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Bullying in Schools

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2012

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Ceisteanna (73)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Ceist:

73. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the incidence of school bullying has decreased with the installation of CCTV cameras in a number of schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40906/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In relation to the use of CCTV, all use of CCTV by schools must be undertaken in compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Acts which require, inter alia, that its use must be proportionate and for a specific purpose. Extensive guidance in this regard is available from the office of the Data Protection Commissioner or on their website www.dataprotection.ie. Under the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the school. There is no requirement for school authorities to report incidents or allegations of bullying to my Department. Responsibility for tackling bullying falls to the level of the individual school, as it is at local level that an effective anti-bullying climate must be established and at that level that actions should be taken to address bullying. Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, all schools are required to have in place a Code of Behaviour and this code must be drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). The NEWB guidelines were issued to schools in 2008 and make it clear that each school must have policies to prevent or address bullying and harassment and schools must make clear in their code of behaviour that bullying is unacceptable. The guidelines further state that as well as making explicit that bullying is prohibited in the school, and having an anti-bullying policy, the code of behaviour should indicate what action the school will take in relation to alleged breaches of the school's bullying policy. Every school therefore must have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the framework of the school's overall school code of behaviour. Such a code, developed through consultation with the whole school community and properly implemented, can be the most influential measure in countering bullying behaviour in schools.

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