to violence by an adult in their household. Half said they had been yelled or sworn at by an adult during the past year. A third of young people witnessed adults yelling at one another, while 29 percent said they had seen adults yelling at another child.
Ministry of Justice principal advisor Rebecca Parish described the findings as challenging, saying they would help inform current and future decision-making aimed at improving the wellbeing of young New Zealanders.
Meanwhile, people affected by sexual harm or violence can seek support through Police, Victim Support, Rape Crisis, Rape Prevention Education, Empowerment Trust, HELP, Safe to Talk and Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa.
