Bullying in schools

Bullying is targeted behaviour, online or offline, that causes harm. The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature.

Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between 2 people or groups of people in society.

Cyberbullying is bullying through the internet or mobile phone, often through social networking sites.

This means a person can be cyberbullied whenever they are online, even when in their own home. Because it happens on the internet, it is difficult to prevent.

How to deal with cyberbullying

For information about how to deal with cyberbullying, you can:

• Visit the Be Safe Online hub on Gov.ie for a range of online safety resources, including information on online bullying
• See guidance for parents on dealing with cyberbullying on Webwise.ie
• Visit the Tackling Bullying website for a range of additional support services and resources offering advice on dealing with cyberbullying.
• Read our page about how to keep your child safe online

Many children who are being bullied are afraid to speak out. They may be worried that telling someone will make the bullying worse.

Reports have shown that as young people grow older, they are less likely to tell someone. They become more and more isolated, experience depression and, in extreme cases, can harm themselves or attempt suicide.

Signs my child is experiencing bullying behaviour

Tusla and Barnardos have a booklet about coping with bullying for parents of children between 6 and 12 (pdf).

It says signs of bullying can include:

• Fear of going to school
• Poor or deteriorating schoolwork, or an inability to concentrate
• Withdrawn behaviour
• Depression
• Loss of confidence
• Reluctance to go out
• Shortage of money
• Torn clothes, broken glasses, missing schoolbooks
• Repeated signs of bruising and injuries

If you think your child is displaying bullying behaviour, it is important to recognise this and help them to deal with it. You should talk to the class teacher about this bullying behaviour and how it could be changed.

If you are told that your child might be bullying somebody, it is important to react appropriately. Try not to immediately dismiss the allegation, or immediately punish your child.

Instead, you should establish the facts of what happened and, if bullying has occurred, work with the teacher to:

• Show your child the consequences of their actions, and
• Hold them accountable for their behaviour.

You can read Tusla’s guidance on what to do if you suspect your child is a bully.

If a child is being bullied at school, adult intervention is usually needed. Bullying must be challenged or it will become regular and get worse.

If you think your child is being bullied at school, you should first talk to the class teacher or school principal.

School authorities are responsible for dealing with bullying. All schools should have an anti-bullying policy as part of their overall code of behaviour.

Anti-bullying initiatives for schools

The Department of Education has published:

• A new anti-bullying strategy, Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying (pdf), and an implementation plan for 2023-2027, and
• New anti-bullying procedures, Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (pdf)

As part of this strategy, new anti-bullying modules will be taught in primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. These modules include a first-year resource to support students moving from primary to post-primary education.

The modules will build on the existing FUSE programme, which is currently taught in primary and post-primary schools, and which covers:

• Noticing and reporting bullying, and
• Dealing with cyberbullying and online conflict.

If the bullying behaviour continues

If the matter cannot be resolved by the school staff, you can report it to the Chairperson of the school’s Board of Management. The Board of Management is legally responsible for the day-to-day running of the school and has a duty of care to the students.

The Board is instructed by the school patron to carry out its duties under the Education Act 1998.

Making a complaint

If you are not satisfied with how bullying behaviour has been addressed by the school, you should be referred to the school’s complaints procedure.

If you are not happy with how a complaint has been handled by the school, you can complain to the Ombudsman for Children. They can accept complaints from:

• Parents or guardians, and extended family members
• Children and young people under the age of 18
• Adults on children’s behalf (such as residential care staff, social workers, teachers and others who work with children)

The Ombudsman for Children's role when investigating a complaint is to see if a public body's administrative actions had an adverse effect on a child or children. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children can be contacted at ococomplaint@oco.ie.

You can get more information on how to make a complaint about bullying from the Department of Education. However, the Department of Education itself does not have any power to investigate complaints.

Anti-bullying school procedures

The Department published Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (pdf) in June 2024. The updated procedures:

• Include guidance on when bullying becomes a child protection concern
• Ensure proper oversight at school-level
• Make sure that schools’ anti-bullying policies are developed in consultation with whole school communities.

These procedures must be implemented in schools from the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.

Serious instances of bullying

Serious instances of bullying, where the behaviour is regarded as possibly abusive, must be reported to Tusla or An Garda Síochána.

If your child is being bullied at school, you should first contact their school (see ‘How is bullying behaviour stopped?’ above).

You can also:

• Read the Department of Education’s anti-bullying resources for parents, students, and schools
• Find information and resources about bullying on the Barnardos and Tusla websites
• Read about dealing with cyberbullying on Webwise.ie (see ‘Cyberbullying’ above)
• Visit the Tackling Bullying website for a range of additional support services and resources offering advice on dealing with bullying and cyberbullying

If your child has experienced serious instances of bullying, where the behaviour is regarded as possibly abusive, you should report it to Tusla or An Garda Síochána.