An integral part of the abi Programme is to examine the social climate at school and base any training and consultations on the results.

We surveyed 1,477 students in 17 primary schools over the course of the school year 2015-2016, asking students about their experience of commonly occurring aggressive behaviours.

The results of our surveys confirm the sad reality of school life in Ireland, which is that bullying is a part of everyday life for large numbers of school children. Between 1/4 and approaching 1/3 (!) of 1st and 2nd class children feel bullied at school, and levels stay at 1/5 until 6th class.

We have, however, also come up with some interesting findings, especially about different experiences between boys and girls, and shifts in witnessing and reporting behaviours as the children grow older. These findings are helping us identify opportunities for growthful education models and develop ever more effective interventions that invoke long-term positive change in childrens' behaviour.