Ms Mary Briody:

I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to speak to the committee today. Young people who have experienced bullying are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder or suffer from depression. Those who both bully and are bullied suffer the most serious effects. They are at greater risk for mental and behavioural problems than those who are victims or bullies alone. Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and behaviours are greatest in this group.

Bystanders fall into one of two groups, namely, those who act to stop bullying and those who do not. Members of the latter group may be afraid of retaliation and experience upset because they wanted to intervene but did not. They may experience increased anxiety and depression that can affect academic performance and increase their use of substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. However, bystanders who act to stop bullying have beneficial outcomes, including increased self-esteem.

There is no direct correlation between bullying and suicide, which is not usually due to a single source of trauma, but bullying can contribute to the intense feelings of helplessness and hopelessness involved in suicidal behaviours. Victims or perpetrators who experience continued, frequent bullying are at greater risk for suicidal behaviour. The types of bullying experienced in a school setting are verbal, social, physical and cyber. The more we learn about mental health, the more we recognise how to address mental health issues. Studies of adults presenting with mental health issues have shown that bullying can lead to depression and anxiety in young people who are bullied, which can continue into adulthood. Those who bully others are likely to engage in violent, unsafe and risky behaviour in adulthood. Even those who simply observe bullying taking place are more likely to have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. A recent European study looked at adults who had been bullied, adults who had bullied other children and a control group of adults who had never been involved in bullying. In the control group, 12% had needed treatment for some mental disorder, compared with 20% of bullies, 23% of those who had been bullied, and 31% of those who had been on both the receiving end and the giving end of bullying.

What can we do to address these issues? The fundamental need of any student is to belong - to a family, a classroom, a school, a community and a country. Outside of family life, the relationship with peers and the relationship with teachers have the greatest influence on young people's development in all aspects of themselves, including physically, socially, sexually, behaviourally, creatively, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. In terms of the well-being of students, and their adult roles in the future, the psychological safety afforded them by their parents and teachers will allow them to express all aspects of themselves safely. If our schools can create a culture of psychological safety for staff and students, then we can eradicate bullying.

This will involve seeing discipline as a vehicle to transport change. Discipline is about creating psychological safety for the student who has experienced bullying. The focus, first, is on the person who has experienced bullying and, second, on the student who has perpetrated the bullying. Discipline means that people experience psychological safety when encountering violations because of the creation of a response whereby the teacher, supported by school policy, models and teaches taking action for self rather than against the student who created the undisciplined behaviour. Taking action for oneself is a mature response to bullying. We need to realise that all behaviour makes sense. We need to educate young people to get underneath the stand of their behaviour, whether it be aggressive, dominant or passive. This requires a whole-school approach. If a young person becomes conscious of what his or her behaviour is about and what function it has, he or she can learn, in safety, to let go of that behaviour.

The sad reality is that a young person's diary knows more about him or her being bullied than do the adults taking care of that young person. The responsibility lies with parents and educators to recognise, monitor, challenge, confront and maturely resolve bullying and passivity. Professionals such as relationship and parent mentors can offer such support to parents and the school community to effect change. I have been privileged to journey with many families and schools in helping them to see a young person and not just his or her behaviour. If I confuse the individual with the behaviour, then no change arises. I thank the committee for the opportunity to make this presentation.