Evidence Base

The research behind why Rally exists.

Rally is grounded in peer-reviewed research, international data, and lived experience. This page brings together the evidence that shapes our platform — and makes the case for urgent, systemic action.

WHO & UNESCO PwC Australia Netsafe NZ NHS Research Longitudinal Studies Educational Psychology
Key Statistics Global Costs Who Is Affected Citations Rally's Response
Key Statistics

The scale of the problem.

Bullying is not a rite of passage. It is a measurable public health crisis with documented, long-term consequences for individuals, communities, and economies.

80%
Of children disclose bullying to their parents first — before teachers, friends, or school counsellors.
Rally Research Synthesis · Multiple Studies
Ages 8–13
The peak vulnerability window for bullying victimisation — a period when children are still wholly dependent on adult advocacy.
Educational Psychology Literature
↑ Rising
Bullying rates continue to rise globally across primary and secondary schools, accelerated by the expansion of digital environments.
WHO & UNESCO Global Reports
NZD 1.07B/yr
The estimated annual cost of cyberbullying in New Zealand alone — up from $444M in 2018. This figure does not include the costs of traditional, in-person bullying, for which no current national estimate exists.
Netsafe, 2023 · Sense Partners, 2018
#1
Bullying is now classified as a major global health concern by both the WHO and UNESCO — on par with other significant public health challenges.
WHO · UNESCO
Global Economic Impact

The cost of doing nothing.

These figures represent the minimum measurable economic burden. The true cost — in human suffering, broken families, and lost potential — cannot be quantified.

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New Zealand
Rally's Home
Cyberbullying (2023) NZD $1.07B / yr
Cyberbullying (2018 baseline) NZD $444M / yr
Traditional bullying estimate No current estimate
Common response Moving schools
Netsafe, 2023 · Sense Partners, 2018
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Australia
Comparable Market
Direct school costs (annual) AUD $763M
Lifetime wellbeing losses AUD $3B+
20-year total impact AUD $1.8B
— Educational loss AUD $506M
— Mental health costs AUD $150M
— Social & family costs AUD $412M
Workplace bullying (annual) AUD $6–36B
PwC, 2018 · Australian Productivity Commission
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United Kingdom
Legacy Research
Childhood bullying legacy (annual) £11B / yr
— Lost productivity Included
— Healthcare costs Included
— Support services Included
NHS staff bullying (annual) £2.3B / yr
Brimblecombe et al., 2018 · Hodgins et al., 2020
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United States
Global Context
California: absenteeism losses USD $276M / yr
Workplace bullying productivity loss USD Billions / yr
Mental health downstream costs Significant
Welfare & unemployment link Documented
Bevilacqua et al., 2017 · Forbes · Workplace Bullying Institute
Who Is Affected

Peak vulnerability is predictable.

The data tells us exactly when, who, and how bullying strikes hardest. Rally is designed around these realities.

80%
Parents are the first to know
The vast majority of children disclose bullying to their parents before anyone else — yet most school systems have no mechanism to incorporate parental insight into the response process.
Rally Research Synthesis
8–13
Peak age range for victimisation
Bullying peaks during the years children are most dependent on adult advocacy. They cannot navigate complex school bureaucracies alone — their parents must be empowered to act.
Educational Psychology Literature
#1
Parental efficacy is the top driver of reduction
Research consistently finds that bullying reduction in schools is primarily driven by parental efficacy. Systems that exclude parents cannot be fully effective — no matter how well-intentioned.
Educational Psychology Research
4
Types of bullying Rally addresses
Physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying each require different responses. Rally's AI categorises incident type and matches best-practice workflows for each — ensuring nothing is mishandled.
Rally Platform Design
Bullying prevalence by school age
Age 6–7
38%
Age 8–9
62%
Age 10–11
82%
Age 12–13
78%
Age 14–15
55%
Age 16–17
34%
Age 18+
18%
Ages 8–13 are Rally's primary focus. This is when children are most vulnerable, most reliant on parents, and when early intervention has the highest long-term impact.
Academic & Organisational Sources

Standing on the shoulders of evidence.

Rally draws on peer-reviewed research, government reports, and authoritative international organisations. Key sources are cited below.

WHO & UNESCO
International Health Organisation
Categorise bullying as a major global health concern, with rising rates across primary and secondary schools internationally.
Ongoing reporting
Netsafe NZ
National Cybersafety Organisation
Estimates cyberbullying costs New Zealand NZD $1.07 billion per year — up from $444M in 2018, representing a 141% increase in five years.
2023
Sense Partners
Economic Consultancy · NZ
Provided the 2018 baseline estimate of $444M for cyberbullying costs in New Zealand, the earliest comparable national figure.
2018
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Economic Analysis · Australia
Direct school costs from bullying in Australia amount to AUD $763M annually, with lifetime wellbeing losses exceeding AUD $3 billion.
2018
Brimblecombe et al.
Peer-Reviewed Research · UK
Childhood bullying legacy costs the United Kingdom approximately £11 billion per year in lost productivity, healthcare, and support needs.
2018
Hodgins et al.
Peer-Reviewed Research · UK
NHS staff bullying accounts for £2.3 billion per year — demonstrating that the pattern established in childhood extends into adult workplaces.
2020
Bevilacqua et al.
Peer-Reviewed Research · US
California alone loses USD $276 million annually due to bullying-related school absenteeism — a conservative, single-state snapshot of a national crisis.
2017
Australian Productivity Commission
Government Research Body
Workplace bullying in Australia generates between AUD $6–36 billion in annual productivity losses — a direct consequence of childhood patterns left unaddressed.
Ongoing
Te Herenga Waka — VUW
Doctoral Research · NZ
Rally's development is grounded in doctoral research in Educational Psychology, synthesising international evidence with New Zealand school contexts.
Ongoing
Rally's Evidence-Based Response

Research-informed at every step.

Every design decision in Rally maps back to a finding from the evidence base. This is not a gut-feel product. It is a research-driven platform.

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Parent-Inclusive by Default
Because 80% of disclosures go to parents first, Rally makes parents central to the process — not an afterthought bolted on at the end.
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Trauma-Informed Design
Rally's AI intake process is designed to feel safe, not interrogative — drawing on trauma-informed practice principles from educational psychology.
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Data That Drives Action
Real-time dashboards transform isolated incidents into systemic insights — because pattern recognition is the key to prevention, not just response.
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Accountability Built In
Delayed and absent follow-up is one of the primary barriers identified in the research. Rally systematises timelines and escalations so follow-through is the norm.
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A Scalable Response to a Global Problem
The evidence spans New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US, and beyond. The patterns are consistent. The costs are enormous. And the gap in effective, parent-inclusive, data-driven tooling remains unfilled. Rally is built to fill it — starting in New Zealand, with global ambition.
Ready to be part of the solution?
Join Rally's pilot programme or get in touch to learn more about the research behind the platform.
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