Addressing Bullying in Schools
The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 - Guidance for Schools and Board of Governors
The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 came into operation on commenced on 1 September 2021.
The Act provides a common definition of bullying; established a new duty for schools to record all incidents of bullying, their motivation and their outcome; and requires the school Board of Governors (BoG) to take responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring and periodic review of the school’s anti-bullying policies.
Updated Resource - Effective Responses to Bullying Behaviour (revised January 2022)
Following the introduction of the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 on 01 September 2021, an update resource - Effective Responses to Bullying Behaviour is also available. This resource aims to promote an anti-bullying culture in schools and to help staff provide support to pupils who have experienced bullying and pupils who have engaged in bullying behaviour.
It provides examples of anti-bullying strategies within four levels of intervention and provides schools with practical suggestions on how bullying behaviour can be addressed.
Further information for parents, carers and pupils can be found at:
Addressing Bullying in Schools Act | Department of Education
The Education Authority has a specialist team, the Addressing Bullying in Schools Implementation Team (ABSIT) which delivers on the policy. Further details can be found at: Information for Schools | Education Authority Northern Ireland