HUNTER children are increasingly turning to the courts to protect themselves from bullying with hundreds taking out apprehended violence orders each year.
Last year courts issued 322 personal AVOs to protect children and teens from other Hunter residents.
The figures, obtained by The Herald from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, showed these represented 40 per cent of all AVOs in the region.
Personal AVOs are orders granted by the courts to protect individuals against others in their community. They are different from domestic AVOs that specifically offer protection against family members.
Nicolas Moir, duty solicitor co-ordinator for the Broadmeadow Children's Court criminal roster, said there was no doubt more young people were turning to AVOs to protect themselves against bullying.
In the case of juveniles, police were a lot more likely to take out an AVO than pursue criminal charges, he said.
"AVOs are a way of not causing unnecessary issues for young people, but still dealing effectively with the problem," Mr Moir said.
"The courts are reluctant to make long-term AVOs, most of the orders are interim, so if things are all right in six months they cease to exist and it's as if they never existed. There is nothing long-term attached to the people involved."
Senior Constable Rob Walsh, who is the Hunter police school liaison officer, agreed it was not uncommon for school students to seek AVOs to protect themselves from bullies.
Some sought to protect themselves against older teens in their neighbourhood while there were also cases of students at the same school having AVOs against each other.
He said while these were a challenge to manage, schools had systems in place to ensure the court orders could be met.
A Maitland mother whose 14-year-old daughter has an AVO against a 15-year-old girl told The Herald she believed there was "absolutely no choice".
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said her daughter was being harassed and threatened on the way to school each morning by a group of girls from another high school.
"She was terrified and initially I contacted the other girls' parents but it didn't work," she said.
"The bullying continued and after thinking about it a lot we decided that an AVO was the only option we had. I do believe it has worked because the other girl was made to be accountable for her actions, I think it scared her and then they all backed off."
Mr Moir said AVOs could be an effective tool to stop bullying in some cases.
"Bullying can be a very real problem for many children and if this is a way to stop it from happening then I support that," he said.
In an effort to reduce bullying all NSW schools adopted anti-bullying strategies in 2006.
Senior Constable Walsh said he tried to work through issues with school students so their differences didn't end up in court.
"One of the things I offer is positive choices conferences," he said."But the reality is that at times people want that piece of paper because it is a court order that limits behaviour and it might make them feel safer."
Victims of Crime Assistance League executive director Robyn Cotterell-Jones said using AVOs was the last resort for many youths.
Ms Cotterell-Jones said the mental and physical effect of bullying for many children was profound and unfortunately it was commonplace.
"We really need prevention strategies, that has to be the way forward with this issue," she said.
"AVOs don't work for people who thumb their noses at the system. There is no doubt that there is an element out there of kids who think they are above the law."
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