Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland |
| Citation | 2016 NI c 25 |
| Year | 2016 |
Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
2016 CHAPTER 25
An Act to address bullying in grant-aided schools.
[12th May 2016]
BE IT ENACTED by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by Her Majesty as follows:
1 Definition of “bullying”
(1) In this Act “bullying” includes (but is not limited to) the repeated use of—
(a) any verbal, written or electronic communication,
(b) any other act, or
(c) any combination of those,
by a pupil or a group of pupils against another pupil or group of pupils, with the intention of causing physical or emotional harm to that pupil or group of pupils.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “act” includes omission.
2 Duty of Board of Governors to secure measures to prevent bullying
(1) The Board of Governors of a grant-aided school must—
(a) ensure that policies designed to prevent bullying involving a registered pupil at the school are pu rsued at the school;
(b) determine the measures to be taken at the school (whether by the Board of Governors, the staff of the school or other persons) with a view to preventing bullying involving a registered pupil at the school—
(i) on the premises of the school during the school day;
(ii) while travelling to or from the school during the school term;
(iii) while the pupil is in the lawful control or charge of a member of the staff of the school; or
(iv) while the pupil is receiving educational provision arranged on behalf of the school and provided elsewhere than on the premises of the school;
(c) review those measures—
(i) at intervals of no more than 4 years; and
(ii) (without prejudice to sub-paragraph (i)) at such times as the Department may direct;
(d) before determining or revising those measures, consult (in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate) the principal and the registered pupils at the school and the parents of those pupils;
(e) in determining or reviewing those measures, have due regard to any guidance given by the Department;
(f) prepare a written statement of such measures and secure that—
(i) a copy of that statement is given or otherwise made available, free of charge and in such form as the Board of Governors considers appropriate, to the parents of all registered pupils at the school and to the staff of the school; and
(ii) copies of the statement are...
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