Mr. David Duffy:

The TUI thanks the Chair and the committee for the opportunity to make this opening statement. I will be pleased to answer any questions thereafter. Bullying is a damaging experience for students and the wider school community. The TUI and its members are committed to the prevention and elimination of bullying in schools and are proactively engaging with school communities to this end. Research points to the fact that Irish children and students are significantly less likely to encounter chronic bullying than the OECD average. A recent survey found that bullying of young people has halved in the past 20 years and is now significantly lower than the international average.

While certainly a cause for optimism, these facts must be viewed in the context of the emergence of online bullying. Online bullying can be more harmful than traditional forms of bullying. It is relentless, has the potential to reach a large audience and is nameless and faceless. It often encourages others to participate in commentary which means that, even when very little of it is published, it can have far-reaching consequences for the victims.

The use of online platforms has also allowed the bullying of school staff to become a problem. Staff are entitled to dignity and safety in their workplace. School leaders and teachers are sometimes the subject of derogatory and even defamatory comment on social media sites. They are easy targets. Online bullying is particularly harmful and, in extreme cases, can lead to teachers leaving the profession, which will further exacerbate the teacher supply problem. To protect staff and the whole school community, clear guidelines and processes for investigation are essential in order to deal with the perpetrators.

The TUI is concerned that post Covid there may be a rise in certain types of bullying in schools. Covid-19 has exacerbated and highlighted socio-economic and educational disadvantage. In light of the in-school teaching time that has already been lost, it would be horrendous if a fear of bullying were to cause students to refuse to return to school. Concerns have been raised that teachers may become the victims of bullying as a result of their engagement in the accredited grades process.

Bullying does not just occur in schools. It is often a matter for parents and communities to address and occasionally, in very severe incidents, for the Garda to investigate. Schools cannot be held accountable for matters that arise outside of their control. Schools are doing what they can to minimise bullying when students are in school and when they are informed of the problem.

The TUI makes the following recommendations to the committee.

It is essential that guidance allocation, middle management posts and pastoral care supports to schools be dramatically increased. While recent changes in middle management are a small step in supporting students in difficulty, a much larger move in terms of full restoration is required. Significant investment is needed in out-of-school supports such as CAMHS and NEPS if the school is to adequately support the affected students, both victims and perpetrators. Such supports are currently inadequate or lacking. Addressing the issue of bullying requires a whole-school partnership approach of students, parents and school staff. The provision of home school community liaison officers, HSCLOs, in every school in this context would be invaluable. Appropriate training, resources and time need to be put in place for the entire school community, including the board of management. Staff need time to engage in continuous professional development. The anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools, which were published in 2013, should be updated.