Founded by Dunedin woman Rowan Leoni, reFocus hopes to work with schools to implement the Government's Bullying Prevention and Response Guide.
Produced by the Ministries of Education and Social Development, as well as Netsafe, the guide
''is full of information and is a great resource, but it often does not get fully implemented in schools due to time constraints'', Mrs Leoni said.
Mrs Leoni plans to pilot her programme within the supportive environment of Taieri College, where she used to be a pupil, early next year, and then roll it out across other Dunedin schools. She is
asking funding organisations to support reFocus.
Taieri Times principal David Hunter said anything that helped raise awareness of issues such as bullying in schools was ''worth persevering with''.
''For us, it is a question of being as transparent as possible, putting issues on top of the table and not burying them,'' Mr Hunter said.
The Bullying Response and Prevention Guide was a comprehensive document, and ''all schools worth their salt are looking to address issues around bullying when they arise'', he said.
With extensive experience as a teacher aide, mental health worker and youth worker, both in Australia and New Zealand, Mrs Leoni plans to use the Bullying Prevention and Response Guide as a basis for helping schools develop bullying prevention and response policies.
''A lot of the schools simply don't have time to develop these policies,'' she said.
New Zealand did not have a good record in terms of bullying in schools, and the ''ambulance at the bottom of the cliff'' approach was not working.
''There is not enough focus on prevention, it is all after-care,'' Mrs Leoni said.
''I am aiming to help change that.''
She was aware other organisations did good work in the field but felt reFocus would take a different approach, by working within school communities.
An important aspect of the reFocus Youth Support programme would be helping to empower young people to combat bullying.
''There are a lot of up-standers and bystanders within the school environment, and of course there are also the victims and the instigators,'' she said.
Mrs Leoni hopes to help schools develop their peer mediation programmes, including supporting the selection and training of mediators.
''Often schools immediately turn to prefects and high achievers to take on those roles, when those people already have a lot on their plate to deal with.
''It isn't always necessary to have the young people with that status to take on a mediation role. Others can do it just as well.''
Mr Hunter said that Taieri College had an extensive peer mediation process, with both trained peer mediators and a mentoring programme in the senior school.
''There is always more to be done in this area, and Rowan's ideas are very worthwhile,'' he said.
Self-management and self-care, in terms of helping young people to develop effective strategies for coping with life, could also help prevent bullying, Mrs Leoni said.
''Many young people out that have no idea about the self-management and self-care, and don't know how to start.''
- Brenda Harwood
