Extremely harmful content 101 for Educators

It’s important to know that while this content is available online, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all young people have come across it, or that they have been affected by it in a way that you might expect. Each young person will respond differently, shaped by both their online and offline contexts and experiences. What matters most is staying calm, validating their experience, asking questions to understand what they’ve seen and how they feel, and helping them access support if they need it. The way you respond can make a real difference for their wellbeing and will encourage them to continue seeking support, whether that is with you, another trusted adult in their world or with a mental health professional.

Illegal content refers to the most extreme and harmful publications, such as images, videos, or written material, that cross a legal boundary and can cause serious harm to the viewer or those around them. This could include material that encourages or promotes violence, such as terrorist material or animal cruelty, shows the sexual exploitation of children, or real-life suicide.

Content doesn’t have to be real to be illegal. Material created with artificial intelligence (AI), computer-generated imagery (CGI), animation, or other digital tools can still be harmful and encourage real-world harm. Sometimes it appears as a meme, joke, or edited clip, but even fake or humorous versions can still be illegal.

We all have different lines and are impacted by content differently but when it comes to extremely harmful content most New Zealanders would agree with the strict legal standards that apply. At the Classification Office, our job is to balance protecting people from harm with upholding the right to freedom of expression, so the bar for banning content is set very high.

Rangatahi talked about seeing the following extremely harmful or illegal content:

• Real world violence (for example, beheadings, executions and animal cruelty)
• Real world suicide depictions (for example, live stream videos)
• Physical or sexual violence against people.
• Promotion of criminal and terrorist activities
• Advice on harmful behaviour (for example, promotes disordered eating or self-harm.

We provide information on our website about the types of harmful content and their legal status here.

“You’re being drawn towards things that you don’t normally see or things that are quite serious, and you’re quite curious.”

Hearing that young people are seeing this content often leads to questions: how and why are they seeing it? Are they seeking it out? Are they sharing it? Who is showing it to them?

The truth is, there are many reasons our rangatahi might come across harmful content, and many of these reasons do not include intentionally seeking it out.

Some of the reasons young people mentioned include:

• Being shown content by someone else – this could happen on the bus, in the classroom, at a sleepover or in other public spaces.
• Receiving content through messaging group chats - on platforms like WhatsApp or Discord, either from a stranger or a peer. These chats groups are usually large, and young people join them because of shared interests, rather than knowing the other members personally.
• Content appearing in their social media feeds - this often happens because of engagement algorithms, and we’ll dive deeper into this later.
• Seeking it out - some young people hear about content from their peers or events happening in the world and become curious, leading them to search for it. Exploring new things and pushing boundaries is a normal part of growing up, and rangatahi are likely to do this online too. Some may choose to share this content with others. It’s important to remember that curiosity isn’t a bad thing, and it’s not their fault that this harmful content is available for them to find.

What young people have told us aligns with what research shows. Most of the time, they come across harmful content by accident, not on purpose.

"You know how you … have your home world; you have your school world; you have your sports world? And it's like three different realms of people that all know a different version of you. I think in the home realm, it's really difficult to talk about hard stuff, because you're always, there and your parents are always going to be there. You can never really shake parents. And sometimes it's better if they don't know about absolutely everything that happens, because … they're literally always going to be there, and it's going to be something they'll always know about you, whereas, in a school or a sports realm, these people will disappear, and they'll eventually forget about this."

Female – School Group

• Acknowledge what they’ve said. Let them know you appreciate their honesty and that it’s okay to talk about what they’ve seen.
• Validate their feelings. Reassure them that it’s normal to feel upset, confused, or angry after seeing something distressing.
• Stay calm and listen. Give them space to share what they saw and how it made them feel—without judgment or blame.
• Provide accurate information. Explain that some online content is illegal or harmful, and it’s never their fault if they’ve come across it.
• Encourage them not to share the content. Sharing or saving it can cause further harm and may also be against the law.
• Explain how to report it. They can report objectionable or harmful content to the platform, to the Department of Internal Affairs, or contact the Classification Office for more information. If it involves immediate risk or illegal material contact police.
• Encourage connection and support. Suggest they talk to a trusted adult such as a parent, whānau, or school counsellor about how they’re feeling. Helplines and Support Services in New Zealand
• Check in later. Follow up to see how they’re doing and whether they’ve been able to access support

“Thanks for telling me about what you saw. I really appreciate that you’ve talked about it, that takes courage.

I know sometimes people come across things like that online without meaning to.  it might just show up in your feed or someone might send it and sometimes people look things up because they’re curious or have heard others talking about it.

You’re not in trouble for telling me, but it’s really important not to search for or share that kind of material again. That could cross legal lines and also cause harm to others and to you.

I want to make sure you’ve got the right support with this. I can help you connect with [school counsellor/pastoral team member] who’s really good at helping people when something online has been distressing. We can talk to them together if that feels easier.”

Supporting young people through these experiences doesn’t mean having all the answers or being an expert on every online space. You may not always be the right person to provide all the help they need – but you can be the bridge to it. As a trusted adult, what makes the biggest difference is showing up with empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to listen. By validating their feelings, asking questions, and connecting them with the right supports, you can help rangatahi feel less alone and more equipped to navigate the online world.