Schools will be required to keep a record of incidents of bullying under a new anti-bullying plan being launched by the Education Minister today.
The plan aims to stamp out cyber and homophobic bullying with a 12-step programme which includes the establishment of an anti-bullying website and special training for teachers and parents.
Schools found to have above-average levels of bullying will be provided with supports on how to tackle the problem.
At the launch of the Action Plan in Dublin, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said he broadly accepted the proposed actions in the report and has requested his officials to ensure that work on implementation begins immediately in consultation with teachers, parents and management bodies at first and second-level.
He has also ring-fenced €500,000 to support the implementation of the Action Plan on Bullying in 2013.
Among the 12 actions recommended by the working group are proposals to:
- Support a media campaign focused on cyber bullying specifically targeted at young people as part of Safer Internet Day 2013.
- Establish a new national anti-bullying website
- Begin development immediately of new national anti-bullying procedures for all schools. These will include an anti-bullying policy template and a template for recording incidents of bullying in schools. These should be in place by the start of the next school year
- Devise a co-ordinated plan of training for parents and for school boards of management
- Provide Department of Education and Skills support for the Stand Up! Awareness Week Against Homophobic Bullying organised by BeLonG To Youth Services
- Review current Teacher Education Support Service provision to identify what training and Continuous Professional Development teachers may need to help them effectively tackle bullying
As well as implementing the Action Plan, Minister Quinn announced that the Department of Education will be supporting a revision of the 'Stay Safe' Programme for primary schools.
The revised programme will address new forms of risk - including cyber bullying - and incorporate new research and best practice in the area of safeguarding children.
The Action Plan on Bullying contains a number of other recommendations for further consideration by Ministers, agencies and other bodies.
These include:
- A proposal to establish an Anti-Bullying Implementation Group
- The Department of Education and Skills to engage with book publishers who produce materials for schools to address the issue of stereotyping
- Development of a new National Framework for Anti-Bullying which would set out the Government’s commitment to preventing and tackling bullying for children and young people from early childhood through to adulthood
- Research into how other countries investigate procedures in other jurisdictions to see if these could be used to improve the Irish system
- Encourage social media and telecommunications companies and internet service providers to continue to work with State Agencies, NGOs, parents and young people to raise awareness of cyber bullying and how it can be dealt with.
Speaking today Minister Quinn said "Bullying can have a devastating effect on our children and young people that can sometimes end in tragedy".
"I broadly accept the proposed actions and now want to see implementation begin immediately, alongside other related initiatives, including the new Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2013) which I will launch later this week" he added.
