More needs to be done to protect the mental health of 1000s of New Zealand primary and secondary students, according to new research that shows exposure to harmful digital content is growing in frequency and expanding into new platforms.

Released late last year, the Linewize Digital Harm Study, which analysed more than 22,000 anonymised alerts of at-risk student behaviour across 10 per cent of schools covering 70,000 students in the past 12 months, found an average of three alerts were generated every hour.

According to the research, bullying remains the most common issue, making up nearly 45 per cent of alerts, followed by offensive behaviour (20 per cent) and adult content (15 per cent). More than 1,000 bullying-related alerts were detected inside collaborative tools such as Google Docs, environments most people assume are ‘safe’.

‘Vulnerable person’ alerts, often students quietly reaching out for help, ranked as the third most common category in these tools. Alerts tied to offensive language and sexual content have also sharply increased, and a growing number of students are being flagged as vulnerable, pointing to mounting mental health concerns. Compared to 2024, bullying still dominates but accounts for a smaller share as other risks rise.

Turning to AI

Out of 12,310 categorised alerts, most came from collaboration and docs (40 per cent), followed by gaming (23 per cent), learning platforms (13 per cent), and AI tools (10 per cent). Students are increasingly turning to AI to explore emotions or ask questions they may be reluctant to raise with adults. Other platforms from YouTube to music apps and even shopping sites generated fewer alerts individually but together reflect the breadth of students’ digital lives.

Linewize Education Director Saunil Hagler says he is particularly concerned to see the higher number of alerts related to sexual content and the rise in bullying incidents happening in collaborative tools and learning apps and the growing number of alerts that originate in AI tools.

“Earlier this year we were made aware of a case where a young person had been allegedly groomed by a senior member of staff at a primary school in various online spaces including Google Docs, Snapchat and Instagram,” he says.

Disproportionately high levels

Hagler says cyberbullying has become a critical public health concern.

“New Zealand already has disproportionately high levels of bullying compared to other OECD countries nearly double the average. Unlike traditional bullying, harmful content online persists indefinitely, it spreads at speed, and it follows students home where teachers and parents cannot see it. We know its psychological toll is severe, with strong links to suicidal ideation, depression, absenteeism and poor academic performance.”

Hagler says 252 New Zealand schools are already using Linewize Monitor, a digital safeguard tool that helps protect over three million students globally. The early-intervention system combines AI detection with trained human oversight to minimise false positives and immediately alert designated staff when students show signs of vulnerability.

“Unlike a firewall or filter, Linewize Monitor does not block access but provides visibility into what students are typing even if messages are deleted or never sent across platforms commonly used in schools such as collaborative online documents, chat, forums, gaming, and popular, everyday learning apps.

“This allows wellbeing teams to step in sooner, whether by supporting a student with no prior signs of distress or escalating concerns for a young person already known to be at risk. In busy classrooms, where warning signs are easily missed, it acts as a critical safety net,” he added.

Critical concern

The Education and Workforce Committee is conducting a Parliamentary Inquiry into the harms young New Zealanders face online. The New Zealand Principals’ Federation has already warned that cyberbullying is a critical social and public health concern, with New Zealand students reporting nearly double the OECD average rates of bullying. Cyberbullying, more strongly linked to suicidal ideation than traditional bullying, leaves lasting scars on well-being, learning, and mental health.

“The New Zealand Principals’ Federation is right that prevention and early intervention must be national priorities. But schools cannot protect what they cannot see. This data shows the risks are not confined to social media. They are happening in messaging apps, gaming platforms, and even in supposedly safe educational tools,” said Hagler

“In busy classrooms, signs of harm can be missed. Online, they are often invisible altogether. Monitor provides the visibility needed to surface issues early, before they escalate into crisis. The fact that 90% of schools are still without this capability should concern every parent and policymaker. Visibility must become the baseline for student safety in New Zealand.”

Linewize NZ Digital Harms Key Findings 2025

INTERFACE February 2026