National reporting frameworks for school bullying: an international evidence review
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Date
2026-09-28
Authors
Dempsey, Caoimhe
McCoy, Selina
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Abstract
Bullying is neither an inevitable feature of school life, nor a normal part of childhood and adolescence (McCoy et al., 2026). Addressing bullying requires attention to the student-, school- and system-level factors that shape its prevalence, as reflected in the Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying (Government of Ireland, 2022). Recent evidence from Department of Education and Youth Inspectorate (2026) and independent research (McCoy et al. 2026), highlights the importance of robust and systematic data collection to support schools and policymakers. This report reviews four national approaches to bullying data collection: large-scale student surveys, dedicated bullying surveys, bullying incident monitoring systems, and evaluations of existing programmes. Each approach has strengths and limitations. Across all approaches, greater coordination within the Department of Education and Youth and across government departments is needed to improve coherence, reduce duplication and support sustainable policy action. Data collection should not only provide national evidence but also support schools by sharing findings in a clear, accessible, and non-judgemental way. Norway’s Olweus school bullying Programme demonstrates the value of linking programme evaluation with national survey data, allowing reliable measurement of policy impact over time. Finland’s biennial School Health Promotion study similarly provides long-term trend data while also giving schools access to their own results to inform local policy and practice. Together, these examples highlight the value of validated, repeated measures and the integration of survey and administrative data to strengthen anti-bullying policy and practice. Ensuring rich and robust evidence will require sustained commitment and investment, but the benefits for policy and practice are substantial.
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Keywords
School bullying , Bullying prevention , Anti-bullying policy , [Applied Psychology]
Citation
Dempsey, C & McCoy, S 2026, National reporting frameworks for school bullying: an international evidence review.
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© 2026, the Authors.