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Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, has welcomed news that bullying incidents will be recorded by schools, as published in Tuesday’s Irish Times.
The charity stated that recording bullying incidents is important for identification and intervention, prevention and policy development, and accountability and legal compliance.
“Identification and intervention are important in tackling bullying in schools,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said, “By documenting bullying incidents, schools can identify patterns and trends, helping them understand the prevalence and nature of bullying in the school. It also allows for timely recording, leading to prompt intervention, which will enable educators and administrators to address specific incidents and provide support to both the victims and the perpetrators, as well as their families.
Prevention and policy development is a second benefit of record-keeping,” Fiona continued, “This will allow schools to analyse root causes and implement preventative measures to create a safer environment for students. Data-driven decisions are informed decisions, and data on bullying is crucial for developing and updating anti-bullying policies and procedures. Finally, recording leads to accountability and compliance. Documentation of bullying establishes a record of the school’s response, demonstrating accountability to parents, guardians, students, and the wider community. In some serious cases, legal implications may arise from bullying incidents. Having accurate records is essential for compliance and can serve as valuable documentation in any investigation or disciplinary procedures.”
Turn2Me stated that bullying can be extremely difficult for both the student and their parents who often feel helpless and struggle to offer appropriate levels of support. Turn2Me offers up to six free one-to-one counselling sessions to adults living in Ireland and free, unlimited support groups on anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues, all available on Turn2Me.ie