Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 September 2014
160. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department has been alerted to incidents of bullying amongst children, teenagers and-or young adults; the extent to which the most commonly noted forms of such bullying has been identified or categorised; if provision has been or may be made to address such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36297/14]
View answerAs Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am committed to working with colleagues in Government to ensure that integrated policy responses to combat bullying are high on our agenda and that the necessary supports are in place for a safe environment for children and young adults.
Some correspondence on bullying amongst children and young people has been received in my Department, mostly relating to bullying in the school setting. Correspondence of this nature is referred to the Department of Education and Skills. Issues raised in correspondence received that raise child welfare and protection concerns would be referred to the Child and Family Agency.
The new procedures under the Action Plan for Bullying, led by the Department of Education and Skills, which place a requirement on all schools to address incidences of bullying, are highly relevant to the contexts of young people’s lives and not only in the school setting. They specifically include incidences of cyber-bullying that occur both in and out of the school context and the posting of hurtful messages, images or statements on social media sites, within the definition of bullying. They highlight the need for parents and young people to understand how to use modern technologies safely and to know how to protect themselves in school, at home and in their communities. The Office for Internet Safety, under the Department of Justice and Equality, takes a lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children.
There is a range of support services, supported by various departments and their agencies, including my own Department, which can assist children and young people in coping with bullying situations. These include advice and guidance for families. For example, www.webwise.ie - an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills - provides information and advice for parents and teachers about risks and how to protect children against cyber bullying. At community level, many of the voluntary youth services funded by my Department provide education programmes, run awareness campaigns about bullying and provide programmes for young people to give them the knowledge and skills to build supportive links and counter bullying behaviours.
Revised Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children was published in 2011. The aim of Children First is to direct the identification, investigation, assessment, reporting, treatment and management of child abuse. Bullying is defined in section 9.4 of the National Guidance, as repeated aggression that is conducted by an individual or group against others. The guidance requires that serious instances of bullying behaviour should be referred to the Child and Family Agency.
