Inaugural Lecture: UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace: Prof James O'Higgins Norman

Inaugural Lecture by Professor James O'Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace

Tackling Bullying from the inside out: Shifting Paradigms in Bullying Research and Intervention

Since the publication of the first systematic study on school bullying by Olweus in 1973, the majority of research and initiatives to tackle bullying have relied on specific definitions and approaches that understand children as passive participants on a developmental journey relying on adults to protect them from bullying and violence so that they can successfully reach adulthood. However, evolving conceptualisations of childhood have led to a realisation that children are not merely incomplete adults but agents in their own wellbeing. 

Therefore, it is essential for researchers and educators to pay attention to their voice and to facilitate them in maximising their experience of childhood through the provision of safe educational environments. As partners in research and education, young people and adults can tackle bullying in schools and online more effectively. 

Professor James O’Higgins Norman is the first UNESCO Chair in Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace at Dublin City University (DCU) and the Director of the DCU National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre. James’ research is concerned with the implications of bullying and cyberbullying for equality and wellbeing among children, young people, families and communities.

To register for this event, email ioe.abc@dcu.ie