Parents in plea to tackle primary bullies
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 03 September 2008 01:00
By John Walshe
Some children who enjoyed a carefree summer are going back into a situation of "intimidation and hurt" in school, the National Parents Council (Primary) claimed last night.
It made an urgent call to schools and parents to work together to help prevent bullying in primary schools.
They should take preventative measures to reduce the incidence of bullying occurring and to empower children to tell an adult they trust if they find themselves in a bullying situation.
The council said that bullying was the single biggest issue raised on its Helpline and was the subject of more than 300 calls from parents in the last school year.
It is seeking volunteers to help provide a new service early next year for parents whose children have been subjected to bullying.
Responsibility
It said parents should talk to their children in an age-appropriate manner regarding bullying to ensure children have clear messages before a potential bullying situation arose.
School measures should include parents and children, reviewing and renewing the school anti-bullying policy. They should also involve:
- Awareness building in the school regarding positive behaviour and unacceptable behaviour.
- The whole school community taking responsibility for identifying and reporting incidences of bullying.
- A policy and support programme should be in place for a child who has been the victim of bullying behaviour.
- A policy and support programme should be in place for a child who has been exhibiting bullying behaviour.
The council said that bullying can only exist in an environment of fear and disempowerment; it is the responsibility of the adults in children's lives to inform and empower them to seek support when they need it.
However, last night the Irish National Teachers' Organisation rejected the description of fear and intimidation as reflective of the general situation in schools.
John Carr, the union's general secretary, said that a great deal had been done to tackle the problem with anti-bullying policies and the Stay Safe programme. He said that schools needed to be resourced to further improve the situation and class sizes needed to be reduced.
