Mary Mitchell O’Connor has spoken out strongly about the problem of Bullying and CyberBullying. Below are the Key findings and recommendations contained in the Report of the Anti-Bullying Working Group to the Minister for Education and Skills, January 2013
Bullying behaviour is a complex social issue and can take place anywhere
children and young people are together. Bullying can occur in many different settings including in the home, in wider family and social groups and during sporting and youth club activities.
It is clear that parents and other adults who interact with children and young people, in formal and informal settings, have a huge role to play in preventing bullying and also in supporting children and young people who are: being bullied, have bullied someone else or have witnessed someone being bullied.
Adults, and parents in particular, need to:
– Be good role models for children and young people;
– Teach young people to respect and value difference and diversity;
– Make it their business to know what bullying is and understand the different types and forms of bullying;
– Educate themselves in relation to social media and take an active interest in how children and young people are using the internet, social media and
mobile phones;
– Know, and lookout for, the signs that a child or young person may be being bullied;
– Offer support and listen to what a child or young person wants you to do to help;
– Make it clear that bullying is not acceptable behaviour
The working group recommends that consideration be given in the context of the Children and Young People‟s Policy Framework to developing a new national framework which would set out the Government‟s commitment to preventing and tackling bullying for children and young people from early childhood through to adulthood.
The working group considers that further implementation of the Aistear and Síolta frameworks in early childhood practice will be a necessary element of any overarching national framework to address bullying.
The working group acknowledges the beneficial links which currently exist between schools, after school activities and youth focused services within their local communities. The working group recognises the value of youth work and other effective non-formal learning opportunities, in providing holistic developmental and educational opportunities for young people. The group recommends that schools should continue to strengthen collaboration and interaction with youth services and promote the active participation by pupils in youth focused services within their
local communities.
The group strongly encourages youth services, groups and organisations to develop and implement anti-bullying policies in the context of their work with young people and to avail of the range of training and supports available through the NYCI, BeLong To Youth Services and other national youth organisations in this regard.
The working group acknowledges the intention of the GAA to roll out a series of workshops for clubs entitled GAA Tackling Bullying from March 2013. The working group recommends that GAA clubs, along with other sporting organisations, work with schools to ensure a shared understanding of bullying in our communities, along with shared approaches to tackling bullying.
It is clear that social media and telecommunications companies and internet service providers have an important role to play in developing measures to prevent cyber bullying and to provide reporting mechanisms for those affected by cyber bullying. The working group encourages industry to continue to work with Irish State agencies and services, NGOs, parents and young people to raise awareness of cyber bullying and how it can be dealt with.
While recognising that the role of the media lies outside the terms of reference of this group, we would recommend that the Code Committee of the Press Council of Ireland reconsider whether expanding Principle 9 of their code would be appropriate in order to further support responsible reporting in this area.
Last Updated: March 3, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor
Action Plan on Bullying
Category: News, News Archive Tags: bullying
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