Battling bullying yields dividend

Scoil Choilm Community National School, Porterstown Road is the first primary school in Dublin to be awarded the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (ISPCC) Shield Flag for its preventative work on the issue of bullying.
St Kevin’s Community College in Clondalkin was the first secondary school to receive the prestigious award last Thursday.
ISPCC national anti-bullying co-coordinator Sinead McKee acknowledged her delight for both schools in receiving this award, she said: “This is a proud day for the teachers, students, parents and guardians and the wider school communities in Fonthill and Clonsillia. St Kevin’s and Scoil Choilm are setting a positive example to other schools in the area and I have no doubt that more schools in the area will engage with the ISPCC Shield programme when they hear about the encouraging work these two schools have achieved.”
Anti-bullying coordinator for Scoil Choilm Fiona Finlay praised the school’s ethos: “We are all equal, valued and welcomed members of our school community and how well it complements the Shield Programme.
“The Shield Programme has been a great way for our school to reflect on how it deals with bullying issues and how it enabled pupils to report bullying incidents in a safe and confidential manner while helping to raise awareness about bullying, different types of bullying and how it is best combated,” she said:
McKee said: “All too often within the ISPCC we can see the damage that bullying can have on a young person and to see schools working so hard on having a more effective preventative approach is absolutely inspiring.”
The ISPCC invites any other schools, local sporting clubs with a juvenile section, youth clubs and preschools in Dublin to come on board with the shield anti bullying campaign.
Since its formation more than 100 years ago, the ISPCC has developed and delivered innovative child-centred services in a number of locations throughout Ireland so that, no matter where in Ireland a child lives, they can directly access one of ISPCC’s services.