Commissioner Chris Quinn shares his views on school bullying policies during this year’s Anti-Bullying Week 2025.
“This week marks Anti-Bullying Week, a vital opportunity to raise awareness of an issue that continues to affect far too many children and young people across Northern Ireland every day.
For context, there is reported widespread sectarian, racist and homophobic bullying, both online and offline. It is deeply concerning that, despite decades of awareness and policy efforts, we appear to be no further forward in tackling a problem that can be debilitating, leading to anxiety, school non-attendance, and poor mental health.
While the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 provides an important framework, gaps and weaknesses remain. Schools are required to record incidents of bullying, yet the Department of Education has not published updated data since 2011. This leaves a serious evidence gap that prevents a full understanding of the scale and nature of bullying, and limits our ability to respond effectively.
I am also concerned that some schools struggle to implement the statutory requirements, and that training levels among school governors remain low. We need rigorous monitoring of how schools are complying with the legislation, and of the effectiveness of their anti-bullying policies in practice.
Rather than reacting only after incidents occur, I am calling on the Department of Education to lead a proactive, culture-changing approach, that builds inclusive, respectful school environments where bullying is not tolerated, children and young people have a strong voice, and shared values of respect and inclusion are embedded across the curriculum and in the daily life of every school.”
