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Research Fellow Opportunity at DCU Anti-Bullying Centre

DCU Institute of Education
Dean’s Research Fellow (One Semester)
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre

Background

DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) is a university designated research centre located in DCU Institute of Education. In line with DCU’s Strategy, the core mission of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre is to be a future focused and globally connected European centre of excellence for research and education on bullying and digital safety.

Through scholarly outputs, education, and societal engagement, the Centre significantly contributes to DCUs research reputation and impact, while enhancing local and international engagement. The Centre comprises approximately 50 members who are engaged in research and education related to bullying and digital safety. The Centre hosts the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying and the International Journal of Bullying Prevention. From 2018 to 2022 the Centre published 192 Scopus ranked papers, achieving a current combined Field Weighted Citation Index of 2.7.

Members of the Centre are drawn from all five faculties of the university and are united by our purpose and the mutual support from our global community to achieve our aims. We take pride in our ethical way of working and the positive social impact our research has on tackling bullying and promoting digital safety. We believe our spirit will flourish because we are ethical, ambitious, collaborative, compassionate and committed to tackling bullying and digital safety for wellbeing in society.

The Role

The Centre is pleased to announce a new and exciting opportunity for an early to mid-career academic in DCU Institute of Education who is interested in pursuing research related to bullying and/or digital safety and education.

The Dean’s Research Fellowship will allow an ambitious individual to be seconded to the Centre from mid-August 2024 to end of January 2025 to undertake a specific study that will enhance their research profile as well as contribute to the canon of research associated with the Centre.

The Fellow will be based in the Centre, which is located on All Hallows Campus, and will work as a full-time researcher for the duration of the fellowship.

The following is an indicative job description:

  • Undertake a specific piece of research that relates to bullying and/or digital safety and education
  • Submit two papers for publication in Q1 journals.
  • Attend Centre meetings and contribute to the wider work of the Centre.
  • Identify and apply for funding opportunities.
  • Present a seminar on their research.
  • Support other research activities in the Centre.

The Fellowship will provide the selected individual with an opportunity to elevate and enhance their research profile. As a member of the Centre, the Fellow will receive significant support from the UNESCO Chair, the Director of Engagement, and the Centre Administrator, as well as collaborate with other members of the Centre.

Requirements

Individuals who are interested in applying for the Dean’s Fellowship should be full-time academic staff members of the Faculty.

If successful in their application, they must engage with their Head of school on sourcing temporary cover for the period of the Fellowship. School placement responsibilities/duties may not be covered by the Fellowship unless otherwise agreed with the Head of School.

Those interested should submit a short research proposal (approx. 1000 words) in which they outline the topic they wish to research. The proposal should explain how the focus of the Fellowship will build on their research to date and how it will contribute to the wider field of study on bullying and/or digital safety. The applicant is not expected to have previously undertaken research in this field but should be able to highlight how their work to-date can be linked to an aspect of bullying and/or digital safety and education.

The applicant should outline what research methods they propose to use and what resources they will require to undertake the study.

While the Fellowship is for one semester, it is hoped that it will allow the individual to maintain an interest in the Centre and remain as an active member after the secondment has finished and they have returned to their School.

More information on the Centre can be found on www.dcu.ie/abc

Informal enquiries can be made to Prof. James O’Higgins Norman

Applications can be emailed to: angela.kinahan@dcu.ie

Closing Date: 26th April 2024

Equinix and DCU Anti-Bullying Centre Launch a New Partnership

Equinix, a global leader in digital infrastructure, has announced a new partnership with Dublin City University’s Anti-Bullying Centre. In this piece, Peter Lantry, Equinix’s Managing Director for Ireland, and Professor James O’Higgins Norman, Director of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre and UNESCO Chair in Bullying and Cyberbullying, discuss their shared goal of a world without bullying. 

What was it that first sparked your interest in the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre – and how does their work align with the values of Equinix as a company? 

Peter: Firstly, I am passionate about anti-bullying on a personal basis. I experienced bullying myself when I was young, and I think people need to understand that it isn’t something to be ashamed of. I have two children now, and the world they’re growing up in is defined by different types of bullying – it’s online, it’s more insidious, and we need to keep ahead of it.

Secondly, I could immediately see a connection between James’s work here and our values at Equinix. Equinix is aligned with DCU’s Anti Bullying Centre in that both organisations want to make people feel safe, feel a sense of belonging and know that they matter, no matter who they are. In Equinix, we’re solving problems together, and we need to treat each other with respect and care to be able to do that. On a social level, we have Connected Groups, such as Connected Pride, Connected Faith and Connected Black, that bring people together and allow them to express themselves. In our work too, we embed training that prioritises managing bias, being an active ally and being aware of privilege.

How does the support of Equinix help further the impact of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre?

James: I am very excited about working with Equinix and with Peter. This is a company that is very purposeful in terms of how it approaches humanity – both in how it engages with its employees and with wider society. The core aim of DCU is to transform lives and societies, and we want to work with partners who share that vision and commitment. Equinix is clearly such a partner.

The goals of the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre and the UNESCO Chair in Bullying and Cyberbullying are to ensure that bullying is eradicated from schools, societies and workplaces. It may be an ambitious goal, but we believe in it. With the right resources, enterprise and creativity, it is possible.
We cannot resign ourselves to bullying in our institutions. Bullying is a threat to democracy itself. If we accept that some people should have more power than others, that undermines the central idea of democracy: that all should have an equal voice.

Our research is working to develop a more nuanced and deeper understanding of bullying. An individual bullying encounter happens within a context, and within a societal structure, and we need to deepen our understanding of the wider context that allows bullying to continue. This research is vital if we are to eradicate bullying from society.

We’re using our learnings to develop resources and guides that can be used wherever bullying takes place, so this is not ivory tower research. This is research driven by creativity, innovation and enterprise, and we look for partners who can help us as we find new ways of doing things. We could see that Equinix is an innovator that does things ethically, so it made sense for us to work together.

The eradication of bullying is an inspiring goal – Peter, what is your view on the ambitions James has described?

Peter: Equinix has the global reach to support that vision that James has set out. One of our own goals is to ensure that everyone is treated equally and to support talent irrespective of where it comes from – and our work with DCU Anti-Bullying Centre supports that goal. The learnings of this Centre will help Equinix and other companies to think about how we do business, and will inform best practice in our teaching and training.
Speaking to James sheds light on what can be done and what needs to be done, and I’m very interested in the science and research behind this. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre has information, shared tools and effective techniques to tackle bullying, and I would like to see those employed around the world. Equinix is in 72 cities across the globe, and we have connections around the world. Our partnership can start to expand the reach of the Anti-Bullying Centre.

James, how does building a partnership like this make a difference? 

James: As a leading European research centre with a global reach, and in the global role of UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, having a global partner like Equinix can help us to enhance our reach.

I think it’s really important that people in leadership, people like Peter, can name bullying as an issue, both as someone who has experienced bullying and as an ally. I think conversations about bullying are often given other names, like wellness, but it is important that we name the behaviour, and that people aren’t afraid to talk about it and call it out and have an open and honest conversation about why it happens in our society. We need to recognise bullying as a societal process that needs to be addressed. So often, people look the other way because they fear becoming the next target, and people who experience bullying are left on their own.

We need the right teaching and training so that people can recognise bullying behaviours in themselves, and recognise how they respond to bullying behaviours from others. It’s a social process, so how I respond is as important as the actions of the bully and the person being bullied. We need the right people, people like Peter, who are willing to speak and to take action. The whole of society needs to change – and we need allies to call that out.

In addition to partnering with the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, Equinix also supports the DCU Access to the Workplace programme, which helps to level the playing field for students who we know experience disadvantage in the workplace after graduation. What about this initiative resonates with you, Peter?

Peter: Access to the Workplace is so important for many reasons. Even getting an interview in many companies can be an issue of access and privilege. Yet even from a selfish point of view, companies need to address those barriers in order to get the right talent in. Taking part in the DCU Access to the Workplace programme is a key part of that process for us.

DCU Access to the Workplace supports access for students who may not have the same opportunities, and enables representation where there may be bias. It’s about trying to give a chance to everyone who deserves a chance. It’s a brilliant initiative to widen a company’s access to talent while also ensuring that everyone has access to the opportunities they need.

If you’re interested in supporting and learning more about the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, please contact DCU Educational Trust today at edtrust@dcu.ie.

What is life like for a mainstream primary school child who has been identified as having learning difficulties?
2011
Lay, Julia
University of East London

Few studies have focused on the perspectives of children with ‘learning difficulty’ labels in the UK. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the experience of children in a mainstream primary school in London who had been identified as having ‘learning difficulties’. Six children were observed in their school environment, interviewed using props and pictures, and invited to take photos of significant features of their daily lives. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically from a critical realist standpoint. The children in the study were mostly not remarkable from other children, either in their appearance or behaviour, or in their experiences and views. They had a variety of understandings and feelings about the additional support they received, but largely seemed fairly neutral about it and did not seem to feel particularly different from their peers. In contrast with much of the literature, stories of stigma and bullying were not found. This seemed to reflect an inclusive school culture. Some of the children were however noticeably socially isolated from their peers. Teaching assistants played a key role in several children’s lives, and this was largely positive, although their role sometimes constrained opportunities for peer interactions and autonomy. Although the sample was not representative of children with ‘learning difficulties’, the findings point to the possibility that schools can create an environment whereby children with different learning abilities or styles do not experience ‘impairment’ (difficulties with learning) or ‘disability’ (barriers to opportunities). This may only apply to children with milder differences from supportive families, but is consistent with theory that both impairment and disability are socially constructed. Further research is needed into how schools can create such an environment, as well as into barriers to friendships for children with ‘learning difficulty’ labels.

A Nietzschean Analysis of Cybercrime and Deviance
2020
Noble, Wayne
University of Central Lancashire

The intention of this thesis is to examine various types of online deviance, such as ‘trolling’ and other forms of cyber bullying with special attention paid to the deviance which occurs on social networking sites and peer-2-peer file sharing websites.

The central claim of this thesis is that deviant behaviour can be influenced (encouraged, magnified) by ‘ressentiment’, which can reside within the individual. This ‘ressentiment’ forms part of a complex array of situational factors called ‘Flexible Causal Prediction’, whereby individuals may experience a particularly strong influence on behaviour but are not predetermined to act in certain ways. In this thesis the author uses Nietzsche’s philosophical notions of ‘Nihilism’, ‘Slave Morality’, ‘ressentiment’, ‘Will to Power’ and the ‘Übermensch’ to build an existential picture of deviant behaviour.

The author also draws upon the criminological/sociological notions of ‘Drift’, ‘Master Status’ and the ‘Techniques of Neutralisation’ (Sykes and Matza 1957) to introduce the new concepts of ‘Flexible Causal Prediction’ (previously referred to as ‘Causal Probability’); and the idea of ‘Situational Influences’. This undertaking is done with the intention of building upon the Meta-theoretical work of Owen (2007 – 2015), which seeks to build bridges between the social and physical sciences. The theory of ‘Flexible Causal Prediction’ is also applied to the deviant activities of internet trolling and anti-social behaviours to demonstrate the influences on behaviour.

Nietzsche’s philosophical notion of ‘Slave Morality’ and ‘ressentiment’ will also be extended when looking at some radical social justice movements, such as ‘AntiFa’, ‘Black Lives Matter’ and the ‘#MeToo’ movement to demonstrate the role that ‘ressentiment’ may play in behavioural choices. To assist this analysis Saul Alinksy’s 1971 book ‘Rules for Radicals’ will be referenced to demonstrate how the rules are based on a collectivist ‘herd’ mentality of slave ‘ressentiment’ and how these rules have themselves lead directly to deviant behaviour, online and offline and how a politically correct ideology could be responsible for encouraging such behaviours.

View Publication
New Research at ABC

Researchers at the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre have published their latest work. It is important for the development and progress of ABC that our researchers are continually in line with recent research trends and part of a wider world-class network of researchers in their fields. Below is a snapshot of some of ABC’s recent publication accomplishments and their impact on bullying research, prevention, intervention and policy:

Gender and Online Hate: Debbie Ging and Eugenia Siapera.

Ging, D. & Siapera, E. (2019). Gender hate online: Understanding the new anti-feminism (Eds.). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-96226-9. [https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319962252].

[From Publisher’s Site] Gender Hate Online addresses the dynamic nature of misogyny: how it travels, what technological and cultural affordances support or obstruct this and what impact reappropriated expressions of misogyny have in other cultures. It adds significantly to an emergent body of scholarship on this topic by bringing together a variety of theoretical approaches, while also including reflections on the past, present, and future of feminism and its interconnections with technologies and media. It also addresses the fact that most work on this area has been focused on the Global North, by including perspectives from Pakistan, India and Russia as well as intersectional and transcultural analyses. Finally, it addresses ways in which women fight back and reclaim online spaces, offering practical applications as well as critical analyses. This edited collection therefore addresses a substantial gap in scholarship by bringing together a body of work exclusively devoted to this topic. With perspectives from a variety of disciplines and geographic bases, the volume will be of major interest to scholars and students in the fields of gender, new media and hate speech.

Bullying in Residential Care: Angela Mazzone

Mazzone, A., Nocentini, A. & Menesini, E. (2019). Bullying in residential care for children: Qualitative findings from five European countries. Children and Youth Services Review, 100, 451-460. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.025. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740918309332#ac0005].

[Abstract] The present study addressed institutionalised children and staff members’ perspectives about bullying in Residential Care settings (RCs) in five European countries (Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy and Romania.). Interviews and focus groups were conducted respectively with 123 institutionalised children and adolescents (age range: 6–18) and staff members (N = 95; age range: 23-63). Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data. Overall, findings indicated that participants were not fully aware of the specific features of bullying. Children and adolescents considered bullying as a normative behaviour and were reluctant to ask for adults’ help when bullying happened. Staff members attributed bullying to children’s traumatic experiences and to a need for adults’ attention. Findings shed light on the lack of standardised protocols and of professional trainings to tackle bullying. Implications for intervention programs aimed at preventing and tackling bullying are discussed.

 

The role of Friendship Quality and Gender on Cyberbullying and Psychological Well-being: Mairéad Foody, Lian McGuire, Seffetullah Kuldas and James O’Higgins-Norman

Provisionally accepted open-access article. Full citation coming soon: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01723/.

Friendship quality, gender and their role in cyberbullying involvement and psychological well-being

[Abstract] Current literature has documented the detrimental effects of cyberbullying which include a range of internalising and externalising problems for those involved. Although critical, this research can sometimes ignore social-ecological aspects of a child’s life that can potentially ‘buffer’ the negative psychological effects of such involvement. With this in mind, this cross-sectional investigation of 12-16 year olds [M(SD): 13.5(1) years] in Ireland focused on the role of friendship quality and gender in association with cyberbullying involvement and psychological well-being (N= 2410). The Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Scale was used to measure cyber perpetration and victimisation. A modified version of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire was included to investigate peer friendship quality. Finally, the Moods and Feeling Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were chosen to provide a measurement of psychological well-being. Prevalence rates for various types of cyberbullying roles (cyber bullies, victims and bully/victims) are presented, as well as differences for psychological well-being, friendship quality and cyberbullying involvement. In addition, regression models were used to determine the associations between gender, age, friendship quality and involvement in cyberbullying with psychological well-being. The results are considered in terms of the current literature and directions for future research are suggested.

Whistleblowing in Ireland

Some people who complained about bullying at work claimed that it was due to reprisals after they reported concerns of wrongdoing.

40 per cent of those working in healthcare were penalised after raising their concerns, a rate far higher than an overall average of 24 per cent across all sectors.

Whistle-blowers from the policing sector reported similar rates of retaliation to healthcare at 38 per cent, with those working in banking and finance at 30 per cent.

The greatest number of complaints/calls came from the charities and NGO sector with health and education second and third.

There is an organisation, Transparency International Ireland, founded in 2004, an independent group campaigning against corruption, and for higher standards in public and corporate life:
There is a Speak Up helpline and they have published, in the last few years, a biennial Speak Up Report, based on anonymised information on those who approached that helpline for information, referral, or support. Their latest Speak Up Report was launched yesterday, Thursday, 9th December, and can be downloaded from TI’s home page, under the heading ‘Latest News’ or click the link below.
As a result of the launch, there has been some media attention. Here’s an article from The Irish Times:
Read similar articles in the Irish Examiner:
Multi-disciplinary PhD Scholarship Opportunity

DCU Anti-Bullying Centre & DCU School of Law and Government
Children’s online safety and protection of LGBTQ+ groups
Multi-disciplinary PhD (4 years, full time)

DCU Anti-Bullying Centre

DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) is a university designated research centre located in DCU Institute of Education with members drawn from across the university. In line with DCU’s Strategy, the core mission of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre is to be a future focused and globally connected European centre of excellence for research and education on bullying and digital safety. Through scholarly outputs, education, and societal engagement, the Centre significantly contributes to DCUs research reputation and impact, while enhancing local and international engagement. The Centre comprises approximately 50 members who are engaged in research and education related to bullying and digital safety. The Centre hosts the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying and the International Journal of Bullying Prevention. From 2018 to 2022 the Centre published 192 Scopus ranked papers, achieving a current combined Field Weighted Citation Index of 2.7.Members of the Centre are drawn from all five faculties of the university and are united by our purpose and the mutual support from our global community to achieve our aims. We take pride in our ethical way of working and the positive social impact our research has on tackling bullying and promoting digital safety. We believe our spirit will flourish because we are ethical, ambitious, collaborative, compassionate and committed to tackling bullying and digital safety for wellbeing in society.

DCU School of Law & Government

The School of Law and Government is a community of students and staff dedicated to studying the puzzles, problems, and opportunities of the contemporary world. The School was awarded Law School of the Year Award at the Irish Law Awards 2021. We offer challenging programmes and undertake ambitious research across a wide range of subjects in law, politics, and international relations. The DCU Law and Tech Research Cluster is the branch of the DCU Law Research Centre specialising in law and new technologies. It represents the first research group in Ireland expressly designed to investigate, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the challenges that technology and innovation generate for law, both at the national and international levels. The Cluster is a founding member of the European PhD in Law, Data and AI (EPILDAI) network, composed of leading research universities around the world.

Background

Many countries around the world are considering regulating children’s online safety by introducing obligations requiring social media platforms to filter and restrict access to specific types of content. The combined effect of the emergence of these new regulatory frameworks and the interpretation of these rules at platform level has been criticized for its capacity to potentially censor online content and discriminate against LGBTQ+ groups. Social media have proved to be a unique instrument to access, transmit and receive information within LGBTQ+ communities, especially in countries still discriminating against these societal groups. Preventing children from accessing these types of content has a profound impact on their education and personal development, and more generally risks representing a disproportionate compression of their fundamental rights.

The Role

We are looking for an excellent PhD applicant willing to work in this area from a multidisciplinary and/or comparative perspective. Applicants are required to possess at the time of application a bachelor’s degree in an area related to the main PhD theme. Having completed a master’s degree is a plus.

The selected candidate will receive an annual non-taxable stipendium of €22,000. EU full time fees will be covered. This role is part funded by the Equinix Foundation and the Law and Tech Research Cluster. The PhD will start in September 2024.

The applicant will be supervised by Prof James O’Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair in Bullying and Cyberbullying and Director of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, Dr Edoardo Celeste, Associate Professor of Law, Technology and Innovation and Coordinator of the DCU Law and Tech Research Cluster, and Dr Sinan Asci, postdoctoral researcher at DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. The selected candidate will be based at the DCU Antibullying Centre and will also be a member of the DCU Law and Tech Research Cluster.

The selected candidate will be required to work full time on their PhD and to contribute to selected research and teaching activities in the context of DCU Antibullying Centre and DCU Law and Tech Research Cluster. The selected candidate will also be part of the European PhD in Law, Data and AI (EPILDAI) network and will have the opportunity to complete a visiting stay of 3-6 months in one of the partner universities.

The PhD candidate’s specific duties will include:

  • Undertake research leading to a PhD;
  • Produce academic papers and reports throughout the course of the PhD;
  • Identify and make funding applications for further research on related topics;
  • Collaborate with colleagues in the Centre and the cluster;
  • Attend meetings and produce reports.

In order to apply, please send your CV and a PhD proposal of maximum 3000 words to lawandtech@dcu.ie by 31 May 2024. The PhD proposal should illustrate your research question, state of the art, methodology and proposed timeline. Interviews will be held on 11 June 2024. Informal inquiries can be sent to lawandtech@dcu.ie.

Taking perspective on our own short comings: Lessons learned from our project investigating discrimination of the Roma population in Ireland.

Taking perspective on our own short comings: Lessons learned from our project investigating discrimination of the Roma population in Ireland.

 

We (Dr Mairéad Foody and Dr Seffetullah Kuldas) are working on the BReAThE project which is an investigation of discrimination of Roma children in education in Ireland. The following are some personal reflections on our research project and the challenges it has faced.

The idea behind our research project was simple. At the Anti-Bullying Research and Resource centre we are concerned with all and any investigations of bullying and discriminatory behaviour and try as hard as we can to create knowledge conducive to reducing victimisation. We were aware that, in Ireland the Roma community face discrimination, as in other European countries. This did not take any scientific expertise to figure out, we have all heard racist sentiments and consumed media that doesn’t seem to have a problem with creating an ‘us and them’ attitude. Despite this, many Roma parents want to see their children grow up in Ireland.  As such, an investigation of discrimination of Roma community seemed to be an easy feat. Oh how wrong we were!

Of course, we were wrong. Because just this action of saying we would investigate the Roma population is in itself contributing to this ‘us and them’ attitude. Who on earth did we think we were to say we would easily contact members of the Roma community, interview them and then write up their experiences in academic journals? What on earth did we know? What right did we have to assume we could even understand their experiences? Why on earth should they trust us to share their most vulnerable stories? In fact, Roma children and their parents have no single reason to participate in “our” research but many historical and contemporary reasons not to.

From the beginning it was obvious our research aims were not going to be met, or at least not to the pre-planned or original benchmark outlined in the funding application. The Roma population in Ireland is small to begin with (approximately 3000-6000). Throw in a global pandemic where community centres and schools are closed and we are down to a handful of research participants. A handful of research participants gives only a very tiny window into the discriminatory experiences that have spanned years, countries and systems. However, despite so many complications and barriers to conducting the research project in its original sense, we have learned some life-long lessons.

The first lesson is that the process from the beginning was flawed. We (a bunch of academics) obtained funds for a research project after reading and researching available materials. There was no consultation with the Roma community when designing the project. I also don’t think the Roma community were consulted on when deciding which funding applications would be granted (although we cannot say this for sure as we do not know the ins and outs of the evaluation process for EU research projects). It seems a no-brainer that the population you are trying to empower should be the first point of call when designing a research study. Otherwise, we are disadvantaged (as are the research population) from the outset. In this instance we were effectively ‘dis-empowering’ members of the Roma community by designing our research project this way. This is not what you want when the whole reason we were undertaking this research was to reduce discrimination and empower Roma children in Irish education.

The learning from working with the Roma community or at least trying to (and meeting many problems along the way) has been insurmountable for both of us at a personal and professional level. The biggest realisation has been in relation to our own perspectives and privileges that in themselves are barriers to creating real change. I do believe it is not just us, but many policies and legislation that are currently trying to promote ‘inclusion’ of Roma in education systems across Europe. The poor perspective-taking goes beyond our own short comings. For example, Ireland’s Integration Strategy relates to Roma and Travellers. But what do they have in common? There are historical experiences of travelling as a way of life in both, but aside from that, one could argue that there are very few similarities. Except of course, that they are both marginalised in current Irish society. You could say that this is the only thing Roma and Travellers have in common- their experiences of discrimination and suffering.

Moving forward, all research would be improved upon if we engaged members from the Roma community at every stage. We were lucky to have two great Roma research assistances and excellent Roma partners (Musicantia) with us on our research journey. Without them, this project would never have worked. However, there is still a lot to be done on the ground and at the level of policy to ensure the voices of Roma are heard. So where do we go from here? Don’t ask us, we are not Roma!!

 

 

How to respond effectively to bullying and cyberbullying: The whole-education approach

International research suggests that successful initiatives aimed at tackling school bullying and cyberbullying are delivered as part of a whole-school approach. However, these whole-school based initiatives have been limited in their success because they have failed to recognise that the local school exists within a wider education system and community that is supported and maintained by society.

Consequently, the Scientific Committee proposes that an effective response to bullying and cyberbullying should be described as a “whole-education approach”. A whole-education approach ensures that local school initiatives recognise the importance of the interconnectedness of the school with the wider community including education, technological and societal systems, values and pressures, all of which can impact on the prevalence and type of bullying and cyberbullying that occurs in a school.

Characteristics of the whole-education approach

This whole-education approach to reducing violence and bullying in schools including cyberbullying is holistic as it provides a comprehensive and systemic framework including legal and policy influence that are beyond a whole-school approach. This approach to reducing bullying contributes to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and SDG16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies. By proposing this broader approach to school bullying, the education system can be even more inclusive and sustainable for the future.

The Scientific Committee recognizes the following pre-requisites that ensure that the whole-education approach to bullying and cyberbullying has a wide national coverage, is sustainable, inclusive and benefits all children, and is comprehensively implemented across the entire school system.

  • Each of the nine components is important and necessary but not sufficient alone. These should be considered as integrated elements of the whole-education approach. A coherent combination of these nine components will enhance the long-term effectiveness of responses to bullying. In summary, the 9 core components of a whole-education approach are not a menu (or ‘shopping list’) from which only some aspects can be selected to reduce bullying.
  • It is necessary to plan and implement well-coordinated systematic actions that are sustainable. Once-off measures are not effective.
  • This places a greater emphasis on the significance of the whole system of education underlying the commitment not only to help students involved in bullying (perpetrators and targets alike) but to make the entire education system better equipped to reduce violence, bullying, and cyberbullying among learners.
  • National or sub-national education authorities should design programmes that can be effectively implemented in all schools and across the network of relationships attached to schools.
  • Education authorities should support schools, with the implementation of bullying prevention programmes with guidance and resources.
  • Children and young people need to be centrally involved in designing, implementing and evaluating the nine components of the whole-education approach. Schools exist for children and young people and need to be involved in an age-appropriate manner to develop and implement the whole-education approach.
  • A whole-education approach, along with addressing directly bullying, should also explicitly promote positive, respectful and caring interactions.

KEY MESSAGES ON EACH COMPONENT OF THE WHOLE-EDUCATION APPROACH

STRONG POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND ROBUST LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS BULLYING, SCHOOL VIOLENCE, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN GENERAL

  • National leadership is critical, as well as leadership all the way down to the school level, to champion a strong response to bullying, school violence, and violence against children in general.
  • Anti-bullying laws, policies, frameworks and guidelines should be provided at a national level with corresponding policies at the local and school levels.
  • There should be laws and policies on inclusive education that address identity-based bullying (for example race or sexuality). These should be translated into explicit policies against discrimination at the local and school levels. ⮴ Laws, policies, frameworks and guidelines should evolve and be adapted to new forms of school aggression such as cyberbullying.

TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS ON BULLYING AND STUDENT-CENTRED AND CARING CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

  • Teachers should be supported through training, mentoring and accessing resources such as appropriate teaching & learning materials to foster a student-centred and caring school environment.
  • There should be pre- and in-service training to increase teachers’ familiarity with bullying prevention and intervention and to learn about how to achieve student-centred and caring classroom management and school environment.

CURRICULUM, LEARNING & TEACHING TO PROMOTE CARING (I.E., ANTI-BULLYING) SCHOOL CLIMATE

  • To reduce bullying, schools need to provide a student-centred and caring school climate. ⮴ Curriculum, learning and teaching, plus teacher-student relationships should all be geared towards fostering a student-centred and caring school environment.
  • To achieve this, student-centred teaching and learning is essential.

SAFE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT 

  • Education authorities, school principals and other school staff should create an environment where students and the whole school community feel safe, secure, welcomed and supported.
  • All school staff, not only teachers, should be sensitized and supported to foster a caring school environment free of bullying.
  • The school leadership needs to model caring relationships. Authoritative, democratic leadership should be promoted by principals, boards, teachers and other staff.
  • Every bullying situation should be recognized and responded to in a timely, consistent and effective way.

REPORTING MECHANISMS FOR STUDENTS AFFECTED BY BULLYING, TOGETHER WITHSUPPORT AND REFERRAL SERVICES

  • Schools should have staff responsible for monitoring bullying.
  • Reporting channels and mechanisms need to be consistent and known by the whole school community, appropriate to different ages, and confidential.
  • The school system should be integrated with community support and referral services that are known by and accessible to the school community.
  • Students (in particular but not exclusively targets and bystanders) as well as school staff should feel they can talk about bullying to a trusted person known to them, in the school or outside the school.
  • Collaboration should be established with social media platforms to ensure that school communities have effective channels to report cyberbullying.

INVOLVEMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PARENTS 

  • All stakeholders in the school community should be involved in anti-bullying initiatives including principals and board, teachers, other school staff, students, and parents, together with other stakeholders in the wider community, such as children and adults who participate in extra-curricular activities, e.g. sports, arts, etc.
  • Parents, including groups such as Parent Teacher Associations, should be supported to engage on the issue of bullying.

STUDENT EMPOWERMENT AND PARTICIPATION

  • Bullying is a relational phenomenon that occurs within a network of people; thus, all students should be involved in prevention programs instead of focusing only on perpetrators or targets.
  • Bystanders play a key role in the dynamics of bullying and should be empowered to support students targeted by bullying.
  • Attention should be paid to the involvement of students who belong to a minority group in the design and implementation of bullying prevention strategies, to ensure these strategies are inclusive of all students.
  • Student-led initiatives and peer approaches to prevent bullying should be implemented in conjunction with programmes involving school staff and other adults.

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE EDUCATION SECTOR AND A WIDE RANGE OF PARTNERS (OTHER GOVERNMENT SECTORS, NGOS, ACADEMIA, DIGITAL PLATFORMS)

  • education authorities should effectively collaborate with different sectors including health, social services, etc.
  • Other relevant sectors should provide resources and support to reduce bullying and cyberbullying, including social media companies
  • Collaboration between the educational sector and academia should be fostered to enable research to better understand bullying and how to reduce it.

EVIDENCE: MONITORING OF SCHOOL BULLYING AND EVALUATION OF RESPONSES

  • It is essential to monitor bullying within schools and across the education system.
  • Regular assessment of the effectiveness of preventative and intervention measures at a school and system level is essential.
  • Monitoring and assessment should involve both students and school staff and should include questions about the school climate.

Colm Canning

Education Project Coordinator Dublin City University

 

ABC Lead EU project to combat Special Educational Needs and Disablist Bullying

International studies related to bullying of those with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities (SEND), more commonly known as disablist bullying, have consistently revealed higher rates of incidence, with SEN/SEND individuals likely to be bullied two-three times as much as their non-SEND counterparts.

To address this issue, the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre at Dublin City University will lead a new two-year European project called DisAbuse which will address the issue of disablist bullying by identifying suitable prevention and counter strategies. The project has been financed by the Higher Education Authority and the EU Erasmus+ Programme.

To coincide with International Day of People with Disabilities, the DisAbuse project was formally launched today by Ms Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, Minister for Higher Education.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Mitchell O’Connor commented:

“All forms of bullying are unacceptable and can have devastating impact on peoples’ lives. The research that takes place under Dr. O’Higgins Norman at the National Anti-Bullying Centre at DCU is providing essential insights into the causes and effects of different types of bullying. This important work will undoubtedly bring a deeper understanding to the area and will help us to support people who experience such bullying. I am honoured to open this seminar on disablist bullying and launch the DisAbuse Project and wish both ventures well.”

DisAbuse is a 2 year project that is part of the Erasmus Plus Programme, Key Action 2 “Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices”, involving 5 partners from 4 European countries, the Anti Bullying Research & Resource Centre, DCU (ABC) and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology (IADT) from Ireland, Fonazione Mondo Digitale (FMD) from Italy, The University of Murcia (UM) from Spain, and the Instituto Universitario de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) from Portugal

The project aims to combine the best of research, practical approaches and cross-disciplinary (educational, psychological, sociological) modern pedagogical approaches (eLearning, partner learning, and peer learning) with widely used technological means (Internet, apps, multi-media) to provide:

  • Cross-national insight into research, policy and practice in regards to disablist bullying that will form the basis of a report with policy recommendations for local and higher authorities
  • An online repository for research, best practice and DisAbuse partner developed training materials, including multi-media material for use by SEN/SEND individuals and those who work with them.
  • A partner trialled and evaluated course work for the prevention and intervention of bullying of SEN/SEND individuals aimed at and piloted cross-nationally with 100 participants across both those with SEN/SEND, and student teachers/teachers/and professional trainers, who will work and learn together.
You can follow the DisAbuse Facebook Page at this link