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Meet the Team
James O’Higgins Norman
Director, ABC
Professor James O’Higgins Norman is UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying and a Professor of Clinical Sociology at DCU Institute of Education.
James leads DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, a University designated research centre which investigates bullying and digital safety in educational and organisational contexts. His research on bullying and digital safety has been funded by the European Commission, the Government of Ireland, the Irish Research Council, Enterprise Ireland, Rethink Ireland and several industry based foundations including Vodafone Foundation Ireland, Meta, and the Equinix Foundation.
As a Clinical Sociologist, James is committed to the application of theory and research to real world challenges. He holds several positions of responsibility related to bullying and digital safety including as a Chair of UNESCO’s Scientific Committee on Bullying and Cyberbullying, the World Anti-Bullying Forum, the Ministerial Steering Committee on School Bullying, the National Advisory Council on Online Safety, and previously on the NCCA Sub-Committee on Intercultural Education for Primary Schools. He has presented his research at the OECD, the UN, WHO, and USAID.
James has served as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Pastoral Care in Education and the Journal of Religious Education. He is a founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Bullying Prevention and has been published in several highly ranked journals including the British Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Feminist Media Studies, and the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. He is co-editor of the Wiley-Blackwell Handbook on Bullying.
In 2020, James received the President’s Award for Research Impact for his research on bullying interventions in post-primary schools. He also received a DCU Invent Commercialisation Award in 2019 and 2022 for his research on bullying and digital safety with social media and telecommunications companies.
Darran Heaney
Project Manager
Darran Heaney is Director of Engagement with DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, responsible for increasing engagement with other units in DCU, as well as with external organisations, industry and other stakeholders. Darran’s supports the implementation of the ABC Stragety as well as managing relationships with external stakeholders, donors and research partners.
He was responsible for development and national roll out of the FUSE Anti-Bullying and Online Safety Programme for schools, a project which began in 2019 and now referenced in Cinealtas Action Plan on Bullying 2022. Darran is a member of the Cinealtas Action Plan on Bullying Working Group, providing support to the Department of Education on the development of the Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Schools.
Previously, Darran worked with DCU Access Service as overall coordinator of the Access TY programme working with 20 DEIS schools in North Dublin. Darran has over 18 years’ experience in Event and Project Management, Marketing and Public Relations. He is a graduate of DCU, completing a Masters in Education and Training Management, eLearning Strand in 2012 and qualified as an Executive & Life Coach in 2016.
Angela Kinahan
Education Officer
Angela is the Education Officer in DCU Anti-Bullying Centre providing leadership to schools participating in the Centre’s flagship programme FUSE as well as leading on communication and engagement with school principals and educational staff from recruitment and registration phase to providing direction and guidance to teaching staff on programme delivery.
In addition, Angela is actively involved in the research schedule and outreach process for the FUSE programme.