Bullying no longer just a schoolyard experience, says Enright

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has urged students to have more personal contact as a way of counteracting bullying in schools.

She said there was a time when bullying was more obvious because it was either verbal or physical and, therefore, more easily identified by a teacher.

"Now, it is more sinister. Young people spend too much time in isolation communicating with others through the internet, websites and text messaging, without any personal communication. It is much more difficult to tackle bullying in this situation."

The Minister was replying to Fine Gael spokeswoman Olwyn Enright, who advocated a national strategy against bullying. A survey had revealed that some 90 per cent of respondents had said their school's anti-bullying policy made no reference to lesbian or gay-related bullying.

She added that the Minister should send guidelines to schools to deal with homophobic bullying until the national strategy was put in place.

The nature of bullying had changed, said Ms Enright. "While we still have traditional bullying, there is now text bullying and bullying on Bebo sites. It is no longer just a schoolyard phenomenon but something that follows children into their homes after school." Ms Hanafin said that when the work done by the Department, various agencies and schemes was taken account, it could be said there was a national strategy in place.

"However, it must be implemented at a local school level through all the elements involved and through social, personal and health education."

The issue could be dealt with in two ways, the Minister added. "We can deal with the bully and, more particularly, with the victim. We must enable victims to have the skills to cope and ensure they do not tolerate bullying behaviour. I am equally conscious that at school level children should feel that if they make a complaint, it will be dealt with and teachers will follow up on it."

All bullying was wrong, said Ms Hanafin. "School policies should be careful to include homophobic bullying. We are conscious of bullying because of race, size, background, abilities and colour, but should be equally conscious of bullying on account of sexual orientation. All types of bullying must be stamped out in the school context."

Ms Enright said some 90 per cent of respondents to the survey had said their schools did not have a policy to deal with homophobic bullying.

Ms Hanafin said a strategy existed in effect, but it must be implemented at school level.

"We should not lose sight of the fact that a policy on bullying can only work if the children, the teachers, the principal, the parents and the board of management sign up to it. Each of these must be familiar with the terms and sanctions of the policy and of how it will be implemented within the school There is no point in writing lofty plans."

She was concerned, she said, that children should not miss school because of bullying. TV programmes for children pointed out that they should tell and not be afraid to do so. Parents should also encourage children to tell.