Dublin, Ireland, Jun 18, 2021 / 03:30 am
Religious Education teachers in Ireland have expressed concern that bullies are targeting practicing Catholic students.
Their concerns emerged June 15 in a meeting of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science.
Sociology professor James O’Higgins Norman noted in an opening statement that much bullying behavior was driven by issues of identity.
“In terms of identity, a recent study at our Centre found that teachers of Religious Education have specific concerns about students who are practicing Catholics being targeted for bullying more than those who do not practice a religion,” said O’Higgins Norman, who holds the UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace at Dublin City University (DCU).