Exploring the Anti-bullying Role of a Befriending Peer Support Programme: A Case Study within the Primary School Setting in Northern Ireland

摘要

Bullying remains a significant issue in the lives of many primary school children in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Children are now experiencing direct and indirect bullying as well as cyberbullying, all of which can have significant negative consequences for health and well-being that may persist in the long term into adulthood. Many children do not tell of their bullying experience or seek help and support. While bullying has achieved a higher profile on the policy and practice agenda over the past few years, prevalence and incidence rates have improved little. Peer support programmes have increasingly been identified as an important element of whole school approaches to tackling and preventing bullying. It has been suggested that these programmes contribute by building resilience, promoting friendship and challenging negative peer group roles in bullying behaviour. This paper presents a case study that describes the process by which a befriending peer support intervention was developed in a primary school setting in Northern Ireland. The factors contributing to its role in promoting friendship and countering bullying at the school are presented.