A new DVD was launched last night to help reduce bullying in Irish schools. Silent Witnesses consists of a DVD and workbook for second-level schools and was developed by Trinity College Dublin's anti-bullying research and resource centre.
The DVD aims to assist schools and parents in preventing and reducing the level of peer aggression, school bullying and violence.
It includes a series of dramatised pieces in which young Irish actors play the parts of people being bullied, people who ignore bullying and the bullies themselves. "Schools have the potential to significantly reduce the level of school bullying and violence, and it is essential for all schools in Ireland to develop awareness, commitment and skills to address this issue," said Trinity College's head of the school of education Prof Mona O'Moore.
She emphasised that bullying has long-term effects, and that the theme of the DVD was to help empower pupils to take action by reporting bullying, not to be bystanders and not to suffer in silence.
A recent survey by the Anti-Bullying Centre of 9,599 primary school children found that 1,777 pupils (18.6 per cent) were bullied occasionally, 807 (8.4 per cent) were moderately bullied, and 480 (4.3 per cent) were frequently bullied (once a week or more).
A total of 2,524 children (26.4 per cent) said they had taken part in bullying other children at school during the term of the survey. Out of 10,843 post-primary pupils surveyed, 1,172 (10.8 per cent) reported occasional bullying, 316 (2.9 per cent) were bullied sometimes while 207 (1.9 per cent) were bullied frequently.
Some 1,606 (15 per cent) of the pupils admitted bullying people during school hours.
The research also showed a significant level of under-reporting of bullying, as 27 per cent of primary and 38 per cent of post-primary pupils did nothing when they saw another pupil bullied.
Prof O'Moore said the increased level of physical attacks on girls in both primary and secondary schools was also a "sinister development".