Ms Ann O'Dwyer:

I would like to pick up on Mr. Curtis's point on the telltale signs. One of them is certainly exclusion. It can happen during the transition from primary to post-primary school. It can also happen later on, when a student thinks they have a group of friends, and next thing they are excluded for whatever reason. This is one of the most subtle and insidious forms of bullying and one of the most difficult and challenging.

I will give an example of what we introduced around 2014, after the anti-bullying guidelines. One of the schools produced a really good piece of theatre. Students discussed it afterwards. We were informed and inspired by the instructional leadership programme, where everything happens in groups. Work is a really good methodology for teaching and learning in both primary and post-primary.

When first years come in to schools, they form what we call a base group. It is usually a heterogeneous group that is formed by the school management. It is not a group of friends, but a group of people who do not know each other. Therefore, in a class of 24, one would have six groups of four. The social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum is taught using the groups of four. The SPHE teacher teaches the SPHE curriculum, which is all about people minding themselves, who they are and their identity, how to be a friend, listening and communication. All the social skills are learned in that group of four. The student learns that they are going to take care of their group of four. For instance, if anyone is away because they are unwell for a day, the other people in that group of four will give them a call or send a text, will send them the homework and when they come back, they will welcome them back. It is about taking care of their group of four.

We have found that it is very unlikely that one group of four will bully another group of four or another individual in another group, because the group of four is learning to mind and support. It is basic human kindness. That is a very good model, based on Roger and David Johnson’s co-operative learning approach.