Bullying
Bullying, in whatever form and for whatever reason, has no place in schools. The Department has taken pro-active steps to tackle bullying through the development and publication of guidance. In the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, which came into operation on 1 April 2003, legislation was introduced which required all grant-aided schools to include within their discipline policy, an anti-bullying policy which includes measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. The effectiveness of these measures is monitored through the regular cycle of school inspections of pastoral care arrangements. Guidance for schools in developing effective anti-bullying policies is included in the Department's publication 'Pastoral Care in Schools - Promoting Positive Behaviour'.
The Department funds Childline NI to provide a dedicated anti-bullying helpline for pupils and young people who wish to talk to someone about their concerns around bullying. The helpline is open 24/7 and is free of charge - Tel: 0800 44 1111
(www.niabf.org.uk)
The Department funds and is a member of the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) which is hosted and chaired by Save the Children who employs a Regional Anti-Bullying Coorinator to guide and progress the implementation of the anti-bullying strategy. The Forum has a membership of over 20 statutory and voluntary organisations all acting together to identify and champion future anti-bullying priorities. The NIABF has a range of different Task Groups which focus on anti-bullying themes and put into action work that is required to further develop the anti-bullying strategy. These operational groups are made up of Forum members and additional organisations with relevant expertise (linked to the group's theme).
Anti-Bullying Week– planning NIABF activities for Anti-Bullying Week which takes place in November each year. Membership of this group changes according to the theme that year’s Anti-Bullying Week is aiming to raise awareness of.
Communications – ensuring NIABF communications are consistent and effectively in line with our media strategy.
Disablist Bullying – developing NIABF information and updates regarding bullying related to perceived or actual disability.
Homophobic Bullying– developing NIABF information and updates regarding bullying related to perceived or actual sexual orientation.
Participation – supporting children, young people, parents and carers to engage in influencing future anti-bullying priorities.
NIABF also hosts an Inter-Board Anti-Bullying Group. This group consists of the five Education and Library Boards (ELBs) and NIABF, and its purpose is to promote shared anti-bullying policy and practice through collaborative working within and across the five ELBs. Each Board has a designated officer who works with schools to tackle bullying through assisting in the development of whole school policies and supporting individual pupils who have been victims of bullying. You can obtain more information about bullying on the joint ELB's Education Support website.
NIABF is represented on the British and Irish Anti-Bullying Forum that comprises one statutory and one voluntary representative each from England, Scotland, Wales, and from both jurisdictions in Ireland.
There are many resources and signposts to help on the NIABF website, and these leaflets for parents and carers are just a sample of the information available. Downloadable versions are available by clicking on the links below.
What is Cyber Bullying - A Leaflet for Parents and Carers PDF 289 KB
What is Bullying due to Race, Faith & Culture - A Leaflet for Parents and Carers PDF 384 KB
Reporting Bullying Concerns to Your Child's School - A Leaflet for Parents and Carers PDF 280 KB
In June 2007, the Department published a research report on "The Nature and Extent of Bullying in Schools in the North of Ireland". The findings show little change in the level of bullying behaviour reported by pupils compared to an earlier study completed in 2002.
The independent schools’ counselling service is now available in all grant aided post-primary schools allowing pupils to speak to a trained counsellor about their concerns or fears around bullying. Pupils can self-refer or be referred by the school or their parents/carers.
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