Fifth of all NI pupils bullied

More than a fifth of pupils in Northern Ireland have been bullied according to a new survey out on Friday.

The figure is part of research carried out by the Central Survey Unit (CSU) of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) which today published the results of the second round of a behaviour and attitudes of young people survey.

The aim of the survey was to examine the behaviour and attitudes of young people towards a range of different topics including: school, nutrition, general health, sports and policing.

Key findings of the survey include:

• School - Over three quarters (77%) of pupils like school at present while over a third (34%) of pupils feel their parents expect too much of them at school.
• Bullying - In the 12 months prior to the survey, 17% of pupils revealed they had been bullied while more than a tenth (13%) had been called names or harassed because of their religion, race or skin colour.
• Smoking - A third of pupils have smoked tobacco while over a third (34%) of those who have smoked tobacco, currently smoke at least once a week.
• Alcohol - 59% of pupils have had an alcoholic drink on at least one occasion, while 55% of those who have taken an alcoholic drink got drunk.
• Drugs & Solvents - Over a fifth (22%) of all pupils have used illegal drugs or solvents.
• Policing - Just over half (51%) think the police in Northern Ireland treat young people very or quite fairly.
• Anti-Social Behaviour - Almost one in ten (9%) pupils say they have carried a knife or other weapon for their own protection during the 12 months prior to the survey.
• Sexual experience and knowledge - 11% of pupils have had sexual intercourse, with the most common age for these pupils being 14 years old the first time.

The survey, commissioned by the cross-departmental Equality and Social Need Steering Group (ESNSG) and conducted by CSU, was conducted in 2000.

A self-completion questionnaire was administered to over 7000 post-primary school children in Northern Ireland.

(MB)