IRELAND needs a more systematic and robust approach to collecting and using data on bullying in schools, according to a new international evidence review by researchers at UCC and the ESRI.
The report, National Reporting Frameworks for School Bullying: An International Evidence Review, examines how different countries collect, analyse and use information on bullying, and considers which approaches could provide the greatest value in the Irish context.
The report notes that Ireland has made significant progress in understanding and addressing bullying. However, the researchers identify opportunities to strengthen the evidence available to policymakers, schools and researchers.
A key finding is that a large-scale, independently conducted survey of student experiences, repeated at regular intervals, could provide Ireland with robust information on the prevalence and nature of bullying.
The report identifies Finland’s approach as an example of how national monitoring can provide schools with information on their own students while also generating evidence for national policy and research.
