This report describes an evaluation of the Kia Kaha Anti-bullying programme for students in years 5 – 8. Kia Kaha is an Anti-bullying programme developed by the New Zealand Police and originally released in 1992. The programme utilises a whole-school approach to improve the culture of schools and reduce bullying.

The programme is delivered by teachers and Police Education Officers (PEOs) through classroom curricula and activities with the students.

Counties Manukau District (CMD) policing operates in a difficult and complex environment. Policing results on a wide range of key indicators are below the national average and Government has committed to providing 300 additional staff to the district. In recognition of this, the Deputy Commissioner: Operations has initiated a planning process to ensure Police management and staff are best placed to utilise the additional resources and deliver on the high expectations the public rightly have of their police.

The Crime and Justice Research Centre (CJRC) carried out a new evaluation of the DARE to make a Choice (Choice) drug education programme. The evaluation was based on a ‘best practice’ approach outlined in a CJRC scoping study commissioned by NZ Police in 2005. The premise was that if the best practice principles are being met, it is reasonable to suppose this provides good indirect information of Choice’s likely effectiveness in meeting its aims and objectives.