Government warned of 'dangerous levels' of bullying in schools and calls for action

The IREC is compelling the Government to set a timeline for the publication and implementation of a new action plan on bullying and cyberbullying in light of their findings.
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IREC) has called for the State to act in light of "dangerous levels of bullying" they say schoolchildren continue to experience in schools and online.
The IREC is compelling the Government to set a timeline for the publication and implementation of a new action plan on bullying and cyberbullying in light of their findings.
In the watchdog's report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, it says current anti-bullying policies lack an "intersectional" approach and this has resulted in "high levels of identity-based bullying" being experienced by children from ethnic minorities, who are LGBTQI+ and those with disabilities.
"This can have long-lasting negative mental and psychosocial effects on children and young people, making it a serious public health concern," the report said.
The commission also said online communications and social media platforms have developed considerably since the publication of the national action pPlan in 2013, making its approach to cyberbullying outdated.
While the IREC welcomed the establishment of a steering committee to develop a new plan setting out anti-bullying policies, it stressed the need for an intersectional approach that will "include the meaningful participation of children and their experiences of bullying, both on and offline".

Chief commissioner with the IREC Sinéad Gibney said parents were often unaware of the suffering and stress their child is dealing with when they are being bullied.
"This is especially true of cyberbullying," she said.
In relation to anti-bullying policies, Ms Gibney recommended that the State improves the availability of "disaggregated equality data on children across all sectors", including by mandating all bodies subject to the Public Sector Duty to "collect, process, and publish such data."
Other recommendations include that schools should be mandated to cater for students who opt out of denominational teaching and that clear plans should be set out for the divestment of schools from religious patronage.
Additionally, the report called on the Government to provide a legislative definition of the "ethos" of a school.
The report, titled 'Ireland and the Rights of the Child,' also assesses other ongoing issues relating to the rights of minors.
The commission stressed the impact of lockdowns on children over the last two years.
"The pandemic had particularly adverse effects on disabled children, children without access to technology or living space, children living in overcrowded accommodation, Traveller and Roma children and those living in or at risk of poverty," it said.
It further commented that the State's response to the pandemic lacked a focus on "children's rights and equality standards", and called for a comprehensive inquiry into the pandemic response to mitigate the "disproportionate impact" of future crises on children.