The organiser of an anti-bullying campaign in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby says within a culture that places importance on vengeance bullying can have devastating consequences.
The month-long programme is underway at Port Moresby Grammar School, where Pam Kenyon says bullying has diminished with the introduction of a ban on cellphones.
But she says it is vital to keep students safe because bullying can often result in machete attacks involving adult members of their families.
"In PNG it's like, 'If you insult me, then I'll get all my friends and my family and we'll come around and we'll sort you out.' That's the type of mentality here which is why there are so many problems in terms of the violence and things like that."
Pam Kenyon says it is hoped that students who take on the anti-bullying message at school will teach their parents and siblings that retribution is not a solution to conflict.
