A content analysis of Irish primary school anti-bullying policies.

Abstract

The introduction of the ‘Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools’ (Department of Education and Skills, 2013) marked a significant development in relation to tackling bullying in Irish schools. All schools in Ireland were mandated to create an anti-bullying policy that was compliant with these guidelines. However, the Irish Government have yet to investigate its implementation since its introduction. A content analysis of primary school anti-bullying policies in the Republic of Ireland was therefore conducted to inspect the extent to which schools have implemented the guidelines. 321 schools were selected by random-sampling procedures, and their anti bullying policy was analysed using a 34-item coding frame. 87% of the sample was compliant with the guidelines, and overall, schools included about 85% of the items from the coding frame in their policies which is a very positive result. However, it was concerning that 13% of schools were non-compliant, and up to 15% excluded various types of identity-based bullying from their bullying definition. Although 89% of the policies did include supports for “pupils affected by bullying”, specific supports for victims and perpetrators of bullying were only provided in 69% and 66% respectively, despite schools being required to include specific supports for both. The total scores were substantially higher than earlier studies conducted in England and Northern Ireland, showing the power that a centralised set of procedures can have to ensure policies are of a very high standard. Findings are discussed in terms of what schools and the Irish Government could do to ensure compliance, and guarantee all policies are of the highest standard to protect the entire school community. Recommendations for further research and implications for policy and practice are also provided.