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National | Bullying

Breaking the silence around suicide and cyberbullying

Te Rau Matatini's suicide awareness and cyberbullying campaign targeted at Māori youth has taken off all over the internet, and they are now promoting events such as "Au.E" across the country.

Today's event "Au.E" was hosted at Walternash Stadium in Taita and featured a range of workshops and activities including creating music, free hair cuts and sports but one of the underlying messages was about creating a safe space for youth to talk openly about issues regarding suicide and cyberbullying.

Māori MP Marama Fox was one of many who turned up to support the event.  She says that one of the challenges that the youth of today face is being shy to speak up about issues such as being poor, homelessness or being abused.  This is all about empowering them to say, "This is me, and I am confident in myself and who I am!"