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Bullying of Children

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2013

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Questions (25, 192)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

25. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will indicate from the perspective of her Department, the extent, if any, to which she can engage with other Departments, schools and youth organisations with a view to combating bullying by electronic or other means; if it might be possible to focus particularly on this issue in an effort to provide an early warning and-or support service to deal with the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7316/13]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she and her Department have engaged with various voluntary and-or statutory organisations with a view to identifying the extent and impact of bullying amongst young people; whether she intends to take any particular or specific initiatives in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7575/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 192 together.

As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am concerned about the impact bullying can have on our children and young people, on their confidence, learning outcomes, self-esteem and mental health.

My Department’s report on the State of the Nation’s Children: Ireland 2012 found that on average, 27.3% of children reported being bullied at school at least once in the past couple of months. A recent EU study to examine the safety of children on the Internet found that 4% of children between the ages of 9 and 16 in Ireland experienced online bullying compared with an EU average of 6%. I am committed to working with colleagues in Government to ensure that integrated policy and service responses to combat bullying and reverse these trends are high on our agenda.

On January 28th of this year, I along with my colleague Minister Quinn launched the Action Plan on Bullying, a report produced by a working group which examined the issue of bullying in schools. The working group on which my Department participated was chaired by the Department of Education and Skills. The publication of this plan is an important step in the Government’s absolute commitment to working with a broad base of interests to protect children and ensure a safer childhood.

The working group reviewed evidence based research on bullying, consulted with leading academics in the field of bullying and reviewed the current best practices in bullying prevention in other jurisdictions. The Working Group also consulted with a range of public bodies, community and voluntary bodies and other stakeholders involved in combating bullying. A full list of the 68 bodies and individuals that provided input is available in the Appendix to the Action Plan on Bullying available on the Department of Education and Skills website.

The Action Plan recommends a range of evidence based actions together with a timetable for their implementation to help us deal more effectively with bullying. My Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Education and Skills, and the Implementation Group being established by that Department, to oversee the implementation of the plan.

My Department will ensure that actions recommended by the Anti-Bullying Working Group are prioritised in the Children and Young People’s Policy Framework to be published later this year. This will be a Governmental strategy for children and young people and I expect that it will further assist in promoting a common approach to the challenge of combating bullying.

The development of the Policy Framework involves consultation between by Department and key stakeholders including other Government Departments, youth sector interests and children and young people themselves, all of which will inform the priorities of the Framework, which is expected by the middle of this year.

My Department will work with the Department of Education and Skills in the development of an anti-bullying website, as recommended in the plan, to provide a single point of access to practical advice for parents, children and teachers to support them in tackling and reporting bullying behaviours, including cyberbullying.

The Plan provides advice for parents and young people with regard to the problem of cyberbullying. In particular, it acknowledges that it is essential that parents and young people themselves understand how to use modern technologies safely; they must understand the risks associated with the cyber world and protect themselves outside of school hours in their homes and communities. The Action Plan provides advice for parents on protecting their children from cyberbullying. I would encourage parents and young people to avail of the advice on www.webwise.ie, an online collection of internet safety resources.

I would further direct the Deputy to the Office for Internet Safety, an Executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality. The office has responsibility for the development and promotion of strategic actions to promote the highest levels of internet safety.

My Department is committed to the fight against bullying and we will work with other Departments, childcare services, education welfare services and the youth sector to raise awareness about bullying, its impact on children and young people and the measures to be taken to tackle prejudice, combat bullying and promote a safer environment for our young people.

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