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SINN FÉIN HAS published legislation on school bullying in Ireland.
Sinn Féin education spokesperson Deputy Jonathan O’Brien published the Bill in the Oireachtas to provide a legal footing to the existing guidelines that are used by schools when addressing incidents of bullying.
The TD said he believes that bullying in schools is a “serious and growing problem that greatly impacts on the mental well-being and physical health of pupils and teachers alike”. He is calling on the government to support the bill, saying that if it is enacted will greatly strengthen the existing legislation and help schools better deal with the issue.
Deputy O’Brien said:
Bullying is a complex and difficult problem that can manifest itself in many different ways and inflict long lasting scars on its victims. At its worst, the physical and psychological damage to an individual can, as we have sadly seen in recent months, be a significant factor that leads to self-harm and/or death by suicide.
He said that the bill would amend the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 in order to provide for binding, mandatory measures that will have to be adhered to by the boards of management of each school. These measures would ensure that the welfare of children and teachers are adequately safeguarded when reported incidents of bullying occur.
The Deputy added that it also attempts to provide a clear definition of bullying and seeks to address the different forms it can take, as well as the motivations that influence it.
“By placing a greater onus of responsibility on school boards of management, through the mandatory implementation of recognised ‘anti-bullying’ policies, it will establish a standardised code of practice that must be adhered too,” he said.
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Sinn Féin on bullying. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
It’s not made up, it’s a party being proactive on a serious issue!
Maith thú!
Move on ,at least there doing something about it . Not a subject to be making idiot comments on. Its very serious and needs to be dealt with radically. To many young people taking there own lives with the pressure that they are put under from bullying.
Ya its abit of a Fairytale that one party keeps publishing legislation on set topics that people are concerned about whilst the others are so used to doing nothing it feels like a once upon a time story .Sinn Fein working their TD’S hard making them earn their wages. 108 TD’S in Government what do they do ? As far as i can see pop in for a vote and hide for the rest of the term .Wasters.
Typical anti-SF comment. If they came up with a plan to wipe out the national debt overnight, cure cancer, make us live twice as long and decommission the world’s nuclear weapons there would still be people like you cutting off their nose to spite their face.
Considering the problem of bullying in schools and the number of high profile suicides I would listen to anyone who has a proactive and constructive suggestion in how to protect children. You mightn’t like SF but I’m fairly sure that any child that is being bullied and is possibly considering harming themselves as a result will take help from wherever they can get it regardless of political allegiance.
Professor Meehop, there has been a three fold increase of suicide on children under the age of 17 in Ireland in the last decade. Are you suggesting that we should do nothing?
Ultimately with SF, if you say it’s black they will say its white they have a suggestion for everything but no real plan.
Michael, rather than make this party political, would you like top voice an opinion on the proposed Bill? Or is the welfare of children lower down on your priorities than those concerning party bashing?
Cali,
I am suggesting that perhaps the undisputed champions of bullying, harassment and intimidation might actually be very well placed to advise on this important matter.
I think with the Loyal Orders, the British government, the RUC, the B Specials, the INLA, the LVF, UFF and UDA, dissident republicans and loyalist thugs all in the mix, not to mention the Blueshirts and their love of kicking an easy target, maybe it might be a going a bit far to crown them undisputed champions.
Although, congratulations are due to you, also, for getting in with the least downvoted iteration of the most predictable kneejerk comment on this thread.
@ voodoo_criminology, Jean McConville’s family would say they’re undiputed champions I’d say……….
undisputed
And Pat Finucane’s would say it’s the Brits, Marie McGrattons would think it’s the UVF, the people of Drumcree would say it’s the Orange Order, the schoolchildren of Holy Cross would say it’s the DUP.
So, what’s your point? Got an opinion on the proposal?
I’m not a Sinner by any manner or means, but still, it’s not acceptable to think that invoking Jean McConville is sufficient to dismiss the substance of their proposals or arguments.
My point is for many, myself included, to listen to Gerry Adams speak about the negative effects of bullying is like listening to FF talk about the state of our economy………….sickening…….
And don’t talk about water under the bridge, Sinn Feins Sinn Féin chairman Mitchel McLaughlin only a few years ago called it a “legitimate killing”
If the bill is useful, you should support it. If it’s not, you shouldn’t. That simple.
This country needs to move on from harbouring old grudges, if it weren’t for civil war politics, things might have moved on from a choice between either Fianna Fáil gombeens and heartless, useless Blueshirts in every government.
And there are Blueshirts out there who think that the hundreds of their former comrades that they executed, either oficially or extrajudicially, at the end of the civil war were “legitimate killings” too, that doesn’t mean that they can’t contribute to our polity.
The reason they can’t contribute to our polity is that they’re all basically incompetent and/or totally focussed on the needs of the more privileged sectors of society, to the exculsion of everyone else. But I digress.
Your right, if it’s a good bill it should be supported and I do realise that there is many good sinn fein politicans and supporters up and down the country, but a lot of the top brass (old) like Gerry Adams have to much baggage to simply cast aside, move on….yes …… vote for him ….. never
Which is fair enough, but we’re pretty stuck for ideas and energy in our political culture at the minute, I’m personally inclined to listen first before dismissing.
The govt will order their lemmings to vote this down for one reason: it wasn’t their idea.
Surely, when any TD goes to the trouble of drafting legislation they should allow a free vote
Most TD-drafted bills are rubbish.
Most of them are essentially long press releases, rather than a serious attempt at legislation.
Compare one of them to a proper Bill and you can see the difference.
@me hoop – moan moan moan , whinge whinge whinge even when we have at last some credible opposition in the dail.
‘Credible opposition’. Brilliant. Must remember that one.
Why not ask this model party about how it goes about the ‘bullying’ problem in Northern Ireland. Credibly, of course…
Have to say this looks like a make sense bill from SF. It may have taken them 21 months of this Dáil but finally they have produced something of worth to the chamber. Hope the Government run with it.
The shinners and the word credible should never be in the same sentence.
Can I just mention to all S/F members and supporters … Stop getting drawn into negative arguments with people who are or are not members and supporters of other political party’s when sf appears on the journal no matter what the story the usual are on and all they want to do is rise you so I ask you as a proud supporter of s/f myself to stop and just ignore them at the end of the day it’s people on the ground that voted for s/f and going by the poles s/f have never been as popular as they are now bare in mind to that were not perfect and we can make mistakes . Well done to the deputy for proposing this legislation and I hope it passes trough ….
Going by the poles? I never realised our Polish brothers were so interested in our politics. :)
Lol .. polls
Exactly.. Why they can’t look at the proposed legislation and debate THAT rather than getting lost in fallacious ad hominem style arguments.. The legislation itself – or at least the intention behind it is far more important than a few people’s grievances with members of SF or what it used to stand for / be involved in.
Is there a bandwagon they won’t hop on?
Not one mention about the children from you either.
Some mention of unnecessary legislation to jump on a bandwagon for the purposes of populism though.
You would rather they wee fighting a sectarian war in the North leaving the South to the soul control of the FFG/L party dont think so Sinn Fein are here to stay .
Is that I would rather? Thanks for telling me.
Publishing legislation in the Dáil on an issue like bullying isn’t jumping on a bandwagon, it’s politics. That’s what TD’s are paid to do. Do try to keep up…
I’m not going to mention the children either
Im only saying you would because you would am i wrong?
That’s ok Rory we seem to have gone off topic anyway its usually the case when Sinn Fein propose anything.
“am i wrong?”
Apparently not. Apparently you know what I’m thinking.
Well if you read enough of someones comments over the last 9 months you get a pattern of how they think and what their views are and Damocles you aint so bad haha. ;)
If that is the case then you’ll know that in general I oppose rule by party whip and support the concept of election of candidates as representatives. You’ll also know that I believe that existing legislation in matters such as this together with proper education of all parties (parents, teachers, children and other relevant parties) should be sufficient to deal with the increasing existence of bullying and more particularly in recent times cyber bullying.
You’ll know all this.
So I question the stance you took in this conversation.
Was it motivated by populism perhaps?
“You would rather …”
I would rather they fell in the sea.
You will obviously read it and pass judgement on it then Damocles .
I’ll make a personal judgement on it. So will you, so will everyone.
But I don’t believe there is any need for legislation. Thus any legislation must be motivated by other reasons.
Everybody knows how the SF/IRA deal with bullies in their ranks.
Not one mention of the children from you.
Within the recent articles on Loyalist idiots and their flags that were lots of posts saying “They’re stuck in the past, they need to wise up and move on” etc.
Funny though when it comes to Sinn Féin some contributers seem to still be living in the pre-ceasefire, pre-GFA, pre-decommission times.
bullying is not a growing issue, its been around since perhaps the beginning of time in all walks of life. Mechanisms may have altered with time and technology but i feel its necessary to make clear, its nothing new, its the same old beast causing the same black cloud or black dog to follow the victim until he/she can break from the cruel cycle that bullying is and always wil be.
Sinead, are you suggesting that we, as a people should do nothing?
Why the hell did we have a referendum on childrens rights, if it wasn’t to try and build better safe-guards for our children.
You may not know this, but there has been a 3 fold increase in the number of suicides amongst children under the age of 17 over the last 10 years. Are you seriously suggesting, that we should just ignore that and continue as if nothing is happening?
On this fact, Im all for legislation and the introduction of new guidlines but what really needs to be done is attitudes of children in schools need to be changed. I do realise that this some children will always be affected by bullying at some point or to some degree in schools, kids can be cruel to be honest but I feel its the attitudes through school from montasori and straight through secondary school.
Agreed … but without legislation making it a legal requirement to support anti-bullying measures, we are whistling in the wind. Schools that don’t support the programs should face sanctions, or even criminal prosecutions, if the dereliction of their pupils results in totally avoidable deaths.
Agreed Cal, but to be honest, schools can only do so much, Its rather like parents needing eyes in the back of their heads. Its the attitudes of children that need to be changed and a better environment that will enable children to report bullying in schools, similar to that in colleges such as the please talk mental health initiative. Measures must also be introduced to stop the bullyied becoming the bully too, I have witnessed it myself. In essence there is alot that needs to be done and changed and for me personally it’s not exclusivly the school but that of the parents instilling good atitute to others and to the children themselves also.
Sinead the big difference today is that the bullies can invade the child’s home through txt and social media. There is no respite from it. Even 10 years ago a child could come home and get a break from it. Not so now
Yea, I agree but to be honest, people think its new, bullying isn’t new, its just changed with the times and with technology, in this case facebook and in the past, the explosive use of mobile phones, a form of bullying that was also part of my life. To be honest I think no child in primary school should have a facebook account which is surely not the case at present and that needs to change and can change in the home, schools have no responsibility in ensuring this is the case, its up to the individual child and parent(s)
Schools can only do so much? Bullying is rife and school is a place where it happens. Parents place trust in teachers ability to handle these situations and unfortunatly it doesnt seem to work. This legislation can help that. Kids are just kids at the end of the day and the carers are responsible. Thats parents AND teachers. Whilst true social networks are a problem this is something they need to be aware of from both parties and implemented at home. Most bullying starts in primary school and facebook only allows kids 13+ i think ??
age can so easily be fudged for facebook, you could be an 18 year old teen or a 90 year old granny, the person chooses to be honest and its not really validated other then through date of birth. We live in an age that is now reliant on technology that children know more about computers and the internet then their parents and thats a fact
I am about as right wing as it gets on the journal but I have to say well done to S/F on this, deputy O’Brien if I was one of your constituents then you would certainly have my support in the next election.
I absolutely welcome this move. I am slap bang in the middle of a bullying issue with my daughters primary school, I have been to the school 5 times over the same issues involving meetings with the Teacher, Principal and V Principal. I have requested 5 times that my daughter be moved into a different class and the school are point blank refusing. The bullying is still continuing now. Their solution … lets monitor it and see how she can cope, absolutely ridiculous!! I really dont know how much more she can take. The bully’s parents have not even been called to the school. What is it going to take for them to listen to me!
Until the government develops and implements an evidence based ‘whole school approach’ that all schools are required to take to address this kind of problem, we will see no improvement. There are many proven blueprints around the world. I think we can safely say that despite every school in the land having a bullying policy, and often a disciplinary approach, it is not working.
The issue cannot be tackled by top down disciplinary approaches – there needs to be an emphasis on developing the social and emotional literacy of children from an early age, and tackling the root of the problem, which is emotional.
As well as clear understandings about what is acceptable behaviour and consequences there need to be specific supports for children and young people both experiencing and engaging in bullying behaviour, and also group work done with all students, because the role of ‘bystanders’ in a group is also considered critical.
Did anyone see also David Coleman’s Bullyproof series, where he talked to a whole group about their experiences of bullying and how their actions as part of a group (onlookers) can be important – he also brought into that conversation a lad who used to bully when he was in school to talk, and he supported a girl who had been bullied to give a talk to her fellow students about how it felt for her and then answer their questions.
The point is that with a whole school approach to what is going on and mental health programmes that facilitate discussion, dialogue and sharing of feelings and experiences in student groups, we will not tackle the root problem.
I imagine we want to do something that will actually work and then to make sure that schools have the resources and training to make sure it works.
Sorry, that second last para should have read “without a whole school approach…” !!!
Appears Sinn Fein may be in the process of doing something useful.
However, bullying has moved beyond the reach of schools through the use of social media (ask.fm) etc.
So while I applaud the idea to cement an initiative undertaken in many schools across the country SF will need to follow up on or amend their bill to include recent develpments regarding bullying.
If you read the article (rather than just the headline) you might need to amend your post.
Terrorists
Tourist.
Who, the bullies or the victims? I didn’t realise that there was a terrorist problem in our schools.. Do the Gards know?
Bullying is bigger than a school problem, as a lot of irrational partisan reaction above indicates.
An uber-competitive ‘meritocracy’ of social-darwinian, exclusive winners and excluded losers, can only bring out the lowest common denominator animality of dog-eat-dog, devil-take-the-hindmost, thuggery that REWARDS bullying tactics to ensure success in a struggle for resources.
Until we tackle this dominant culture, which leaves the pyramids of power and wealth as the slippery slopes of a rat-race for survival or dismissal to the emigrant trains or disemployement, we are only tackling the most OBVIOUS symptoms of the underlying problem.
SF are to be commended for the effort and the attempt to legislate, but it is far from sufficient to the totality of what is an expanding problem as access to resources shrinks due to idiotic economic mismanagement.
At least one of the political parties is doing something about the issue.
lol the hypocrisy of Sinn Fein going on about bullying. Six men in balaclavas shooting someone in the knees is not bullying????????? Wake up.
It is hardly bullying if the victim is in fact a competing drug dealer. It is natural justice. You can’t blame Republicans for defending their turf.
I think you should read it again
You said I never mentioned the children but I clearly did plus I said issuing them with a small handgun would not solve anything.
Where’s our comments gone Massey ..anyway this is about bullying if all that anyone but Sinn Fein thinkers can resort to is terrorists jibes then like Enda Kenny yesterday ye must be flatout loosing the argument which is about children at the end of the day.Legislation about bullying of children ,what’s the problem ! Does it matter who brings if forward once its taken care of.
Yes it does matter who bring it forward, if it was convicted pedophiles would you still support it. Anyway like I said TERRORISTS
The best part of that comment Daniels was “once it’s taken care of” Gerry would have used that expression more than once!!
Yep that’s the word people normally use when they want to see something get done.Much much Hollywood in you Massey .Thomas you can call them what you want it does’nt bother me i would like to see Partys and TD’S get their finger out and get bullying legislated for 13yr olds commiting suicide is a bad sign of where this country is going .
It’s completely illogical to reject an idea because of the person presenting it.
You’re supposed to look at the idea itself and if you agree you agree, if not you offer constructive criticism.
If you just dismiss it because of who is presenting it then you are a dolt, and you probably shouldn’t be permitted to vote because you clearly don’t understand that it’s the idea / legislation that’s up for discussion. Not the person / party who presented it.
Shanti I agree, but the point of some of the above comments is that SF lack credibility. So no matter what they come up with it will be immediately criticised. If they want to grow as a party this is something they have to address and with the current leadership there is not a hope of this happening.
Pot, Kettle, ….
No mention about the children from you .
Sinn Feinn anti bullying? Ní Cheapaim!
there’s not a political party on the island that has no link to the use of violence to achieve British withdrawal. Michael Collins, Devalera etc didn’t chuck rocks or sing we shall overcome at the tans. wise up,
Saying give them a gun in an indirect jibe at Sin Fein is not remotely putting the interest of children first in your comment, cmon on now Massey.
question, will this address the bullies. seems like it’s more to monitoring the school staff. being a school, everyone is underaged… how will this punishments be for the bullies? slap on the hand, lectures, community service, fines, jail time??
have your say