Department of Education and Science anti bullying submission White Flag School project 2012

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1 Department of Education and Science anti bullying submission White Flag School project 2012 My key priorities.. My main priority, as I see it in relation to the anti bullying programmes is a nationwide programme of policy and procedure implementation which ensures all schools adopt anti bullying strategy as necessity as opposed to choice. My other main prioirty is to see cohesiveness from all providers of anti bullying services involved in working towards a solution. ABC, Sticks and stones, anti bullying forum, Bully4u and many other independent practitioners will come together to deliver the same, consistent, standardised approach. One which leaves for no grey areas I would like to see all providers of this service working together for the common good on a large scale project which sees consistency and credibility for all involved. This large scale, governement initiative will encourage all schools to adopt a thorough policy which details procedures for all incidents of bullying and defines bullying to the young people in schools. Schools will move away from a punitive approach to bullying and will be encouraged to focus on restorative work with all involved. The key items to note here are laid down procedures, definitions and restoration. How can these priorities be addressed? The White flag school project will motivate schools and communities to address all aspects of the anti bullying campaign. As many schools now work towards green flag status I am proposing white flag status (or another term)

2 A school which meets white flag status will have had some (if not all) of the following elements; Staff training to include mediation / restorative justice Policy development Parent evenings, Student workshops Cyber training (safety online) Social skills training Follow up reviews on cases / policy This will leave for no ambiguitiy as to whether a school recognises bullying, it will serve as a useful tool for parents when choosing schools, will go a long way to combating the schools who refuse to acknowledge bullying and to bring on board the staff members who don t recognise the problem. Not to mention the positive effect on the student who is seeking a safe place to attend school. In terms of cost to the government, this will be minimal (perhaps an allowance per school,..?) as the providers of these services who work privately can continue to provide the service, also creating jobs. In my experience schools are prepared to pay for this service, especially if it is made obligatory and schools will be recognized for their input (by white flag ownership / recognition), The governments role is one of initiative and leadership. Many schools I have worked in just choose parent evenings, or just choose student workshops. Without the other elements the benefit of these events will not be sustained and if staff are not on board or trained in effective anti bullying management, the policy is not effective

3 How can progress be monitored? Ongoing assessments from staff, students and parents will provide progress reports, although as it is such a subjective matter it will be difficult to be precise about progress. Self report measures by the students will also provide an indicator of success. What changes are necessary to existing policies and practices? The DES template is an excellent template, but few schools implement it. It is however missing procedural steps in dealing with situations. Schools needs to move away from punishing students for bullying (this in turn will increase reporting) and understand the psychology behind bullying and this will happen with training and set procedures. The inclusion of the restorative approach is crucial as it is possible the most effective measure in reducing bullying (Kiva programme, Sweden) and as it removes the punishment notion this can increase the incidence of reporting. Schools must adopt their duty of care (child protection) in dealing with bullying, as opposed to it being an extra to deal with in their working day. How to raise awareness Awareness must be raised in individual schools with the introduction of a working policy. Children need to know that their teachers care and support the anti bullying methods being implemented and that they react and advise in set ways according to policy and best practice. With a government initiative such as white flag school project, students get behind the idea and in my experience they enjoy working towards something visible in their school. It will get students talking between schools, as it will be mandatory.

4 Was I a victim of bullying? Many, many years ago.no lasting consequences..but a vague memory of noone doing anything and there being no point in reporting. What practical short term solutions can be taken to improve schools approach to bullying? Short term solutions could include; Providing essential training to a mass audience at a set time, e.g. institute of guidance counselor annual conference, obligatory inservice (Croke park) Sending out policy template to every school, detailing procedures and requesting schools to nominate an anti bullying coordinator Asking schools to express their interest in becoming a white flag school. Exemplars of effective practice.. Whole school approaches have received mixed reviews, however they are known to reduce bullying by up to 50% and no other approach seems to be winning favour. (Smith, Schneider, Smith, & Ananiadou, 2004) Research shows that a student who is in a supportive environment feels better about their situation, therefore having an approved anti bullying establishment will automatically ensure our young people are better cared for. (Eliot, Cornell, Gregory, & Fa, 2010; Pellegrini & Bartini, 2000). The kiva programme in Sweden has shown that after the restorative meetings, 80% of all bullying stopped completley

5 Appendix 1: Submission Form CONSULTATION ON TACKLING BULLYING IN SCHOOLS Respondent s Details Name: JENNIFER RYAN Position (if applicable) CONSULTANT FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST, (provides staff training, parent evenings and student workshops on bullying) Organisation (if applicable) n/a Address Telephone address Date 24 TH OCTOBER 2012 ls this response a personal view or is it made on behalf of an organisation? PERSONAL Submissions may be in English or Irish. Please note that submissions received may be made available from the DES website. Information in relation to this submission may be made available to any person who makes a request under the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and Page 4 of 4