There is no such thing as a bad person, only bad behaviour - and behaviours can change.
Jigsaw Central Lakes child advocate Julie Yeo, who spends a large amount of her time talking to teachers and school pupils about abuse, says it can be incredibly difficult to pick up on a child exposed to verbal, emotional or psychological abuse at home.
While signs of physical abuse can be easier to spot, children "normalise" abuse - to the point they think a family with a positive home environment is abnormal.
Because they think abuse is normal, they often don't speak out, Ms Yeo said.
"It is really hard for kids to identify with emotional and psychological abuse - kids know what's wrong and right; like, it's wrong to hit people.
"Psychological stuff can be really confusing for children."
Children often took issues at home to school - and one of the most prevalent behaviours in children with an unhappy home life was bullying, she said.
"It's a behaviour and there is something behind it. Normally, bullies will use bullying to get control, because they don't have any at home.
"Kids bullying are often witnessing bullying at home. It's really important not to label bullies as `troublesome children'."
However, children could just as often "fly under the radar" at school, doing everything in their power not to draw attention to themselves.
If anyone suspected a child might need someone to talk to, it was important to share the burden with someone trained to help, Ms Yeo said.
"It's about us as a community standing up and saying `If you hear a verbal argument next door, don't shut the window and say it's not my business'. When there are children involved, it's everybody's business.
"It's about speaking up, telling someone that can possibly take that burden off you and do something about it."
• For more information or assistance, call Barnardos Queenstown - (03) 442-6513.
