Bullying ‘costs over €100m every year’

The cost of bullying in schools could be over €100m a year, a campaign group believes.

The National Anti-Bullying Coalition, set up last year by parents, teachers, and other concerned people, said its free programme for second-level schools had a 90% success rate in resolving bullying cases.

Founder Monica Monahan said the costs to the justice system of unreformed bullying students were about €30m a year, as 60% have a criminal conviction by age 24 and almost one third have three convictions.