If your child is at immediate risk of harm, you should contact emergency services on 999. If you have a concern about your child’s mental health, you should contact your G.P.
Schools recognise that all behaviour is communication and should be addressed through a learner centred lens for those who display and/or experience socially unacceptable or bullying type behaviour.
Schools are required to address all behaviour in a relational, solution focused manner aligned to Safeguarding and SEND legislation. They will:
- Refer to the behaviour not the pupil.
- Refer to the ‘pupil displaying bullying type behaviour’ rather than ‘bully’.
- Refer to the ‘pupil experiencing bullying type behaviour’ rather than ‘victim’.
- Refer to ‘socially unacceptable behaviour’ rather than ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
- Discourage the use of the term ‘perpetrator’.
What is bullying type behaviour?
Bullying type behaviour may present in the following ways:
- Physical - negative physical contact, material harm such as damaging or taking possessions without permission.
- Verbal or written - unpleasant comments, written, verbal, gestures.
- Social - negatively influencing the actions of others to cause psychological or physical harm.
- Omission- excluding someone/others from e.g. game, activity, group work etc.
- Electronic - misuse of online platforms or other electronic communications to cause psychological upset.
What are the potential signs that my child could be experiencing bullying type behaviour?
Your child may behave differently or show some of the following if they are experiencing bullying type behaviour:
- Refusal to go to school
- Sudden loss of friends
- Difficulty sleeping
- Having unexplained injuries
- Loss of appetite
- Low mood/change in mood
- Avoiding social interaction
- Declining academic performance
- Changes in behaviour at school
Please note, this is not an exhaustive list, and these symptoms may be reflective of other concerns.
Support to address Bullying Type Behaviour
What should I do if the alleged bullying type behaviour happens outside school or term time?
If your child is in immediate danger, you should contact PSNI or other relevant emergency service.
If your child shares that they’ve encountered bullying-type behaviour outside of school—such as during youth group activities or outside of term time—it’s important to take the following steps:
- Stay calm and listen attentively. Reassure your child that speaking up was the right thing to do. Take notes of any key details they share—such as dates, locations, names, and descriptions of the behaviour—as these may be important when reporting the incident.
- Report the incident to the relevant organisation. Contact the youth group or organisation where the behaviour occurred and follow their Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
- Inform the PSNI if appropriate. If the situation warrants police involvement, report the incident to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
- Notify your child’s school. Even if the incident occurred outside of school, it’s important to alert the school to any potential safeguarding concerns. Share as much detail as possible, including how the behaviour has affected your child. The school will document the report using a Bullying Concern Assessment Form (BCAF) Part 1.
- Supportive follow-up by the school. The school will work to clarify the facts and perceptions involved, which may include speaking to all parties. They will assess the situation using the TRIP criteria and develop a tailored support plan for your child. This plan will be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective.
What should I do if my child feels that they are experiencing bullying type behaviour?
If your child confides in you—or another trusted adult—that they are experiencing bullying-type behaviour in school or while travelling to or from school, your response plays a crucial role in how supported and safe they feel. Here’s how you may wish to proceed:
1. Listen and Reassure
- Stay calm and give your child your full attention.
- Reassure them that they’ve done the right thing by speaking up.
- Take notes of any key details they share, such as dates, times, locations, individuals involved, and the nature of the behaviour. These will be helpful when reporting the incident to the school.
2. Review the School’s Policy and Arrange a Meeting
- Check the school’s Addressing Bullying Type Behaviour Policy, typically available on their website.
- Make an appointment with the appropriate staff member—usually your child’s teacher or form tutor.
- During the meeting, provide as much detail as possible, including how the behaviour has affected your child emotionally, socially, or academically.
- The school will begin documenting the concern using Bullying Concern Assessment Form (BCAF) Part 1.
3. Allow Time for Assessment
- Give the school time to clarify the facts and perceptions surrounding the incident. This may involve speaking with all parties involved.
- The school will assess the situation using the TRIP criteria to determine whether the behaviour meets the legal definition of bullying.
- If it does, BCAF Part 2 will be completed, outlining the nature, methods, and possible motivations behind the behaviour.
- If it does not, the school will address the concern using other relevant policies within their pastoral care framework such as the Positive Behaviour, Special Educational Needs, Safeguarding policies for example.
4. Collaborate on a Support Plan
- A follow-up meeting will be arranged to discuss next steps.
- Together with school staff, you’ll co-develop a tailored support plan to help your child feel safe and supported. If TRIP criteria were met, this plan will be recorded in BCAF Part 3.
- The plan will be monitored and reviewed at agreed intervals to ensure it remains effective and responsive to your child’s needs.
How to report concerns to school
If you have concerns about bullying-type behaviour affecting your child, it’s important to take prompt and thoughtful action. Here’s what to do:
- Refer to the school’s Addressing Bullying Policy. This document—usually available on the school’s website—outlines the procedures for reporting and responding to bullying concerns.
- Schedule a meeting with the appropriate pastoral staff. Contact the school as soon as possible to arrange a conversation with your child’s teacher, form tutor, or designated safeguarding lead.
- Clearly explain your concern. Share all relevant details and allow staff time to gather information, clarify facts and perceptions, and consider appropriate support measures for your child.
How will school staff assess reported concerns of bullying type behaviour?
When a concern about bullying-type behaviour is brought to the attention of the school, designated staff will take the following steps to ensure a thorough and fair response:
- Clarify facts and perceptions. Staff will speak with all individuals allegedly involved to understand what happened and how it was experienced by each person.
- Review existing records. Previous reports and assessments will be examined to identify any patterns, trends, or recurring issues.
- Collaboratively assess the incident. Pastoral staff will work together to evaluate the concern using the T.R.I.P. criteria, which helps determine whether the behaviour meets the legal definition of bullying.
- Document the assessment. The agreed findings will be formally recorded on Bullying Concern Assessment Form (BCAF) Part 1.
When assessing a reported concern against TRIP criteria, schools are required to consider the following:
The child or young person’s:
- capacity to regulate and understand the impact of their behaviour
- developmental age
- additional, educational, special, physical, or medical needs
- behaviours displayed/presenting profile (diagnosed or undiagnosed e.g. Social Behaviour Emotional Wellbeing, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Moderate Learning Difficulties etc.)
- individual circumstances e.g. trauma profile, safeguarding concerns, family circumstances and resilience
Schools are only permitted to share personal information or details of support and intervention plans with the pupil and their parents or carers. This ensures confidentiality and protects the privacy of all individuals involved.
What should I do if I am unhappy with how my child’s situation has been supported?
Complaints Procedure
If you are unhappy with how your child’s school has addressed your concern, you may wish to follow their Complaints Policy which is usually available on the school website. If the school’s policy is not available online, it can be obtained by contacting the school office and requesting a copy.
The school’s Complaints Policy sets out how parental concerns or complaints are dealt with by the school and will outline the stages of the process (including timelines) for lodging a complaint with the school.
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
Where a parent remains dissatisfied after completing all the stages of a school’s Complaints Policy, they can complain directly to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO).
Further details are available at Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman | NIPSO